CorD Magazine October 2017 Issue, no. 156 by CorD Magazine

ENCOURAGING FURTHER TWO-WAY TRADE GROWTH

HEALTH IS THE ESSENCE

DR ZSOFIA PUSZTAI

World Health Organisation Representative in Serbia and Head of the WHO country office

H.E. JULIA FEENEY

MARKO ČADEŽ

president of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia

www.cordmagazine.com

OCTOBER ’17 / ISSUE No. 156

Ambassador of Australia to Serbia

NEW WAY OF ORGANISING BROUGHT BENEFITS TO THE ECONOMY

interviews opinions news comments events PRICE 300 RSD VLADIMIR VLATKO STEFANOVSKI, MUSICIAN

Total Trash Rules in Culture PERFORMANCE ART

The Line Between Art And Life FINTECH

Hottest Trends For 2017

CHARLES SIMIĆ POET AND ESSAYIST

A Smoked Ham

E XC L U S I V E

FOR POETRY ISSN1451-7833

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783002

COMMENT CARL BILDT, Project Syndicate

Redefining EUROPE AND EUROPEANS

For Europe to find its place in a rapidly changing world, its citizens will have to look beyond the nation-state as their sole source of personal identity. There are few “first nations” left in the world today – and that is a welcome development PAGE 6

CONTENTS

A SMOKED HAM FOR POETRY

ENCOURAGING FURTHER TWO-WAY TRADE GROWTH

H.E. Julia Feeney, Ambassador of Australia to Serbia

GLOBAL DIARY

CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Maja Vukadinović, Mirjana Jovanović, Ljubica Gojgić, Miša Brkić, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić

HEALTH IS THE ESSENCE

Dr Zsofia Pusztai, World Health Organisation Representative in Serbia and Head of the WHO country office

PRIVILEGE THAT OBLIGES SO, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

FACES & PLACES

VITICULTURE, WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

Comment: United Nation

THE TURBULENT FEUD BETWEEN AIRBUS AND BOEING AVIATION

Feature

30 HOTTEST TRENDS FOR 2017 Fintech

THE LINE BETWEEN ART AND LIFE Performance Art

Focus

BE WORTHY OF IMAGINATION Danka Selić, General Manager Of The Belgrade Fair

EDITOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs DESIGNER: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs

Charles Simić, Poet and Essayist

October 2017

TOTAL TRASH RULES IN CULTURE

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CHILL OUT

CULTURE CALENDAR

AFTER WORK

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COMMENT

Redefining Europe And Europeans For Europe to find its place in a rapidly changing world, its citizens will have to look beyond the nation-state as their sole source of personal identity. There are few “first nations” left in the world today – and that is a welcome development CARL BILDT, Project Syndicate

ravelling through Germany in the run-up to its federal also accepting its regional and global responsibilities. Barbed wire election on 24th September, one cannot help but be fencing between Hungary and Serbia will not shield Europe from struck by the lingering signs of profound trauma from the effects of war in Ukraine, putsches and terrorism in Anatolia, the 2015 refugee crisis. or violent conflagrations in the Levant and Mesopotamia. And it Suddenly and virtually without warning, nearly a million desperwill not help Europe manage the dramatic shift now underway in ate people – mostly Syrians fleeing the carnage in their homeland Africa, which will be home to 40 per cent of the world’s working– flocked to Germany. And while Germany may be Europe’s most age population in a few decades. bureaucratically well-managed country, even it was overwhelmed. Another lesson from 2015 is that European countries must German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s response to the crisis two learn to redefine their national identities. The United States, Ausyears ago was to throw out the rulebook and open her country’s tralia and Canada have all been built on immigration, and most of borders. She famously told the German people, “Wir schaffen us are the progeny of people from somewhere else. Indeed, there das” (We can do it). is not much left of the “first nations” in these countries. It is now But German public opinion today suggests that the country entirely possible for there to be more people of Swedish descent has become warier of such bold gestures. Yes, Germany did it, bein Chicago than in Stockholm. cause there was no alternative; and many Germans are proud of To be sure, Europe is different from its Western counterparts. their country for rising to the occasion. But most hope that such Its tribes have been fighting one another for millennia. And for a crisis never happens again. the past two centuries, Europeans have been building ever-stronAlthough many Germans have come to ger nation-states and national identities on The EU must replace the basis of long, complicated historical exterms with what happened two years ago, a small minority still feels betrayed. They have periences. lofty rhetoric with responded with anger and xenophobic nationThe EU itself was, of course, built by nationconcrete action, while states. But their citizens wanted to overcome alism, and these sentiments will undoubtedly be reflected in how they vote. their long legacy of tribalism and war. Judged also accepting its But Germany’s trauma from the refugee by that objective, the EU’s first half-century regional and global crisis should be put into perspective. Far more has been a tremendous success. And yet the refugees have sought and found protection strains are there for all to see. Whether justiresponsibilities in countries like Lebanon and Turkey than in fied or not, when people perceive a threat to Germany. In relative terms, Germany would have had to take in their national identity, their tribal instincts kick in. And for a truly 20 million refugees to match Lebanon in 2015. In Turkey, Istanbul frightened few, Brussels and Mecca have both come to be seen as alone is now hosting more refugees than the whole of Germany. mortal threats. For Europe to find its place in a rapidly changing world, its Of course, Germany is not the only European country that recitizens will have to learn to tap multiple identities. One can be mains unsettled by the refugee crisis. In my own country, Swea proud Swede and a proud European at the same time; one can den, a political party that wants to shut us off from the rest of also be both German and Turkish, and derive strength from that the world will most likely make strong gains in next year’s genduality. It is not disloyal to see oneself as a citizen of the world. On eral elections. And in many Central European countries that only the contrary, it is honourable. recently regained their sense of sovereignty, refugees are widely Such a shift in attitudes would make for a very different Euviewed as posing a threat to national identity. rope. We would have finally moved on from ancient tribal conflicts One way or another, these issues will dominate European poliand fears, and embraced a networked, digital future. Merkel, who tics in the years ahead. Europe is slowly trying to build up resilwill likely be elected for another four-year term as chancellor on ience to the kind of trauma it experienced in 2015. It is a continent 24th September, told Germans that they “can do it”. But whether that once exported war and turmoil, but that now wants to proGermany and the rest of Europe will do it remains to be seen. We tect itself from its neighbours’ problems. have our work cut out for us. ■ One of the lessons from 2015 is that the European Union will need to develop a far stronger common foreign and security polCarl Bildt was Sweden’s foreign minister from 2006 to October 2014 and prime minister from 1991 to 1994 icy. The EU must replace lofty rhetoric with concrete action, while 6 |

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INTERVIEW

A Smoked Ham

By SONJA ĆIRIĆ

FOR POETRY CHARLES SIMIĆ

EXCLUSIVE

POET AND ESSAYIST

Charles Simić is among America’s greatest poets. In late August he spent two days in his hometown of Belgrade, whilst on his way back from Macedonia, where he received the "Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings", one of Europe’s most important poetry awards, in recognition of his entire poetry opus. Simić was the guest of publishing house “Arhipelag”, which in recent years has published his books of essays “Dime-Store Alchemy”, “Gledaj dugo i netremice” and “Tamo gde počinje zabava”, as well as the book of selected and new poems, “Awaiting Judgment”. The literary evening that was held during his stay in Belgrade is considered as the Serbian capital’s top cultural event of the summer

orn 9th May 1938 as Dušan Simić, he moved from Belgrade to America in 1953. He graduated in American literature and later lectured it and creative writing at the University of New Hampshire, where he lives with his wife. He has a son, a daughter and two grandchildren, and writes essays and critiques, and has served for a long time as a critic of The New York Review of Books. Simić’s books have been translated into all major world languages and he has received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the American Academy Award, the Prize of the Serbian PEN Centre for translations of Serbian literature, 8 |

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SCHOOL

FUTURE

POETRY

The first school I attended (for one year) was in New York City, and for my final year I was in a suburb of Chicago

Today we are all pessimistic about the future, but we have no idea what sort of horror will bring about our demise

Vasko Popa, Aleksandar Ristović and Radmila Lazić are known to readers of poetry, while Danilo Kiš is known to those interested in European fiction

the Robert Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime service to poetry, the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award and others. Simić’s visit to Belgrade provided us with the opportunity to ask him to recall the period before he became famous, his memories of Belgrade and his beginnings in poetry. ■ You were not quite three years old when World War II came to Serbia and Belgrade was bombed. You then lived in the city centre, in Majka Jevrosima Street. Did the bombs bypass your neighbourhood; what do you remember of those times? - Nope. A bomb fell on a building across the street. I was thrown out of bed and remember lying on the floor awake, with broken glass all around me and the room brightly lit from the fire.

- The first school I attended (for one year) was in New York City, and for my final year I was in a suburb of Chicago. The teachers in both places knew where Yugoslavia was, because World War II brought a great many Americans to Europe as soldiers and they knew their geography. In those days, immigrants were more readily accepted. I and my brother made friends easily.

■ Does your primary school still exist today? You were the first post-war generation. What did you learn about back then, what was your first teacher like? - It does, but it’s some other kind of institution. All I remember is that I hated being there and missed roaming the streets with my pals, as we did during the war.

■ You revealed in one interview that your father had a great library. What did you read as a boy? - Books I couldn’t possibly understand by Dickens, Maupassant, Tolstoy etc.

■ When you left Belgrade with your parents as a fifteen-year-old boy in 1953, Yugoslavia was at the start of its rise as a nation. What do you think your life would have been like if you’d stayed in Belgrade? - My father was in Italy when the war ended and he immigrated to America in 1950, so it was just me, my mother and my younger brother who left Belgrade in 1953. I have no idea what would have happened to me if I’d stayed. However, if you were to pose that question to people in my neighbourhood, they would tell you that I would have ended up in jail.

My father was in Italy when the war ended and he immigrated to America in 1950, so it was just me, my mother and my younger brother who left Belgrade in 1953. I have no idea what would have happened to me if I’d stayed. However, if you were to pose that question to people in my neighbourhood, they would tell you that I would have ended up in jail

■ Prior to arriving in America, you lived in Paris – meaning a new language and a new everything. How did you find it? Did you adapt easily? - We were there just one year and the French I knew I’d learned in Belgrade, so I had a very hard time. As for adapting, even Serbs who’d lived in France for 20-30 years were regarded as dirty foreigners by the French.

■ Your schoolmates in America almost certainly didn’t even know where Yugoslavia was. How did they accept you; which school did you attend?

■ How did you fall in love with literature? Was it perhaps thanks to some teacher? - Although I was already a passionate reader of literature, I did have a very good teacher in the last semester of high school. He made us read modern American and European fiction, and introduced us to writers I’ve never heard of before.

■ Is it true that you started writing poems because of a girl? Do you remember those poems? How did she react to your verses? - It wasn’t just one girl. I used the same poems over and over again, just changing the name. Thank God, I don’t remember those poems. As for my sweethearts’ reactions, they were surprised, of course, delighted, but I’ve no idea what they really thought.

■ It states in your biography that you worked to support yourself during your studies. Do you recommend that today’s youth follow your example? - No, I wouldn’t recommend that. Many of my students now work the way I once did, because it’s become very expensive to go to college, and I feel sorry for them. They have hard lives. OCTOBER

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■ Who was your first publisher? How did Americans react to verses written by someone whose native language isn’t English? - My first poems were published in 1959 in The Chicago Review, a very fine literary quarterly that is still published. The readers read my poems, but they had no idea that my native language wasn’t English, because the magazine didn’t tell them that.

■ In the second half of the 1960s, when your poetry career began, was it known here in Serbia that the poems of one of our own were being read and praised somewhere in America? - Yes, since I was translating Popa, Lalić, Pavlović, Simović and other Serbian poets who knew what was going on in American literature.

it came out, many people were angry with us, and none of them ever came afterwards to tell us that we had been right.

■ With your translations of the works of our writers into English, you have contributed greatly to our literature crossing the ocean and making it to American bookshops. Promoting the literature of a small nation is almost certainly something of a Sisyphean task, particularly given the fact that American readers are orientated towards the American market. But what is your impression: do Americans read our authors’ books? - Vasko Popa, Aleksandar Ristović and Radmila Lazić are known to readers of poetry, while Danilo Kiš is known to those interested in European fiction. Vladimir Pistalo’s book on Tesla was well received, but that’s pretty much it. ■ At the time when you translated the poems of Vasko Popa, you were interested in our folk poetry, and since then its influence on your poems has been evident. Was there not a risk, for example, that the metaphors of our folk lyrics would not be understood in America? - I was not interested in folk poetry, but rather in folklore – not just in Serbia, but in the United States. The few metaphors I used I translated into American idiom, so that it would be understood.

■ You received the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for your collection of poems “The World Doesn’t End”. Today, in the context of the threat of World War III, do you still think the same – that the world will persevere? - The title of that book doesn’t refer to our suicidal tendencies as a species. As you know, in the 1950s and ‘60s Americans expected a nuclear war with the Soviet Union and built shelters. Today we are all pessimistic about the future, but we have no idea what sort of horror will bring about our demise.

Although I was already a passionate reader of literature, I did have a very good teacher in the last semester of high school. He made us read modern American and European fiction, and introduced us to writers I never heard of before

■ You publicly advocated against nationalism during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. After 11th September 2001, you also tried to persuade your compatriots that going to war against Iraq would be a mistake. You were not alone in your opinion, though it seems that those who think differently, those who are destroying the world, are stronger. Could you please comment on this? - I never thought that my views would make the slightest difference, but for my own peace of mind I had to say what I think. Just before the beginning of the Iraq War, a bunch of us poets got together and wrote an anti-war statement that was published in a newspaper and which I happened to come across a few months ago. What surprised me about it is how prescient we were. We knew it was going to be a complete disaster and it was. At the time 10 |

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■ You write in English. However, considering that you know the Serbian language, why do you decline to translate your books into Serbian? - Because I can’t. My knowledge of written Serbian is that of a fifteen-year-old who never did well in school and who rarely spoke his native language during the sixty-four years that he lived in the United States. ■ The obligatory epithet beside your name is “America’s greatest contemporary poet”. How does the American public relate to the great contemporary names of its culture? - Those labels mean nothing. We adore writers and forget them after they die. My students are unlikely to have read Hemingway and Ginsberg, and I see no reason to remedy their ignorance. That’s not how it used to be when I was growing up, but now it’s a commonplace observation.

■ The media here in Serbia describe you as an example of someone who’s realised the so-called American dream in his lifetime: you started from scratch and became one of the most famous living poets. Would you like to share your recipe for success with CorD’s readers? - Considering that I had my first job when I was sixteen and that I’m still working at the age of seventy-nine, and will be in the foreseeable future, I doubt that I can be used as an example of success. As for poetry, getting recognition is nice. Once a reader sent me a smoked ham from Virginia, a famous vineyard sent me a case of wine from California and a butcher sent me some sausages from Detroit. What more can one ask of the world? ■

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INTERVIEW

Encouraging Further

TWO-WAY TRADE GROWTH H.E. JULIA FEENEY

AMBASSADOR OF AUSTRALIA TO SERBIA

“We have very good relations and they have traditionally been that way. What we need to do, both ways, is improve them, by making more exchanges, more real experiences, more visits. The embassy is trying to bring some interesting Australians each year, who are rich in professional experience and want to share and explore their views with their Serbian colleagues. I would say that in my three years relations have deepened and that Australia is generally held in high regard, as a strong economy and vibrant multicultural democracy” - H.E. Julia Feeney, Ambassador of Australia to Serbia

he trade relationship between Australia and Serbia has grown considerably since 2012, due to a number of factors. Access to the Australian market for Serbian producers is a contributing element, but a vital contributing factor is the marked increase in Australian business activity in the region, mostly focused in Serbia. Even though the lion’s share of this investment has been in the mining and services sectors, diverse Australian enterprises have made significant inroads. As a result, total merchandise trade in 2012 was worth A$19.5 million (€13.1), while the figure in 2016 was over 150 per cent higher and amounted to nearly A$50 million. It is significant to note that in 2010 there was zero trade in services, while by 2016 it had 12 |

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grown to a respectable A$73 million. It is also important to highlight that Australian investment in Serbia in 2016 amounted to A$7 million. Looking at the figures, it is obvious that two-way trade has been on a positive trajectory for a number of years.

■ Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made an official visit to Serbia recently, marking the first such visit in 33 years. Were you satisfied with the results of discussions in Belgrade? - It was a very important visit for us in the Embassy, not only because it was the first Foreign Minister-level visit for a long period, but also because of the many good things that came out of it. Foreign Minister

MIGRATION

SUPPORT

SOCIETY

Australia's Migration Programme encourages people from any country to apply to migrate to Australia

We are trying to support, as much as possible, all organisations dealing with human rights and human rights education

My Government is committed to maintaining a harmonious society, as a necessary precondition to keeping Australia and its communities safe

Bishop had the opportunity to meet her counterpart, Foreign Minister relations between Serbia and Australia, which is the world’s Dačić, but also Energy and Mining Minister Antić and newly-appointed 13th largest economy, are not at a satisfactory level. Despite the great distance separating the two nations, do you see opPrime Minister Brnabić. The visit was part of a wider tour around the portunities to strengthen economic ties? region, as Australia wants to extend support to - Bilateral trade between our two countries all new democracies that respect human rights, As Serbia becomes is presently at modest levels. There are many rule of law and open market rules. As Minister more competitive and reasons for this, first and foremost geographical Bishop said, Australia supports Serbia’s memberattractive to Australian ship in the EU and would not like to see Brexit distance has some impact – even if only psychoinvestment, it will logically. While many people in this region have as a deterring moment on that path. Following Minister Bishop’s visit, Serbia signed an MOU naturally draw a greater a great desire to visit Australia for tourism or to visit families or friends, few are in a position to with Rio Tinto regarding the Jadar project. Also, Australian presence on think in terms of trade and investment. Minister Bishop was able to witness the first the ground, resulting in Lately we have noted an increasing Australresults of the new archaeological site in Glac. further opportunities ian business and investment footprint in Serbia High level official visits are always important and welcomed, because in a way they put bilateral to strengthen economic and bilateral trade has grown steadily over the last couple of years, chiefly on the back of trade cooperation in a new perspective, a closer one. linkages in services and an increasing Australian mining presence. In this respect, Australian technology and expertise is already ■ During that visit, which was dubbed ‘historic’ by Serbian making its way to Serbia, mostly through Australian-owned SMEs that Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, it was confirmed that economic

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provide specialised services to Australian clients via cloud-based platforms. Another strong indicator that new opportunities are emerging in our trade relationship is the emergence of the Melbourne-based AustralianSerbian Commerce Chamber (ASCC) in late 2016. Its Belgrade office was launched in May 2017 and I am confident that the ASCC will help encourage greater two-way trade and investment and people-to-people exchange. As Serbia becomes more competitive and attractive to Australian investment, it will naturally draw a greater Australian presence on the ground, resulting in further opportunities to strengthen economic linkages. And with that comes a high level of expertise and experience in sustainable economic and environmental practises, social responsibility, knowledge and skills transfer. ■ Minister Bishop’s visit was also marked by the signing of a memorandum on the “Jadar” project between the Government of Serbia and company Rio Tinto, which will enable this multinational company of Australia origin to begin exploiting large lithium deposits near Loznica. The site in question is believed to be one of the largest in Europe. What kind of investment does this entail? - Rio Tinto is a mining company and they are considered pioneers in the industry. The company produces materials essential to human progress, such as smartphones, cars, planes and so on. The Jadar Project is their flagship project in Serbia, based on their discovery of a unique Serbian mineral named Jadarite. If the Jadar Project receives all the requisite approvals, the company could invest substantial capital for the design and construction of the mine, including utilisation of new and innovative processing technology for the Jadarite ore. Most importantly for Serbia, having such a reliable partner means that the project would be developed in line with the highest international health and safety, environmental and community standards, as they have demonstrated at their Australian operations.

Rio Tinto is a mining company and they are considered pioneers in the industry. The company produces materials essential to human progress, such as smartphones, cars, planes and so on. The Jadar Project is their flagship project in Serbia, based on their discovery of a unique Serbian mineral named Jadarite

■ The past summer was marked by cooperation between universities in Sydney and Sremska Mitrovica, and the Ministry of Culture. A donation from Australia enabled students from that country and from Serbia to work on a new archaeological site at the Sirmium site. Are researchers satisfied with the results obtained at the site? - The multi-year Glac Project is an exciting Australian-Serbian investigation into an ancient Roman palace. It is situated some three kilometres to the southeast of Sremska Mitrovica in the vicinity of the River Sava. Researchers are absolutely thrilled with the initial results. They are hop14 |

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ing to uncover some important things, but, as you know, they can never be sure of that in advance. It happened, however, that in the first year of digging and exploration they found perfect proof that an emperor once lived there. Another great thing that project is bringing is close cooperation between students of Belgrade and Sydney universities. Given the size of the land and the site itself, the whole project will last more than a decade, which also means that it will include several generations of students, and that is something I am looking forward to very much. The project will also open many prospects in the fields of the economy, tourism, science and education. We are thankful to the Ministry of Culture and the City of Sremska Mitrovica for all their support and the warm welcome they provided the Australian team. I shouldn’t forget to mention the fabulous work of the Institute of Archaeology in Serbia, which is an essential partner for the University of Sydney. ■ Given how distant Australia and Serbia are from one another geographically, how come Sydney University is interested in Sremska Mitrovica? - This cooperation all started thanks to the cooperation between Serbian professor Stefan Pop-Lazic and Australian professor Richard Miles, and their scientific hunger. The two of them established contact and started dreaming about this fantastic project. In archaeological circles, Serbia is well known for its wealth in history and cultural heritage. Australia, on the other hand, is very committed to cultural heritage preservations and Sydney University is renowned for investing in its students and providing them with practical opportunities to learn more. It is an excellent symbiosis that I’m sure will continue to be very fruitful.

■ Young people from Serbia, on the other hand, consider Australia a possible destination to relocate to in search of further education or a better life. What kind of policy does your government have regarding immigrants? Do you still encourage their arrival? - Yes, we welcome migrants from all walks of life and from all countries. Australia’s Migration Programme encourages people from any country to apply to migrate to Australia. The Migration Programme is set annually, with total places available for 2017-18 capped at 190,000. People can apply for permanent visas based on skills, family grounds or as a special eligibility or for temporary visas, whether as visitors, students or for a range of specialised purposes. ■ In previous years Australia has assisted in the work of organisations dealing with human rights and gender equality in

Serbia. Are you satisfied with the work of the Commissioner for Equality, for example, and do you think the work of independent regulatory bodies is given sufficient weight? - The Embassy has had close cooperation with the Commissioner for Equality since the institution was established. Australia considers the important role all of these independent institutions as a key and essential element of any democracy. We are trying to support, as much as possible, all organisations dealing with human rights and human rights education. The Australian Commissioner for Human Rights from Australia’s national Human Rights Commission visited Serbia in May and was amazed with the dedication of the people he met from both the NGO sector and the relevant institutions.

■ During your time in Serbia you have drawn attention to Olive King, an Australian who was a volunteer in World War I and a driver of the Serbian Sanitarian on the Thessaloniki front. How did the public react to that exhibition? - The story of Olive King is a really special one. She was one of several courageous Australian volunteers. Her story is as much about the long and deep links between our two people as it is about selfless people who devote their lives to helping others. That story was well received in Serbia, as the Serbians recognise and respect the assistance that was received. We regularly receive calls to organise the exhibition in different Serbian towns, which we do with much pleasure. So far, the exhibition has been presented in Belgrade, Niš, Kotor… We have recently been asked to bring it to Šabac. It is a valuable and positive way to pay tribute to all the victims of WWI by emphasising a story of human kindness and courage. That’s because, as you may know, Olive King not only helped during WWI, but also returned after the war to provide Serbia with ambulance vehicles and financial support for feeding canteens. We have been doing a lot in the culture field in terms of allowing Serbians to better familiarise themselves with the Australian culture scene. Let me just add that we will be part of the Ethnological Film Festival, organised by the Ethnographic Museum from 10th-14th October, while at the same time we will organise another exhibition, this time of indigenous art, to support the festival. I hope your audience will enjoy themselves.

tember 2014, when our national terrorism threat was raised, 74 people have been charged as a result of 31 counter terrorism operations in Australia. Close cooperation between intelligence and law enforcement agencies has led to a series of targeted disruptions and other activities to contain threats. My Government is committed to maintaining a harmonious society, as a necessary precondition to keeping Australia and its communities safe. Australia is one of the most successful and harmonious multicultural societies in the world – which is our best

Australia is one of the most successful and harmonious multicultural societies in the world – which is our best defence against terrorism and hatred. Our ‘Aussie’ identity is defined by an overriding commitment to our nation and its democratic values – not by race, religion or ethnic background

■ Returning to the present, from an Australian perspective, how do you see current tensions on the world stage – on the Korean Peninsula, the Arabian Peninsula and in the Middle East? - It is true that we are living in unpredictable times. While Australia is quite isolated, physically, from these tensions, we consider it even more important now than ever for there to be meaningful international dialogue. The United Nations plays an essential role in this, as does effective diplomacy, but all forums where there is meaningful dialogue that enhances global understanding can be helpful. However, Australia is not isolated from threats of terrorism. Since Sep-

defence against terrorism and hatred. Our ‘Aussie’ identity is defined by an overriding commitment to our nation and its democratic values – not by race, religion or ethnic background.

■ Given that you are the accredited ambassador to three of the region’s countries – Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia – how would you evaluate the political situation in the Western Balkans; and how would you interpret analyses identifying the region as a potential new conflict hotspot? - I strongly believe, as does my Government, that all open issues should be dealt with bilaterally. We can see the new Government of Macedonia demonstrating a will to do precisely that. The most that politicians can and should do for their people is to act responsibly and rationally, setting aside emotions, which is the only way to find effective compromises to resolve bilateral irritants. The people of the Western Balkans deserve leaders who direct national development through the growth and support of democratic principles, strong independent institutions and respect for rule of law. Australia is fully supportive of the Balkans’ path towards the EU and we are hoping the politicians will do everything in their power to achieve that goal as soon as possible, for the benefit of all their citizens. ■ OCTOBER

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CANDIDATES

GLOBAL DIARY

“If we want more stability in our neighbourhood, then we must maintain a credible enlargement perspective for the Western Balkans.It is clear that there will be no further enlargement during the mandate of this Commission and this Parliament… Accession candidates must give the rule of law, justice and fundamental rights utmost priority.” - Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President

DEADLY MEXICAN EARTHQUAKES ▶ A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City on 23rd September, centred around the southern state of Oaxaca. The United States Geological Survey said that the earthquake was an aftershock from a previous quake, The earthquake comes just days after a 7.1 magnitude quake hit Mexico City, destroying buildings and killing nearly 300 people. Response operations related to that event were still ongoing at the time of the new tremor. The quake hit in a region of Mexico that was most shaken by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake that also hit earlier this month. That earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico and could be felt hundreds of kilometres away from its epicentre in Mexico City. That earthquake also left more than 60 people dead. In areas hit hardest by that earthquake, tremors have been felt repeatedly since. The latest 6.2 magnitude quake was the most violent felt in Tonalá, one of the worst hit cities, according to a resident.

72ND SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ▶ Nuclear weapons were the focus as global leaders addressed the 72nd

almost €230,000 capital surplus on

focus on people, and keeping promises

her investments. Her Royal Highness

made to advance prosperity and pro-

paid €70,865 to the Swedish state

tect the planet.

in taxes. Her sister, Crown Princess

▶ The first part of a new underground

Victoria, followed Madeleine closely.

bicycle parking garage has opened in

She received €210,000 excess capacity

Utrecht, Netherlands.

on her investments. A part of that,

For now the parking garage offers 6,000

€63,555, she paid in taxes. Prince Carl

spaces for bikes, though this will be

Philip earned around €800,000 on his

upgraded to 7,000 by the end of the year.

2015 investments, receiving €84,000

The garage is open and guarded 24/7.

as returns on investments in 2016. He

The ‘bicycle-city’ has three floors and is

also has other sources of income which

located beneath the train station. Com-

earned him €72,975.

muters can directly access the platforms

SWEDISH ROYAL FINANCES REVEALED

United Nations General Assembly in ▶ Swedish newspaper Expressen was

New York.

WORLD’S BIGGEST ‘BICYCLE-CITY’

more work on prevention, a greater

recently granted permission to peruse the financial situation of each member of the Swedish Royal Family. Swedes are, in general, very open about their income and financial situation. Therefore, much is known about the Royal Family’s financial situation and taxes. All members of the Royal Fam-

Leaders and diplomats from dozens

ily follow the same tax rules as other

of countries signed a treaty at the UN

Swedish citizens.

that will outlaw nuclear weapons — a

This time it is Princess Madeleine who

document that disarmament advocates described as a historic first.

has the highest yields on her investments. In 2016 the Princess earned

However, the world’s nine nuclear-armed countries, including the United States and North Korea, declined to sign the treaty, and the Americans and their allies denounced it as dangerously naïve. Opening the annual general debate on 12th September, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Miroslav Laicak stressed the need for

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Photo: Johans Ekstromer

WORLD’S BIGGEST BEER FESTIVAL OKTOBERFEST OPENS ▶ The drinking began as wet weather and enhanced security did not dampen the spirits of beer enthusiasts at the 184th Oktoberfest which opened in Munich on September 16. Six million people from all over the world are expected to visit the world’s largest beer festival, which runs until October 3. This year, visitors will be able to download an app that shows nearby tents with available space. It will also help festival goers find lost friends — which will be useful as the largest tent fits 10,000 people. Oktoberfestis hoping more people will come to the festival this year after attendance in 2016 dipped in part due to concern over terror attacks. Security has since been bolstered at the festival, with backpacks as well as large bags now being banned. The entrances will be watched over by more than 650 security guards, up by 200 from last year.

COMMITMENT

“I welcome the renewed commitment by both (Presidents Hashim Thaçi of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia) to the process. The EU and I personally are fully committed to the European Union perspective of Serbia, Kosovo and the entire region. That progress by both sides is firmly linked to progress in the Dialogue.“ - Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/

Vice-President of the European Commission

MERKEL WINS FOURTH TERM ▶ With all 299 constituencies reporting, Chancellor

Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, came out ahead in Germany’s national elections on 24th September, securing 33 per cent of the vote. The rival Social Democrats (SPD), led by Martin Schulz, tumbled to a mere 20.5%, while the Green and Left parties remained about the same as in 2013, with 8.9 and 9.2 per cent respectively. The only real success stories of the night were the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). After failing to make the five-per cent benchmark to enter the Bundestag last time around, the FDP managed 10.7%, to cement its comeback. As for the populist AfD, a remarkable showing of 12.6% means that Germany will have a far-right party in parliament for the first time in more than half a century. bicycles - making it the world’s biggest

Euroleague Basketball President and

tion, which has remained with her fam-

bicycle parking garage!

CEO Jordi Bertomeu handed him his

ily, has been offered at auctions for the

personalised Euroleague Basketball

first time ever. Together, the auctions

Legend trophy. He is the first head coach

presented some 500 uniquely intimate

to be chosen for this distinction. Ivković

glimpses into the personal life of one of

also received a framed copy of the

Hollywood’s greatest stars.

CELEBRATION OF COACH IVKOVIĆ'S LEGENDARY CAREER

Part I of the collection was offered at from there. It is a joint project of the municipality of Utrecht, ProRail and NS (Dutch Railways). The project is already the biggest of its kind in the Netherlands, and after expansion in 2018 it will offer spaces for 12,500

▶ In an unforgettable evening for Euro-

Christie’s London (from 22nd–26th Sep-

pean basketball fans, Olympiacos Piraeus

tember), while Part II was offered in an

hosted an All-Star team to honour Dušan

online-only sale conducted simultane-

Ivković (73), who has announced his retire-

ously. The auctions included Hepburn’s

ment after an unprecedented 48-year

personally annotated scripts from her best-loved films, including Breakfast

career on the bench. In an emotional pre-game ceremony,

scoresheets used in his two EuroLeague

at Tiffany’s, original portraits from

Championship Games with Olympiacos

major photographers like Cecil Beaton

in 1997 and 2012. He also received an un-

and Philippe Halsman, her extensive

forgettable standing ovation once he was introduced, and took the time to greet current and former players one by one. The VIPs watching the game at the Peace and Friendship Stadium included tennis superstar Novak Đoković, as well as some of his former players and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup coaches.

AUDREY HEPBURN’S PERSONAL COLLECTION OFFERED AT CHRISTIE’S

personal wardrobe and much more. Glamorous dresses by designers including Givenchy and Valentino - which her son Sean Hepburn-Ferrer noted few would fit into – were put on display alongside playful clothing that included a 1964 Spanish matador outfit.

▶ Audrey Hepburn’s personal collec-

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INTERVIEW

Health Is THE ESSENCE DR ZSOFIA PUSZTAI

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION REPRESENTATIVE IN SERBIA AND HEAD OF THE WHO COUNTRY OFFICE

“We will work jointly with the Ministry of Health to identify more effective health financing policies to address the needs of the most disadvantaged,” announces for CorD Dr Zsofia Pusztai, WHO Representative in Serbia and Head of the WHO country office

r. Zsofia Pusztai has been resident in Serbia for a year, as the representative of the World Health Organisation. In this interview for CorD, she underlines that it is crucial, and not only when it comes to the region, to work on a new strategy based on the UN Agenda 2030 and the WHO 2020 plan. - This new plan, a Roadmap to implement the 2030 Agenda, brings the Region’s priorities forward and provides a common direction, highlighting actions that can accelerate and strengthen the capacities of Member States in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Roadmap proposes five strategic directions: 1. advancing governance and leadership for health and wellbeing; 2. strengthening health systems for universal health coverage (UHC); 3. preventing disease and addressing health determinants by promoting multi- and intersectoral policies throughout the life-course; 4. establishing healthy places, settings and resilient communities; and 5. leaving no one behind. Considering the SDG’s universal applicability, their comprehensive and integrated nature, we have only one way of succeeding: by working in partnerships.

■ Speaking at the gathering, the WHO called for action in the region and pointed to the need to place health as the central theme of development. What does it mean when you say that health is the central theme of development? - Health is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and it is a political choice. It is a precondition, outcome and indicator of progress. In order to achieve our goal, universal health coverage is key to unlocking 18 |

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the full ambition of the SDGs, which is our moral and strategic imperative. Apart from securing strong political commitment, we also need to transform the way we work and place health at the centre of all actions in the area of development; we need to include health in all policies, build consensus around health-related targets and base progress on the principles of the right to health, equity, fairness, universality and solidarity.

■ Dr Pusztai, you have been the Head of the WHO Country Office in Serbia for a year. To what extent does Serbia implement WHO recommendations relating to the strategic plan, but also bilateral agreements that you reach with each country individually? - It has been a very intense year indeed, for gaining a lot of insights, meeting many talented experts and expanding partnerships. There is high motivation among many actors; great expertise on the ground and an existing supportive network of Institutes of Public Health. Still, there is a need for an updated National Health Development Plan, with clear strategic priorities aligned with EU accession and the SDGs’ principles, focusing on strengthening the health system and institutional capacity-building. A new Inter-Governmental Working Group on the Implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 has commenced work, which already provides opportunities for our UN family and partners to channel the necessary support. We have been working jointly with health authorities to set up priorities for the coming biennium and a major commitment is placed on strengthening the public health system, to scale up the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), as a major threat to socio-economic wellbeing, as well as health promotion in different settings, such as schools and local communities. ■ To what extent are the principles of the right to health, equality, equity, universality and solidarity applied in Serbia? - The health-related legislative framework in Serbia is in place, as are laws like those governing healthcare or patients’ rights, which all have these con-

cepts embedded in the heart of Serbian legislation. Some improvements and will not succeed in achieving Agenda 2030 goals. We are currently working harmonisation with international regulations are ongoing, as part of current with authorities to assess the human resources for health, as there is a clear reforms. The goal is to achieve full UHC and provide access to affordable, need for improved HRH data and information systems, and to better understand mobility patterns. A key element of interventions in this area could be high-quality services, leaving no one behind, while providing patient-centred encouraging health professionals to cluster together in centres in rural areas, health services that are close to the client - that also means strengthening as well as encouraging medical students to experience work in rural areas primary health care centres. At the same time, UHC alone is not a guarantee through scholarships. Measures that have shown positive results in other of financial protection – as, according to our data, out-of-pocket payments countries involved a focus on continuous training, for health make up more than 30 per cent of total extending the competencies of nurses, increasing spending on health in Serbia, which raises concerns Investment in health remuneration and improving working conditions. about the strengths of the system in providing will not only drive better protection for patients against the cost of ill health. health outcomes, but also ■ Bearing in mind that part of the bilateral Medicines are the main driver of catastrophic spending, especially for the poor. We will work help reduce poverty and agreement between the WHO and Serbia jointly with the Ministry of Health to identify more inequalities, strengthen relates to immunisation, in your opinion, is the current social debate that has been going effective health financing policies and address the economies and foster on for months with regard to vaccines, and needs of the most disadvantaged ones. communities whether or not they are useful or harmful, the result of insufficient education or insuf■ Considering that Serbia’s healthcare system has had serious financial and personnel problems for many ficient awareness of society? years, even decades, due to medical staff and doctors abandoning - I would say both. That’s precisely why the WHO insists on educating all segments of society and raising awareness about the critical importance of full the country for economic reasons, to what extent does our system immunisation throughout life and at every stage of life. Vaccines have been meet WHO’s sustainability criteria and standards at present? one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine, with at least 10 million - The health workforce is the beating heart of any health system, its’ everyday deaths prevented between 2010 and 2015 thanks to vaccinations delivered heroes, with their dedication, are the cornerstone of UHC. Without them we

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around the world. We consider the benefits of vaccines a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion. We only can achieve a world free of measles or rubella if 95 per cent of the population are vaccinated, and it is devastating to see that even in developed countries in recent years we lost hundreds of children from preventable, infectious diseases. Let us not forget about the safest, most efficient and cheapest intervention that mankind invented, and we are collaborating with the health authorities on understanding drivers and barriers to immunisation among the population that would support further steps to increase vaccination coverage. ■ Sustainable development, including for the natural environment, is a topic that is in the focus of all relevant international organisations, including yours. In your opinion, does Serbia, which has yet to open the EU accession negotiation chapter relating to the environment, devote sufficient attention to these topics? - Serbia has recognised the importance of environmental protection and launched numerous initiatives in recent years, with those in the area of waste management and waste water requiring huge infrastructure investments. In parallel, the WHO has been addressing environmental determinants of health that are directly or indirectly relevant to all SDGs. Many dangerous environmental hazards have been contained, but we should be aware that a significant number of premature deaths is still attributable to environmental risk factors, with air pollution being the silent killer. Moreover, 14 people die every day of diarrhoeal disease, due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene. We work jointly with the UN Country Team to advance this area and our office is also providing support to Serbia’s Presidency of the Protocol on Water and Health (2017-2019), as well as assisting in achieving its national goals. A series of important tools have already been developed to systematically address the provision of safely-managed water and sanitation services.

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■ Awareness of prevention is not yet at a satisfactory level in Serbia. According to your assessment, who should play a decisive role in raising the awareness of society about the importance of prevention – not only for the system as a whole, but for every citizen? - First, it is certainly a whole-of-government responsibility, especially in that it has elements beyond the health sector, such as citizen empowerment, health literacy, campaigning etc. In fact, this has two dimensions: first is how much effort the government and health sectors put into prevention, but there is also the individual dimension, as each and every citizen has their own responsibility to take care of their own health. For that, more information, communication and access to preventative services are needed, but everyone could do much more. Public health expenditure in Serbia has been steadily increasing in recent years, bringing more resources for the sector than many neighbouring countries, while the budget for tackling some major risk factors has been constantly decreasing, impairing the implementation of activities on NCD prevention. The question rather refers to how efficiently it is spent, where the gaps are and how to tackle the emerging health issues, as high mortality and morbidity rates from chronic NCDs also exert an enormous burden on the economy. More systematic, good quality data collection, better monitoring of service delivery, as well as assessing the performances of providers, are needed to improve the health system. We often say arrived in that what gets measured gets done.

When I first Serbia I was shocked that smoking is still allowed in most public places and how many young people and women smoke

■ According to WHO research, after Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Bulgaria, Serbia has the most polluted air in Europe, resulting, directly or indirectly, in the premature deaths of 5,400 people annually. This research has generated a lot of public attention. Is this statistic really troubling? - We have just finalised research using a new AirQuality tool software that also estimates the air pollution-related disease burden. Such detailed analysis has to date only been carried out in Serbia and the UK. Yes, the statistics are alarming and in that context measures must be taken to prevent such premature deaths and aim towards reducing emissions of all key pollutants. The goal of policies to reduce health effects of air pollution in Serbia should therefore consider interventions to reduce motorised traffic, decrease use of solid fuels for household heating and cooking, and reduce risks associated with industrial sites. It is equally important to improve awareness of 20 |

all stakeholders, particularly when it comes to communicating risk, but also ensuring sustainable financing of the air quality monitoring system in Serbia.

■ To the best of your knowledge, is it possible for prevention to become a common practise in countries that are poor like ours, with average monthly salaries that barely exceed 400 euros? - For some reason, risky behaviour is still socially acceptable in Serbia, especially if we look at smoking. Based on the current level of adult smoking in Serbia, premature deaths attributable to tobacco consumption are projected to be more than 1.2 million of the almost 2.5 million smokers alive today, which means half of smokers die much earlier than would otherwise be expected. Let me turn your question to how much of a monthly salary is spent on buying tobacco products, which are, by the way, still among the cheapest in Europe, while simple tobacco control policies could see smoking prevalence reduce, with substantial economic gains. Finally, in order to make prevention a common practise you need to start promoting healthy lifestyles from the onset of life, already educating pregnant mothers and continue through early childhood and school-based programmes, all the way to healthy ageing policies. Not starting smoking, avoiding substance abuse, eating more fruits and vegetables or doing sports are not a matter of money, but rather of awareness. You can build a healthier future for all with such complex programmes, and WHO will provide all its support to ensure Serbia reaches its true health potential. ■

“Globalisation Is Dead. Long Live Globalisation!” : Topic Of The Annual Presidents’ Forum At IEDC-Bled School Of Management The International Annual Presidents’ Forum is the event of the year at the IEDC-Bled School of Management and a major regional event that’s regularly attended by 200 top business executives and government representatives from Slovenia, the CEE region and beyond. IEDC has so far hosted prominent speakers such as Peter Drucker in 1997 and, more recently, Roger Martin in 2014, William Fischer in 2015 and Joe Peppard in 2016. This year the Annual Presidents’ Forum is entitled "Globalisation is dead. Long live Globalisation! — and what this means for business leaders”. Professor Joe Santos, a keynote speaker at the Presidents’ Forum states: “The current backlash against globalisation will not turn back the clock. Globalisation is, as it were, beyond the tipping point – and only a monumental upheaval could change that. Globalisation as the creation

of global markets is gone and was replaced by the emergence of a global world. We will explore why this occurred, what a “global world” might be, and what the potential implications are for business, for companies, and for management. Just two examples: in a global world, even local companies need a global strategy; in a global world, the relative weight of multinational companies will diminish”. Professor Santos is an affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management at INSEAD, in Fontainebleau, France. A well-known specialist who has been centring his research and teaching on the general management of multinationals, with a particular focus on global integration and global innovation, his lecture will be followed by a panel of international leaders and business executives presenting their best practises.

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NINE MONTHS SINCE THE ADOPTION OF THE LAW ON CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Privilege

FOCUS

THAT OBLIGES

Nine months after coming into force, the Law on Chambers of Commerce continues to represent a topic of lively discussion in business circles. Dominant among the positive comments are those who primarily emphasise the fact that the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia has imposed itself as an important interlocutor of the State on all economic issues and represents a legitimate voice of the private sector, including companies with foreign founding capital

O 22 |

n the other side, the obligation to pay membership fees is seen among part of the membership as one more para-fiscal charge among a number that burden businesses and introduce a non-market dimension to the “market” of chambers of commerce that are

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vying to increase membership. Though it seems contradictory, the freedom granted to the CCIS in having secure funding is also its greatest challenge, since it must justify the privilege it has acquired to its membership through its daily activities – proposing legal initiatives, organising promotions of economic cooperation etc. ■

New Way Of Organising Brought Benefits To The Economy If there initially existed differences of opinion and resistance, today - nine months on – they are MARKO ČADEŽ almost insignificant in light of the PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF advantages and benefits that COMMERCE & INDUSTRY OF SERBIA have been brought to companies by the new way of organising the chamber and its functioning as a unique, representative association of all businesspeople and entrepreneurs

usinesspeople have recognised the newly reformed chamber as a place of reliable information, useful services and secure support at all stages of business, with effective mechanisms for furthering their interests and strengthening their impact on creating conditions for doing business and investing. We have ensured that no regulation is proposed without the opinion of the Chamber, i.e. the economy, having previously been obtained. Representatives of the CCIS represent the economy in more than a hundred working groups, commissions and other working bodies for changes to existing regulations and the adoption of new ones in the 27 negotiating groups for Serbia’s EU accession. We have also established 13 permanent working groups with government ministries and the National Bank of Serbia in order for us to solve the problems of businessmen quicker and more efficiently.

year, we have organised more than fifty major business forums and conferences in the country, the region and the wider world, with around 7,000 bilateral talks between domestic and foreign companies. We have developed our own unique service – we organise supplier days for multinational companies that see in the CCIS their most reliable partner for identifying suppliers from Serbia and the region. For local companies, this is a chance to present themselves and open the door to their supply chains at no extra cost. We continually introduce new services that ease daily operations and contribute to strengthening the capacity of the economy and bringing it closer to businesspeople. The number of telephone and written inquiries from businesspeople to the Business info service has doubled this year. Services and documents issued by the CCIS to businesspeople can now be obtained from the nearest regional chamber and electronically. In less than a year we have digitised 21 services, making us the leaders in this area in the region. We have independently developed several online applications and platforms with the most useful information from all segments relevant to business. And in Serbia we have unified the most complete database, macro and microeconomic, with statistics from all relevant domestic and foreign sources, which we established this year, while strengthened internal capacities enabled us to develop new analytical services – useful tools for managing and planning operations, and for the decision making of companies already operating here and potential investors. When it comes to the results to date of our initiative and activities aimed at introducing and promoting dual education, I would note that about 3,000 school pupils, 60 schools, 19 educational profiles and 200 companies are engaged in the dual education model, while a law has been prepared that should also soon be officially submitted to the government. Simultaneously, the CCIS education sector, for employees and managers in the corporate sector, after about 80 educational programmes implemented in the first half of the year, currently offers the same amount of open seminars and licensed training courses.

We have ensured that no regulation is proposed without the opinion of the Chamber, i.e. the economy, having previously been obtained Since the beginning of the year, amendments to regulations have incorporated 25 initiatives of businesspeople from various sectors of industry and services, and at the beginning of September we submitted to the Government the sixth quarterly analysis of the impact of implementing regulations important for the economy, in which another 60 initiatives were collected to eliminate completely tangible problems which companies face in their daily operations. They are given additional strength thanks to the fact that they have been collected and harmonised via the system of 17 regional parliaments in which businesspeople themselves elected their own representatives in the form of owners and managers of as many as 685 companies and through affiliated associations of the CCIS, the work of which includes the daily participation of 1,577 companies. We have also grown into the only organisation in Serbia today that can lead Serbian companies to the most important world fairs, and in so doing cover more than 80 per cent of the costs, for our companies to establish contacts on all markets, to enable them, here in Serbia or anywhere in the world, to talk to dozens of potential business partners from abroad in a single day... Last year the appearances of our companies were organised eight times, and this year we are taking them to 18 fairs around the world. Over the past

Leading Force In Strengthening VET The Federal Economic Chamber of Austria has very close and excellent relations with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia

ERIKA TEOMAN-BRENNER

AUSTRIAN COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR

ur good relations ensured that we were very pleased to share with our esteemed colleagues from the CCIS our experience with a chamber system that is built on legal membership, because we firmly believe that legal membership is a prerequisite for a strong chamber. And only a strong chamber has a strong voice: both vis-à-vis the government and at the European level. This is particularly important in times when a country is negotiating its accession to the European Union. Given the structure of Austrian businesses, we also feel that only le-

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gal membership can guarantee that the interests of all companies, be they multinationals or small shop owners, are represented in an effective and balanced way.

The Serbian Chamber is deeply involved in reforming the existing system in order to make it fit for the challenges of the future, particularly in light of the growing need of industry and commerce for a qualified labour force We are, of course, in no position to comment on the implementation of the Serbian law from the perspectives of individual companies here. However, there is definitely one aspect that we consider very important – not only for the future of our companies in Serbia, but for every single Serbian company, where the new law has a direct and positive impact: this is the field of vocational training, where the Serbian Chamber is deeply involved in reforming the existing system in order to make it fit for the challenges of the future, particularly in light of the growing need of industry and commerce for a qualified labour force. Our experience shows that the success of the Austrian dual vocational training system largely depends on the fact that the curricula are drafted in very close cooperation with the companies of a particular sector, represented by the Chamber. The new Chamber Law in Serbia is instrumental for introducing a similar system in the country, whereby the CCIS will be the leading force in strengthening the role of practise-based learning and training.

the content of vocational education is orientated towards meeting the needs of the business community. There are, of course, things to improve in the future. For example, there is an obligation for the Government to consult the Chamber before making any decision of importance to the economy. In practise, that isn’t working perfectly and we still have situations when ministries forget to consult business associations. The Chamber also needs to be more routine in determining and formulating the interests of its members.

There are, of course, things to improve in the future. For example, there is an obligation for the Government to consult the Chamber before making any decision of importance to the economy However, an important step forward has been taken. In that regard, since I come from Germany and am familiar with the system of so-called legal chambers, I have decided to get involved personally and help within the Chamber’s Management Board, while Hemofarm is active in its Association for Pharmaceutical and Medical Economy.

Excellent Partner For Strengthening Connections

Important Step Forward It is probably too early to talk about the effects of this law after just nine months of its implementation. However, it is definitely positive that the Serbian Chamber of Commerce can again speak on behalf of the entire business community

DR RONALD SEELIGER

PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND HEMOFARM CEO

ith the Law on Chambers of Commerce, the CCIS regained its full representativeness and ensured the efficient operation of the Chamber system, as a protector of Serbian economic interests. Secondly, it seems that the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia is now closer to its members, communicating and working together on different projects. In the last nine months, the Chamber proposed 60 or more amendments to current regulations, which was done in full coordination with members. Thirdly, it is also good that the Chamber has become an important player in the area of vocational training. In short, its involvement ensures 24 |

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The new Law on Chambers of Commerce, like every new addition, has met with controversy among the public and among businessmen

VASILEIOS KAKAGIOTIS

PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Changes always provoke opposing attitudes between those who promote and implement them and those who would like to keep things as they were. On the other hand, the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia adjusted the level of the compulsory membership fee in accordance with the economic juncture in the country.

At the Hellenic Business Association of Serbia, as one of the largest investment groups in Serbia, which gathers together 80 Greek companies operating in Serbia, we see in the Chamber of Commerce an excellent partner for strengthening links between the Serbian and Greek economies. The advantage of Greek companies on the Serbian market lies not only in the traditionally good cooperation between the two countries, but also in the geographical position of Serbia, low tax rates, educated personnel and the possibilities of state subsidies. On the other hand, the challenges we face are definitely problems that arise on any country’s Euro-integration path. Long-term compliance with EU regulations, judicial reform and complicated procedures for obtaining various operating permits are certainly the greatest challenges, not only for Greek firms, but for other foreign companies that would like to expand their operations to the Serbian market. This is precisely where the Serbian Chamber of Commerce enters the stage of the Hellenic Business Association, one of the main roles of which is to create an atmosphere of dialogue – dialogue between Greek and Serbian companies, interconnection of chambers and, perhaps most importantly, dialogue between Greek companies, state institutions and the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

Law Still Remains To Be Seen In Practise Since the Delegation of the German Economy for Serbia and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce gave their support to the enactment of this Law, we’ve seen multiple efforts ANDREJA PAVLOVIĆ on the side of the Chamber of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NORDIC Commerce of Serbia to showcase BUSINESS ALLIANCE the added value that is to come as a result of the change of the financing model (mandatory membership fees)

espite these efforts, it is too soon to predict the impact of the new measures brought into effect by the Law on Chambers of Commerce, as the structure of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia is still in the process of reform, and will not have its final form until the first quarter of 2018. Until then, the practical effects of this law remain to be seen in practise, and we can only stress the risks that go with the enacted measures by looking at similar cases.

The members will certainly expect the imposition of an obligation to pay to deliver them identical benefits to those that companies in countries like Austria and Germany receive Unless added value is provided and recognised, compulsory membership could potentially drive investors away. The non-specified sum

of the membership fee is also a hindrance, and the question arises as to whether the imposed fee would be justified by better and more proactive engagement of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce vis-à-vis its members, particularly foreign investors. The members will certainly expect the imposition of an obligation to pay to deliver them identical benefits to those that companies in countries like Austria and Germany receive. This particularly applies to foreign investors who are used to high professional and efficiency standards of their respective chambers. It will be rather challenging to justify it to them if the chamber system in Serbia fails to live up to the same standards.

Para-Fiscal Obligation

SSCC VICE PRESIDENT,

DR ANA GOVEDARICA

ROCHE D.O.O. SERBIA GENERAL MANAGER

Established in March 2014, the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) was created as a result of the Swiss business community’s growing interest in Serbia, in order to strengthen economic relations between Serbia and Switzerland, in the form of establishing an organisation that would work to improve the dialogue between the two countries

his year marks the 3rd annual “SSCC Business Climate Survey”, which was conducted among the members of the Swiss-Serbian business community between February and April 2017. The objective of the survey was to obtain insight into the way Swiss companies in Serbia perceive the local business environment, and to learn more about their perceptions of continuing reforms and the existing opportunities and challenges on the Serbian market.

With regard to mandatory membership in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, which was introduced as of 1st January 2017, survey participants perceived this legal obligation as an additional para-fiscal charge With regard to mandatory membership in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, which was introduced as of 1st January 2017, survey participants perceived this legal obligation as an additional para-fiscal charge. The SSCC Board recognises the important role that the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia plays in promoting Serbia as an investment destination abroad, as well as in assisting Serbian companies targeting the development of export or their business operations on foreign markets. The joint efforts of the CCIS, the SSCC and other stakeholders will contribute to increasing the attractiveness of the Serbian market for foreign direct investments. OCTOBER

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FEATURE COMMENT: UNITED NATION

So, Where Do We Go From Here? The 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly will continue for weeks to come. But the main highlight of the session wraps up on 25th September, with the final speeches given by delegates as part of the General Debate

bly’s first resolution eral meetings in New York, both inside in 1946. Although and outside the UN. 15,000 nuclear At many sideline events during the H.E. ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the UN weapons remain in General Assembly, new pledges were he remaining 11 countries set to existence worldwide and concerns are made to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. And their focus was wide and deliver addresses will speak to high over the nuclear ambitions of North deep. For example, at a World Economic a largely empty hall, with most Korea, Israel and Iran, the UN maintains Forum summit, a new Global Battery Allidelegations having already its efforts to combat nuclear proliferation. Last July, the UN adopted the Treaty ance was announced with public and priheaded out of New York. Venezuela and vate sector partners committing to safeon the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the Holy See are among the last of the guard workers, ban child labour, combat the first multilateral legally binding docu193 speakers at the marathon gathering ment for nuclear disarmament negotipollution and innovate for green energy of diplomats. ated in two decades. storage. Such public-private partnerships As barricades and police cordons were And yet, getting countries to adhere were announced throughout the week as gradually lifted on 25th September and world leaders returned home, the United to UN treaties and resolutions remains a counter to splits among world powers Nations prepared to return to regular and challenges to governance. work the very next day with commitAs the week of high-level meetWith continued US rejection of tees meeting, envoys seeking resoluings wrapped up, all eyes were on the Paris climate deal, there is a tions to conflicts and deliberations Germany and Iraq. fracturing on the international between diplomats. Angela Merkel was reelected commitment to tackle climate The Middle East took up much of chancellor in German parliamentary the focus during the General Assemelections exit polls showed, having change. This topic was one of bly High-level week – from Syria to emerged as the leader of Europe the top issues discussed at Yemen to Iraq – with ministers reafand, in large part, the western liberal several meetings in New York, firming their commitment to seekorder. Yet, her victory came as the both inside and outside the UN country’s far-right Alternative for ing peaceful resolutions to conflicts and their support for legitimate and Germany (AfD) party won its first a huge challenge. The matter was adinternationally-recognised governments. seats in parliament. dressed at the 72nd General Assembly by And while one of the key developAnd in Iraq, the fight against ISIL has ments over the past week was the escaUN secretary general Antonio Guterres, been overshadowed by the Kurdistan lation of tensions between the United who has made reform a priority in the Regional Government’s insistence to States and North Korea over Pyongyang’s first year of his term. Reform will conhold an independence referendum which tinue to be on the UN’s agenda in the continued violation of UN resolutions could set in motion a series of events to year to come. with its missile tests, the UN will convene upend borders of a nation state. While With continued U.S. rejection of the to honour the International Day for the everyone in New York from Mr Guterres Paris climate deal, there is a fracturing Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. to the Arab League to U.S. President on the international commitment to Global nuclear disarmament has been Donald Trump announced their rejection tackle climate change. This topic was one of the oldest goals of the UN — and of the referendum, local politics looked one of the top issues discussed at sevwas the focal point of the General Assemcertain to determine developments. ■

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AVIATION

The Turbulent Feud Between Airbus And Boeing “Pork barrel” politics. Billions in illegal subsidies. Thousands of jobs in the firing line. The prospect of a trade war. The row between Airbus and Boeing – being fought for them by proxy between the European and US governments – has it all

he long-running corporate feud flared up again last week, drawing in another player, Canadian plane-maker Bombardier. Boeing claims Bombardier received illegal support for its C-series small airliner when the province of Quebec took a $1bn stake in the troubled programme. This support ultimately helped Bombardier, which will assemble the aircraft in the province, to agree a sale of up to 125 of airliners to U.S. carrier Delta at big discount, a deal which Boeing says is a clear case of trade dumping. Britain got involved in the dispute earlier this month with Theresa May calling Donald Trump to ask him to intervene. The UK is involved because Bombardier builds wings for the jets at its plant in Northern Ireland, with a $175.7mln government loan supporting the Belfast factories which employ almost 5,000 people. Those jobs could now be at risk. 28 |

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The American aerospace giant has lodged a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission and if it finds in favour of Boeing, the sale of each C-Series airliner could have a multi-million dollar tariff slapped on it. This could kill the Delta deal, and possibly the C-Series programme. In retaliation, Canada is reconsidering a $5bn purchase of F-18 fighters from Boeing. One of the most interesting thing about the case is that it’s not as if Boeing has seen sales snatched away by Delta’s purchase of the C-Series. The first iteration of the Bombardier jet seats 130 passengers, with later models up to 160. Boeing’s smallest airliner, the bestselling 737, typically seats about 180 passengers. It’s here where the latest development most echoes the Airbus-Boeing dispute, according to Robert Stallard, aerospace analyst at Vertical Research Partners. “Boeing is aggrieved that

Airbus has got to a 50:50 market share and believes it must have done it through nefarious means,” he says, adding that the U.S. giant doesn’t want to see another potential competitor supported in the same way that has allowed the European plane-maker to come from nothing in the 1970s to being an equal rival today. Indeed, those close to Boeing admit the same. “Forty years ago we faced a similar situation and no action was taken and it hurt us,” said one source. “We are determined not be in the same position.” The details of the row between Airbus and Boeing are tortuous but boil down to this: each claims the other gets support – banned under international agreements – from their respective governments to help them develop and/or build new airliners, while insisting they do not receive the same. Airbus enjoys something called “repayable launch aid” (RLA). Governments give loans to the company to fund development and construction of facilities, which are repaid – “with interest”, Airbus is keen to point out – as

the aircraft goes into production and airliner is essentially a $10bn bet with the subsidies. Europe filed a countersales mount. A successful plane more no guarantee it will sell enough to claim and the cases have been going back and forth ever since, with than pays back this money. recoup the initial investment. each side claiming victory and the aid Demand for the A320 family of “Building aircraft is a high risk, high still in place. To say the case is bitter small airliners was such that Airbus cost business,” says Hayward. “Companies won’t risk that on their own and would be an understatement. was able to renegotiate the terms so it so the state has to take on some of However, it does have moments of paid back less on each plane. There are that risk in whatever form.” relief, such as Boeing’s childish onquestions over how much of the RLA is line video spelling out the harm RLA This aid paves the way to wellreturned on less popular aircraft, such does to American workers. Even more paid jobs in the industry and export as the A340 and A380. Boeing gets a infantile is Airbus’s “WTO Warrior” app, opportunities, so it’s no wonder that lift from tax breaks, export subsidies where players pilot a “7PORK7” airliner politicians are willing to dig deep to and benefits from government-funded collecting tax breaks, research through or can play “slap the bodies such as NASA porkliner”, which or defence contracts. comes with a warnIt’s not just ing that “porkliners cash being funnelled to companies are hard to catch and that comes under don’t want to give up scrutiny: anything their perks”. state-supported There could be a that might benefit resolution later this a plane-maker can year when Boeing come under inspecbelieves a final ruling tion. “Infrastructure could come. If it wins can also be part of the U.S. government it,” says Professor could theoretically impose trade sanctions Keith Hayward, a on European products Royal Aeronautical Society fellow. worth $7-$10bn a “Construction of year. “Nobody wants new roads around a trade war,” said a Airbus’s plant in Boeing source. “But North Wales have it is the only way to Experts believe that a been examined.” change their behaviour.” The sums involved are mindExperts believe that a trade trade war will not only harm boggling – and disputed by all. war will not only harm internainternational relations, it could tional relations, it could also Airbus claims it has lost $100bn in also harm the now globalised harm the now globalised aircraft sales because of the benefits it says aircraft industry industry. The Bombardier case has Boeing receives. The counter-claim brought the whole issue of subfrom Boeing is that without RLA, sidies into relief again but sources support the industry. It’s the level of Airbus would have never got to be such inside the company question why the support that has caused the internaa major player in a market valued at tional disputes. America dominated American industrial giant is going af$6.1 trillion over the next 20 years. ter it. “It’s Boeing against the world,” airliner production and, until Airbus State subsidies for the industry said one. “If they win then literally became a threat, no one worried too have been an inevitable part of the everyone else loses. Companies, much about subsidies. As the Europeaerospace sector for a long time. Much an plane-maker came of age, the row countries, taxpayers, passengers.” of the boom in aircraft advances came escalated and in 1992 the U.S. threatWhen the argument about which from technology first conceived around ened action under General Agreement forms of state aid are acceptable will the Second World War and Hayward on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) rules. come to end is “an impossible quesnotes “there hasn’t been an airliner tion” says Hayward Only one thing is An uneasy truce was struck over launched in the last 50 years without certain about this decades-long epithe practice, which lasted until 2006 state aid in some form”. sode. “In the end, only the lawyers will when the U.S. filed a case with the The problem is the cost of developing a new aircraft – launching a new win,” says Hayward. ▪ World Trade Organisation, challenging OCTOBER

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FEATURE FINTECH

Hottest Trends For 2017 When the media talks about FinTech, more often than not, the leading headline is a bold statement, like “the FinTech revolution,” or “the big bank disruption,” and it’s easy to see why. Dubbed by the Economist as a “magical combination of geeks in T-shirts and venture capital,” the growth and influence of FinTech have been rapid

any FinTech experts agree tactless solutions will continue to gain ing easier and stores will allow payments that 2017 will be all about traction in the coming year. This will directly from a mobile. artificial intelligence. As the allow retailers and payment providers to There will be less need for separate capabilities of AI evolve, offer seamless transactions for purchascards and cash as one-click purchasing es of all types and sizes. FinTech companies will harness this from your handheld will become the new This will impact our day-to-day lives technology to make better decisions norm. If you’re the kind of person who significantly in the coming years. An and offer improved solutions. They’ll struggles to get out of the house with all upwardly mobile world combined with make use of predictive analytics to your necessary personal items, then you improved technology will create “more break down big data and analyse large finally have one less thing to think about. opportunity for disruptive models to volumes of consumer information. APIs find success,” which can only be good BIOMETRIC SECURITY will allow for seamless integration and news for FinTech. As mobile and contactless transacpartnerships between established banks tions increase, there will be a need and FinTech start-ups. Just as we can cross borders for improved security measures to This will create an enhanced user experience, with more intuitive interwithout speaking to a customs prevent fraud. This will shift to being faces, assisted customer interactions official with an e-chip passport, biometric in nature and make consumer data infinitely more precious. and robo-advice. To maximise the we’ll start to identify ourselves According to Engadget, fingerprints benefits of Artificial intelligence (AI) the same way when making alone are not enough. So, it’s likely in 2017, banks will need to develop a that transactions will involve multibetter understanding of “off-the-shelf payments. Over the next few offerings” and “architectural requiremonths, we’ll see mobile apps step security, such as fingerprint ments.” They should also “carefully recognition, face recognition or iris appearing that use biometric look into features (such as scalability scans. Pretty great if you’re always information for completing of solutions) and check on regulatory forgetting your passwords! aspects,” while deploying AI. This technology is already widely payment transactions used in government applications GREATER MOBILE TRANSACTIONS WALLETS BECOME SUPERFLUOUS but will move towards consumer transactions this year. Just as we can cross In 2017, almost a quarter of all U.S. As consumer purchasing habits borders without speaking to a customs adult smartphone users (45.8 million evolve, the smartphone attached to official with an e-chip passport, we’ll people) will use a P2P payment app at your hand will be more important than start to identify ourselves the same way least once a month. According to the a physical credit card. With contactless when making payments. Over the next Pew Research Centre, 72 per cent of U.S. card transactions expected to double few months, we’ll see mobile apps apadults now own a smartphone, which worldwide by 2021, you’ll start leaving pearing that use biometric information means there will be greater demand for your wallet at home this year. FinTech for completing payment transactions. ■ mobile transactions. Mobile and concompanies and apps will make purchas30 |

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OCTOBER BUSINESS LEADERS’ MEETING POINT

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MIROSLAV VRCELJ Fleet and Used Car Manager at Star Import

New Attractive Offers For Diplomats PAGE 36

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MITAN OIL

Top Quality Service And State-Of-The-Art Technology PAGE 40

ERNST WIESINGER MA Executive Vice President - RECA, CEO - Kellner & Kunz AG

BOGDAN GECIĆ LL.M. (Harvard), Managing Partner at Gecić Law

RECA: Invincible Team

Meritocracy, Innovation And Professional Credibility OCTOBER

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CORPORATE MIROSLAV VRCELJ, FLEET AND USED CAR MANAGER AT STAR IMPORT

New Attractive Offers For Diplomats Star Import, general distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Serbia, has developed and presented new attractive offers for members of its customer base from the diplomatic corps. These offers are created during a period that is considered as being the most successful time of this world-renowned brand. It was with this in mind that we spoke to Miroslav Vrcelj, Fleet and Used Car Manager at Star Import, who highlights all the most important news and developments within Mercedes-Benz

uring the first half of this year, Mercedes-Benz has handed over to customers 783,520 vehicles (up 12.8%), making this the best count of unit sales result in any half-year ever in the company’s history. This result places this German manufacturer in first place in the premium market segment worldwide. Mercedes-Benz is also performing very well in this segment in Serbia, and our goal is to keep this trend going and growing. ■ Beyond the prestige of a five-star brand, what is the secret to success? - The company places special emphasis on technical innovations and the excellent quality of the brand itself, its reliability and constant competitiveness. We also find outstanding customer service very important. ■ Which models are most in-demand among diplomats? - The E-Class family models are the most relevant for diplomats in their work, as they meet adequate representation requirements. Since market launch in March, the E-Class Coupe and All-Terrain have also been available in our portfolio. Last year saw the brand new E-Class limousine and T-Model come out, but also the multifunctional VClass, which offers 7-9 seats and resembles a minibus, making it the perfect vehicle for diplomatic delegations. In addition to these models, I am happy to announce that the new, facelifted S-Class will also have its Serbian premiere in October.

■ What does model refreshment involve? - Usually formal and aesthetical changes made to the outlook design. In the case of the iconic S-Class, we can almost talk about a completely new model, because it includes new diesel and petrol engines, while the assistance systems that support drivers have been refined further. The lighting and telematics systems have been renewed, and a new driving benefit has also been introduced – Energizing Comfort Control, which provides the driver with various relaxation and comfort features. ■ Who is eligible for diplomatic discounts? - Embassies, consulates, diplomats, honorary consuls, international organisations and

The E-Class family models are the most relevant for diplomats in their work, as they meet adequate representation requirements their members can receive special discounts intended for diplomats. In the case of private car sales for diplomats, we can also provide certain discounts. But for all further and more detailed information I would advise readers to please visit our website: https//www. mercedes-benz.rs, section Diplomatic sales. ■ What experience have you gained during your work here? - The process usually sees us order the model chosen by the customer, after which we individually configure it directly from Daimler Stuttgart. The invoice will contain a net price without VAT, customs or any other taxes. Depending on the model and status, different discounts can be provided for diplomats. The biggest discount can be given

in the case that an official ambassador’s car with flag holders is purchased. We can see currently that premium services have become very popular with our customers, while we notice great potential in this market segment. We offer a very wideranging portfolio of models and absolutely take the ideas and requests of customers into consideration, before we present them with their personally-tailored Mercedes-Benz cars. We are also more than happy to provide them with suggestions and assistance throughout the entire purchasing process, and we also appreciate feedback from our customers, for the sake of our further and better development. There have been new developments of late in the laws regarding diplomatic purchases – our government recently changed the law so that diplomats can now purchase vehicles on Operational Full-Service Leasing, which previously wasn’t the case. With this new regulation, diplomatic vehicles can be purchased not only for cash or under terms of immediate payment, but also through monthly instalments over certain periods of time, commonly three or four years. Based on Operation Leasing with Car Fleet management, all expenses, maintenance, winter and summer tyre changes, are included in the monthly fee. The vehicle’s owner is the leasing company that leases the vehicle, while the Embassy pays monthly instalments that include all vehicle costs. ■ What are your future plans? - We would like to build a long-term business relationship with members of diplomatic corps in Serbia and the region, and to provide the kind of high-quality services that meet the expectations of our premium customers. In conclusion, what we offer is what our brand claim suggests: “MercedesBenz: The Best or Nothing”. ■ OCTOBER

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LOCAL

NEWS

PARTNERS “I am utterly convinced that EU membership for western Balkan states in all of Europe’s best interest. We share the same values, the same culture and civilization. Germany is one of the most important partners for Serbia and the Western Balkans.”— ANA BRNABIC, Serbian prime minister

SBERBANK

GALENIKA

Super Cash Loan For Those In Need

Former Pharma Giant Offered For €1

Keeping track of the different needs of citizens, Sberbank Srbija prepared a new, attractive offer of Super Cash Loans for this autumn, offering the citizens an opportunity to receive additional money for their planned or unplanned expenses at an attractive interest rate or to refinance their existing liabilities. The maximum loan amount is up to RSD 3 million, with a nominal interest rate of 8.6%, i.e., with an effective interest rate of 9.84%. A special benefit for all clients applying for a Super Loan is the ability to approve the allowed overdraft before the payment of the first earnings to the Sberbank current account. “By creating Super Cash Loans, we had in focus those in need of money for the new school or a university year, to get married, buy a computer, technical appliances, a new car, or perhaps refurbish their apartment,” said Mirjana Đorđević, director of the Sberbank Srbija Product Development Department, says.

The Ministry of Economy has called a tender to sell a 93.7 pct owned stake in the Belgrade-based Galenika pharmaceuticals, with €1 as the starting price. The deadline to submit the bids in October 2, while they will be opened on October 4. Those participating in the privatization must come from the same industry and have an annual income of over €300 million in the last business year. Galenika owes more than €71 million to banks, who have agreed to a discount and will accept the €25 million payment from the future owner. According to media reEPS

EPS And Mitsubishi Hitachi Signed A €167mln Deal Serbia’s power utility EPS and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems signed a €167 million deal to help reduce gas emissions and meet EU standards at Serbia’s largest

MILORAD GRCIC AND YASUO FUJITANI

IFC

coal-fired power plant. The flue gas desulfurization project would be carried out in four out of six units of Nikola Tesla A power plant complex, which has an installed capacity of around 1,600 megawatts (MW). “The clean-up will improve output and reduce emissions of sulfur by nine times,” Serbia’s Energy Minister Aleksandar Antic said. The project, to be supported by a loan from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is expected to be completed in 42 months, said Antic, adding that €200 million has been invested into energy clean-up so far and another €900 million is planned to be spent by 2025. The contract was signed by Yasuo Fujitani, Senior Vice President MHPS and Milorad Grcic, Acting Director of EPS. The ceremony of signing in Belgrade was attended by the Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane and Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Antić.

YAZAKI

Serbian Project Wins IFC Backing The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has pledged a €19.1 million loan to Belgian developer Elicio to build a 42MW project in Alibunar, north Serbia. Elicio has also been backed by the Netherlands Development Finance Company, UniCredit and the Green for Growth Fund, which, together, have provided €40 million in loans for

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ports, this consortium is once again among those interested in buying Galenika, along with China’s Sinopharm, Amicus, regstered in Switzerland, Serbia-based Hemofarm, owned by Germany’s Stada, and Brazil’s EMS Source: BETA

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the 42MW Alibunar project. German manufacturer Senvion is set to supply its MM100 2MW turbine to the site, which is due online next year, according to Windpower Intelligence. According to the IFC, around 70 per cent of Serbia’s electricity is produced by coal plants. “The Alibunar wind farm is the largest wind farm project financed in Serbia to date,” said IFC head of infrastructure in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Wiebke Schloemer. In August 2016, the Serbian government approved new renewable energy laws on power purchasing agreement criteria and incentives. The legislation confirmed a feed-in-tariff of €92/MWh for 12 years. Earlier in 2016, the energy ministry revealed a list of projects that would make up the total 500MW capacity cap to which the new rules applied, including two Elicio projects, one of which was Alibunar.

Yazaki Opens Factory In Šabac

SHINJI YAZAKI AND ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ

The Japanese company YAZAKI, the world’s leading manufacturer of cables for the automotive industry, officially opened a factory in Šabac. The factory will produce electronic components for OEM trucks that will be exported to the European market. The construction of the factory in Šabac started last year and lasted 258 days. Currently, YAZAKI is the largest factory in Šabac with a production section, offices, a stockroom, a cantine and an ambulance. „Today, the YAZAKI Group operates in 46 countries and has 290,000 employees. Our corporate policy clearly entails a full commitment to sustainable, secure, and environmentally-friendly business operation,“ said Shinji Yazaki, President of YAZAKI Corporation This year, YAZAKI employed more than 500 people in Serbia. By the end of 2019, 1,700 people will be employied at the new factory.

LABOR “I don’t believe that the people who get a job are unhappy about it. It’s baseless and unfair when people accuse us of promoting Serbia with cheap labor. We’re no Vietnam.” — BRANKO RUZIC

Serbian Minister of Public Administration

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (BAT)

BAT Launches New Packaging Line In Vranje

BAT’s new, modern facility, worth over €3mln, was officially made operational by Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, as part of a ceremony also attended by BAT CEO for Central and Southern Europe, Richard Widmann, and Thanos Trimis, CEO for Serbia and Montenegro, as well as other prominent representatives of economic and public life of Serbia.

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

VIKTOR GILLHOFER

New executive director at HEINEKEN Srbija (as of 1st February 2018)

Viktor Gillhofer has been named as the new managing director of HEINEKEN Serbia, a function he will take on as of 1st February 2018. Gillhofer will lead the team in Serbia, with the aim of strengthening the company’s leadership position on the market and further developing the winning portfolio of brands. Gillhofer will succeed Alexandros Daniilidis, who takes over as CEO of the Athens Brewery (HEINEKEN Greece). Until recently, Gillhofer held the position of director for Off-Premises and served as a member of the management team of Brau Union Österreich AG, as well as holding the position of director of Brau Union Export. In this position, he achieved significant revenue growth, with a steady increase in market share, resulting in significant increases in profits.

PREDRAG MILINČIĆ

Director of Mars for Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania

PRIME MINISTER ANA BRNABIĆ AT THE OPENING OF THE FACTORY

The plant in Vranje will directly increase BAT’s number of employees by 10%, while the indirect positive impact on the employment rate in this part of Serbia will be far greater. Furthermore, the investment will have a positive impact on Serbia’s foreign trade balance and its place in the region, especially within the CEFTA agreement. Since its arrival on the Serbian market, BAT has paid more than €1.7 billion to the Serbian budget through excise duties and other taxes. BAT has directly invested €220mln in Serbia, over €120mln of which was invested in the purchase and modernisation of the plant in Vranje, which is now the production centre for CEFTA member countries. TURKISH AIRLINES

Always The Right Time For Istanbul

Predrag Milinčić holds an MBA in the field of General Management from the University of Sheffield. In addition to work experience amassed in the field of food and beverage over the course of 15 years, Milinčić also brings to Mars leadership skills and an orientation towards consumer, while achieving top business results. Milinčić is an experienced manager with great knowledge of the markets in Balkan and Baltic countries. He arrives at Mars from Coca-Cola, where he began his career in 2002 and went through all stages of professional development within the sales department. He developed his career from initial positions of developing points of sale and managing commericalists, through the position of supervisor of team managers, regional sales manager, to national sales director for fragmented markets. He spent a year in Latvia, serving as sales director for the Baltic countries, then joined Mars upon his return to Serbia. During recent years he has contributed successfully to the development and implementation of a large number of strong market strategies. Through a constant focus on the development and motivation of people, which has always been his priority, Miliničić assembles strong and dedicated sales teams, while simultaneously maintaining and developing strong partnerships with customers.

MILOŠ ĐURKOVIĆ

New Director of SAS for the Adriatic region Miloš Đurković took over the management of the Adriatic region for company SAS as of 1st September. The change in the organisational structure is part of SAS’s strategy to accelerate growth in the region. Đurković graduated from the Belgrade University Faculty of Electrical Engineering and from 2011 to 2014 served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia. An active member of the Association of Corporate Directors of Serbia and the Serbian Association of Managers, Đurković has amassed more than 23 years of experience in the ICT industry, which he gained working for companies in Serbia and neighbouring countries, where he successfully managed the local representative offices of some of the world’s biggest technology companies. He was the general manager of Hewlett Packard Serbia, general manager of IBM Serbia, as well as head of the representative office of CISCO Systems responsible for the markets of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.

DANIJELA ČABARKAPA

New Executive Director of the Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia - JBAS As of 1st September, the appointment of the executive director of JBAS means that all preconditions have been met for this Alliance to initiate concrete activities, which will be marked officially in the period ahead. The new JBAS Executive Director is Ms Danijela Čabarkapa, who graduated from the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Economics and has amassed vast experience in providing support for business development and internationalization, which she gained through work on investment and export promotion within the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency, SIEPA, and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia.

Istanbul is closer than ever for passengers from Serbia this winter, thanks to the Turkish Airlines promotion that starts on 10th October. Namely, the Turkish flag carrier is presenting return flights from Belgrade to Istanbul at prices starting from €109 for travel in the period from 1st November 2017 to 31st March 2018. Promotional sale prices last until 31st October. The special offer is all inclusive and valid for online sales (fares may vary in sales offices and travel agencies). Use this opportunity to visit Istanbul, a magnificent city that spreads over two continents.

IKEA

IKEA Plans To Invest Over €200mln In Serbia IKEA plans to invest in Serbia over €200 million over the next five years, according to a news release by Minister Zoran Djordjevic. The company has already invested €60 million in the country and hired 330 employees for its Belgrade site. IKEA plans to build two more sites in the country, the Serbian government said in a press release. In five years, the number of IKEA officials in Serbia is expected to reach 1 200, says Djordjevic. In the Southeast Europe region, IKEA has locations in Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.

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CORPORATE ERNST WIESINGER MA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - RECA, CEO - KELLNER & KUNZ AG

RECA: Invincible Team

“When we now compare the population of Serbia with Austria and the sales figures we achieve in the two countries, we can still find great potential in Serbia,” says Ernst Wiesinger, Executive Vice President - RECA, CEO - Kellner & Kunz AG single second and we’re really satisfied with previous and current developments. ■ Serbia certainly isn’t the biggest market on which you operate. If Serbia is unable to compete in terms of market size, does it have any other comparative advantages over others? - The RECA Group does business in 21 countries, 20 of which are located in Europe and one in Asia (in China, to be precise). The business operations of all companies within the RECA Group can be divided into the following four business units: Metal (craft),

ompany RECA was one of the first to “courageously” launch operations in Serbia back in 2002, when the country had barely begun its transition. That’s why we began this interview with an analogy. “Today we can say that, from a Western perspective, the political, economic and administrative conditions were certainly very difficult when we started our business in Serbia 15 years ago,” explains Mr Wiesinger for CorD, comparing the period when RECA launched its operations in Serbia to the present day. - We founded the company in 2002. The Yugoslav Balkan Wars finally ended around 1999, which we felt in every phase of the com15 YEARS OF RECA SERBIA pany’s development. Serbia was then a rather politically unstable country. We had experiences that were Industry (manufacturing and maintenance), quite irritating for us, but nonetheless we Automotive (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) and Specialist (personal never questioned the potential of Serbia. protective equipment, devices etc.). In the We have always trusted in the country’s RECA Group’s portfolio of markets where potential, the people in the country and, of we sell our products, Serbia is certainly not course, the employees we hired for RECA a big country, with its approximately seven Serbia – fortunately we did so. During the million inhabitants. On the other hand, last 15 years, many things have changed when it comes to population, Serbia can and today things are quite different. These be seen as being on a similar level to the days we certainly see Serbia as a very stable national economy of Austria – in Austria and prosperous country. We haven’t regretted launching our business in Serbia for a we have around 8.8 million inhabitants. 36 |

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When we now compare the population of Serbia with Austria and the sales figures we achieve in the two countries, we can still find great potential in Serbia. Today we generate annual sales of around €3 million in Serbia. With only slightly more inhabitants in Austria, we achieve sales as high as €160 million. We definitely want to tap into Serbia’s full potential in times of prosperous economic conditions. ■ What would you single out as a specific success of RECA Serbia during the last 15 years? - Due to the aforementioned economic and political conditions of 2002, we had to go through an extremely tough initial phase. However, the core management team and many employees at RECA Serbia have remained with us since the very beginning, 15 years ago. As such, I believe that this loyalty to the company in particular, and the willingness to overcome all previous difficulties that we faced together and our intention to make things better for the future, were certainly key success factors. Our current business results represent a remarkable success that could only be achieved through people acting in concert and working as a team. So, I can only congratulate the management team of RECA Serbia for being willing to travel this challenging route to becoming the kind of successful and prosperous company that it is today. We are collectively really proud of RECA Serbia and its development during the first 15 years of its existence. ■

CORPORATE MITAN OIL

Top Quality Service And State-Of-The-Art Technology Assessing the investment climate in Serbia as positive, and with a view to the strategic and logistic significance of Serbia, the Danube, Free Zones, the idea to construction an oil terminal of Mitan Oil in Smederevo was born that their corporate strength does not depend on capacities, but rather on an explicit commitment to top-quality service and the most up-to-date technology. “The complete working process, from receiving goods to their final dispatch to end users, is carried out using devices made with the most advanced technology of German and French manufacturers, leaders in the field of oil terminal equipment, such as Satam, Mercedes, Bornemann, Endress Hauser and others. The organisation of operations is harmonised with international standards

member of Hellenic Petroleum, Greece’s Coral – Shell license holder, Swiss company Kaz Munay Trading... According to Mitan Oil’s MD, investments of this type are important because they enable large international companies to maintain a presence on the RS market, and for citizens and companies in Serbia that represents the possibility of purchasing fuel produced in Austria, Hungary, Romania he entire project is impleand other European countries, which means mented as a greenfield more competitive prices and better quality. investment, which means Since 2011, when the company was that we built the plant, with founded and investors first set foot on the a capacity of 50,000m3, from the foundaunregulated agricultural land in the Smetions. This 25-million-euro investment was financed exclusively from the company’s derevo industrial zone, until today, when that own sources, without relying on loans from same location houses a modern terminal, domestic banks and without government through which 50 per cent of petroleum subsidies, which is a real rarity in Serbia,” products are imported into Serbia, the comsays Dušan Vuković, Managing Director of pany has traversed a prosperous but also Mitan Oil, at the beginning of this interview. difficult road. However, this is not the end of Mitan Holding is a Swiss company based strategic growth and development plans. in Zurich. In its many decades of experience “In the next six months, we plan to amassed in the field of trading and storing invest in the construction of an industrial oil and oil derivatives, this Swiss Holding has rail track that will enable the reception of collaborated successfully with renowned goods by rail. In this way, we will miniUpon the realisation of its international partners on the delivery of mise all risks of receiving goods via the derivatives in peacekeeping missions, planned projects, Mitan Oil will Danube, such as unnavigability due to including those of the UN, the Defense low or high water levels. This is of strabe one of the few Terminals Fuel Agency USA, the Swiss agency VBStegic importance to Serbia, as it enables in this region with four SWISSCOY and many others. greater supply stability, security and alternative methods of Mitan Oil today has the largest continuity in critical periods. Alongprivately-owned oil terminal in Serbia side that, we have signed a protocol receiving goods and the region. agreement with company Transnaft “At any given moment we can store ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 14001: 2015 and OHSAS for connection to the product line system 50,000m3 of white derivatives with the 18001: 2008,” says director Vuković. through Serbia. In this context, upon the possibility of delivery three million litres Domestic and international leaders realisation of these projects, we will be one daily, or 500,000 metric tonnes annually,” in the field of oil derivatives trade at the of the few Terminals in this region with four notes Vuković. Mitan Oil terminal, such as MOL Serbia – a alternative methods of receiving goods,” At Mitan Oil they nevertheless believe member of the MOL Group, Eko Serbia – a announces Vuković.■

“T

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REGIONAL

NEWS

CONNECTION “Every country in the Balkans should be connected by rail and highway to each other, as we are connected with Skopje, Belgrade, Tirana. Each Balkan country must have access to each other.”— BOYKO BORISSOV, Bulgarian Prime Minister

SLOVENIA

HUNGARY

Moody's Upgrades Government Bond Ratings

Critical Lack Of Labor Force

Credit rating agency Moody’s has upgraded Slovenia’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured bond ratings to Baa1 from Baa3. The outlook on the ratings has been changed to stable from positive. Moody’s, which announced the decision last month, highlighted “the government’s favourable debt trend, driven by fiscal consolidation and robust economic growth”, which the agency expects to be sustained. It moreover pointed to progress with respect to some “important structural reforms, namely with regard to the banking sector, judiciary, and the administrative apparatus of the state”. The agency speaks of efforts to strengthen the banking sector, which are boosting the sector’s ability to support economic activity. The reforms of the judiciary and public CROATIA

Chinese Company Invests €30mln In Rimac Automobili Electric Vehicle technology pioneer Rimac Automobili closes a €30 million investment with Camel Group - Asia’s

MATE RIMAC and LIU CHANGLAI, CEO of Camel Group

ROMANIA

Voici La Mode Takes Over M&S Franchise Cyprus-based group Voici La Mode takes over of British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) franchise in Romania and plans to open new stores in the near future. Voici La Mode is taking ownership of Marks & Spencer’s three stores in Bucharest but did not agree to buy the remaining three stores in Romania, so the retailer decided to close them. The stores were located in the eastern city of Iasi, in the Black Sea port city of Constanta and in Bucharest. Voici La Mode Group is a family business, founded in the early 1950’s by the late Artemisia Panayiotou who first introduced the products of Marks & Spencer in Cyprus,

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administration are also important and have made positive contributions to the country’s competitiveness as well as its institutional strength. Slovenia has had a significant problem with backlogs of court cases, which is gradually being resolved, Moody’s wrote. The stable outlook on the ratings reflects Slovenia’s largely balanced risk profile at the Baa1 rating level, it said. Moody’s is forecasting 3.6% GDP growth for Slovenia for this year. “Growth has been fairly broad-based in spite of the fact that EU-financed public investment has been slow.”

largest battery manufacturer. Camel Group Ltd., has entered into a Subscription Agreement with Rimac Automobili, Greyp Bikes and their founder and CEO Mate Rimac concluding the single largest foreign direct investment in a Croatian technology company. Out of the total investment amount, €3mil will be allocated to Rimac’s sister company – Greyp Bikes. The Investment will be used to fund the launch of new products, extension of production capacity and global expansion of the companies. “Over the years, we have established ourselves as a technology provider and enabler for many global automotive manufacturers. We have become the go-to address when it comes to electric powertrains, batteries, innovative infotainment and telemetry systems and many other core vehicle systems. At the same time, our supercars are redefining what electric vehicles are capable of and showing that the electrified future will be exciting, said Mate Rimac, Founder and CEO of Rimac and Greyp.

in 1960. Today, Voici La Mode Group owns and operates 16 retail locations - five Marks & Spencer stores in Nicosia, five stores of French men’s fashion retailer CELIO - in Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos, six Café la Mode restaurants - in Nicosia and Limassol, as well as other smaller enterprises, employing more than 300 people.

More and more companies struggle with the lack of labor force. The most recent data shows that the number of vacant jobs hit a historical height. The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) revealed that Hungary’s lack of labor force is becoming critical - 48,460 empty jobs were

registered in the private sector in the second quarter of the year, which means ten thousand new ones compared to the same time last year. It is also two and a half times more than four years before. National economy has 65,700 vacant jobs. Public sector does not give any fresh data since 2016, so KSH counts the numbers from the end of 2015. These show 14,510 unmanned positions. There might be even more in the financial sector, as it also shows a tendency of increase. About 50,000 jobs are unfulfilled in the competition sector. This is critical for companies, as they are facing high lack in many sectors despite the lowering of requirements. And there are probably more unmanned positions than the statistics show. Experts estimate that Hungarian labor market could take 100,000-200,000 more skilled workers. The most problematic sector is production industry, which could accept 19,000 more workers anytime.

KOSOVO

Strengthening Of Manufacture - Priority Business community in Kosovo believes that the strengthening of the sector of manufacture must be a priority of the new government in the domain of economy. According to them, Made in Kosovo products must be competitive with other countries of the region and EU member countries. The head of the European Investors Council in Kosovo says that economy must be the top priority of the new government. Meanwhile, the American Chamber of Kosovo has demanded from the new government to demonstrate “a greater dynamic in implementing economic reforms”. The latest data supplied by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics show that 17,6% of the population lives under the poverty threshold with €1.82 a day and 5.2% of the population lives under the threshold of extreme poverty with €1.30 a day. Unemployment rate in the country is 28.7%.

MOTTO

BULGARIA

“We will continue with our motto, zero problems with the neighbors and we will intensify our efforts to address all problems that we have with Greece.”— EDI RAMA, Albanian Prime Moinister

Delta Planet In Varna Delta Real Estate, Delta Holding member company, in cooperation with Bulgarian company AP investments, has finalized its acquisition of the shopping-mall in Varna, on the Black Sea coast. “Delta Real Estate continues to strategically expand its business. It is with great pleasure that I announce opening of another construction site in an EU country,” said Zorana Ždrale Burlić, CEO, Delta Real Estate.

This project called Delta Planet and worth €120mln, will be developed together with partner AP investments from Sofia led by two well renown Bulgarian entrepreneurs Angel Angelov and Peter Dudolenski, which have wide range of investments trough real estate developments, healthcare, trade and retail. The performance of final works on the property with the area of 110.000 m2 will start these days while its opening is planned for May 2018. The works will be performed by Bulgarian contractor Planex.

ALBANIA

Adriatic Gas Pipeline Albania’s Energy Ministry Damian Gjiknuri presented a feasibility study for a €618mln gas corridor between Albania, Bosnia and Croatia, which it hopes the EU and US DAMIAN GJIKNURI, Minister of Energy will support. He unveiled a preliminary feasibility study for a proposed Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline, hoping the EU may fund construction of the section of the pipeline between Albania and Montenegro. “Albania had a strong interest in the pipeline project, which could help gasify the country. We hope for support from the EU and the US [for the project],” he said. The 511-km-long pipeline, expected to cost up to €618mln aims to link the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline with Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia. The feasibility study calls for a new pipeline with a capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year, BCM, from which Albania and Bosnia hope to consume 1 BCM each, Montenegro 0.5 BCM while Croatia, the biggest and the strongest economy in the Western Balkans, is expected to consume 2.5 BCM per year.

MONTENEGRO

Economy Continues To Grow At A Moderate Pace Montenegro’s economy continues to grow at a moderate pace, and growth should continue over the medium term, but large refinancing needs in coming years are a source of fiscal vulnerability, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said “Staff projects the economy to expand by 3% in 2017 and 2.8% in 2018, with planned fiscal consolidation acting as a moderate drag on growth,” the IMF said in the concluding statement of the mission for the 2017 Article IV consultation with Montenegro. While the economic outlook is positive, risks stemming from the large increase in public debt and external financing needs raise concerns about fiscal sustainability and external stability. Against this background, the IMF stressed the importance of continued fiscal adjustment to reduce debt and meet refinancing needs, sustained efforts to strengthen the financial sector and fiscal and structural reforms to support higher and more inclusive growth. The IMF welcomed the authorities’ well‑specified, medium‑term fiscal adjustment plan, which includes social protection measures for the most vulnerable. They concurred that, if fully implemented, the plan would place government debt on a strong downward path.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Banja Luka Airport To Revive The Business The Banja Luka Airport is trying to revive its business and to introduce new flights until end of the year. This airport is the only in BiH which experienced a decrease in the number of passengers. Sarajevo International Airport have one of the best years and Tuzla is still the regional base for WizzAir flights with smaller number of flights and bigger number of customers. Now, Banja Luka International Airport want to take the part of the cake, but they know that it will be very difficult. Miroslav Janjic, Airport General Manager, told to media that serious negotiations with several carriers are underway. Banja Luka earlier announced that there is an interest for flights to Zurich and

Vienna, as well as flights to Scandinavia. Brussels Airlines has confirmed its interest to fly to this Airport, but via Sarajevo. Talks are also being held with Israeli and Irish carriers. Just a few years ago, this airport was one of the candidates for WizzAir cooperant but, the management refuses to negotiate since, as they said, there is not enough profit. Janjic in his address to media admitted that it was a missed opportunity. FYR MACEDONIA

Government Rejects IMF’s Recommendations The government led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev will not accept the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on financial planning in different domains. IMF recommended for the retirement age to be increased, to increase tax on fuel and to apply a higher tax on property. But, the minister of Finance, Dragan Tevdovski said that the government has rejected these recommendations. “We are going to stick to the government’s program”, Tevdovski declared. Meanwhile, in its latest visit, the delegation of the IMF in Skopje pointed out that there are problems with the collection of taxes from big companies. IMF said that until 2022, public debt may increase to 53% of GDP and for this reason, a fiscal strategy which will lower government expenses and borrowing is needed. Source: balkaneu.com OCTOBER

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CORPORATE BOGDAN GECIĆ, LL.M. (HARVARD), MANAGING PARTNER AT GECIĆ LAW

Meritocracy, Innovation And Professional Credibility Gecić Law was the youngest law firm in Serbia to receive a Tier 1 competition ranking, from the coveted London-based “Top Tier” Legal 500 directory. Since then, this unique boutique law firm has gone on to prove its cutting edge expertise in some of the most complex domestic cases to appear before the European Commission

accession process, when it comes to the business sector generally? - Similar to the Brexit ‘Great Repeal Bill’, but in reverse; the accession process presents a major shock for every business, because of the unique nature of each country’s individual approach. Our firm has been at the forefront of meeting these challenges, as a trusted go-to partner to businesses and, together with international experts like GIZ, the EBRD etc., to the Government of Serbia.

EU member state. In practise, we assisted the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia and the Ministry of the Economy in drafting the New Investment Act, and provided support with regard to the review of the draft amendments to the Act on his month we spoke with Agricultural Land, and Consolidation of Bogdan Gecić, LL.M. (Harvard), Agricultural Land, along with GIZ. We Managing Partner at Gecić Law. also assisted in the latest alignment of the Public Procurement Act with the ■ What were the main challenges of EU Acquis and the 2014 Directives, and building a law firm in Serbia and inprovided guidance in drafting an We are the first commercial novating in a profession viewed by authoritative interpretation of the many as traditional? Privatisation Act, which was eventulaw firm in the Western ally adopted by the National Assem- We kicked off as a “start-up”, which Balkans to introduce a bly. Most recently, our firm teamed is a term I use loosely, as the legal separate European Law, Trade up with the EBRD, as legal counsel profession differs from a business in & Enlargement practice, and to the Ministry of Finance, on the many aspects, with setting the vision project aimed at improve the legal and attracting the right people repreState Aid expertise senting the toughest challenge. This framework for factoring. entrepreneurial culture, with meritocWhile the end-goal of each EU canracy, innovation and professional creddidate country is to align with the EU ■ You also advised Železara Smederevo ibility at its core, is something we have Acquis, each negotiation process has its (Steelworks) and the Government of nourished to date, despite our continued own peculiarities, exceptions etc. Our Serbia in the first ever parallel state upward growth spiral. We take pride in EU expertise and regulatory/legislative aid case in the steel sector before the the fact that our team members come focus ensure that we understand why authorities in both Brussels and Serbia, under the EU SAA. You are also actfrom leading U.S. and European universisome economies thrived during/upon ties, including Florence EUI, UC Berkeley, ing on their behalf in the ongoing EU EU accession, whereas others failed, KU Leuven, Maastricht, Nottingham, antidumping case before the European and how Serbia as a country, and all of Carnegie Mellon, Panthéon-Assas and Commission (EC). What were the major its stakeholders, can benefit from that Harvard. With such a profile of people, challenges of these cases and how do knowledge. In this way we create fundamental added value in the negotiating innovation comes naturally. you resolve them successfully? phase, protecting many aspects of the - In order to truly understand the challenge, it’s good to remember that, country’s growth prospects, both in the ■ What are the major legal challenges according to the EBRD, the impact of interim period and once it becomes an ahead during the course of Serbia’s EU

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the Železara Smederevo transaction on system at large, given that there were no Serbia’s GDP in 2017 alone is somewhere agencies or individuals with prior experience in case matter. This was achieved around 1.0-1.5%. Needless to say that with the support of DLA Piper London. professional and reputational stakes The investigation was concluded in July were extremely high. 2016, with the EC finding that the UAE From a purely legal perspective, carrier’s investment in Air Serbia is in finding a feasible solution required us line with effective control rules. This to accurately understand and analyse showed the investor community that the almost 60 years of EU case law in order Serbian Government, companies and law to perceive every possible scenario firms have the capacity to take on largeand legal remedy available to the steel scale M&A projects at the highest level. mill and the Government, as its largest shareholder. Knowledge management capabilities were of paramount importance, which required an incredible investment on the part of the firm. We have created what is probably the most comprehensive private EU law library east of Vienna and Brusselsbased online resources, which gave the team the kinds of tools and insights necessary to quickly and effectively grasp the bigger picture and formulate the best strategy moving forward. We are currently Gecić Law disrupted the the lead counsel in two distinct market through new, creative procedures, and are awaiting a practise expertise and major decision on the part of the Commission that we hope will be unparalleled service to clients in Serbia’s best interest, and a testament to the team’s prowess in an ■ In May you hosted the 2017 Reunion area of practise that was virtually nonof the Harvard Law School Association of Europe in Belgrade. What does existent locally until a few years ago. this event mean for Belgrade and the profession, and how can young people ■ You also supported Etihad and Air from Serbia take advantage of possiSerbia in an investigation in Brussels bilities to attend Harvard University? that ended with the Commission giving a green light to the transaction. - With more than 160 HLS alumni who What does this precedent mean for came to Belgrade, it is likely the largest similar cases in the future? international gathering of legal professionals in the Western Balkans. This was - While the steel mill sector challenged an amazing opportunity to showcase our our ability to understand the full scope city, network and help tear down certain of EU case law, Air Serbia’s investigation outdated biases, creating more opportuwas more of a contemporary challenge, nities for business and tourism in Serbia. given the relatively new Single European The event’s academic finale, a sesSky initiative and EU rules on ownership sion held at the National Assembly, and effective control of airlines. included professor Emily Broad Leib In addition to testing our ability to (named by Time Magazine as one of the do ground-breaking work for the client, five most innovative women in food), it also pushed our ability to support the

Stefano Palmieri, CFO of Granarolo Group, and Serbian Agriculture Minister Branislav Nedimović. It was also the first time the HLSA Europe Award was awarded to a prominent Dutch HLS alumnus, William Stevens, co-founder of HLSAE. Some of our less modest HLS alumni can still be caught bragging that the Reunion heralded the appointment of Ana Brnabić, the keynote speaker at the Gala Dinner, as the Prime Minister. We can’t be more thankful for the support and positive feedback we received from the local community, particularly the National Assembly, the Royal Family, who kindly hosted the Gala Dinner at the White Palace, the local Harvard Club, the local academic community and the Government of Serbia. As I’ve noted many times before, as a Harvard Law graduate, I’m proud that we highlighted the opportunities Harvard offers young people from Serbia. I hope this encourages our young students to apply to Harvard Law and continue to grow and challenge themselves. ■ Tell us more about the scholarships and opportunities the firm creates for young professionals. - We strongly believe in leading by example and giving back - in 2016, Gecić Law established the Taboroši Scholarship, in memory of Professor Svetislav Taboroši, whose work on academic research and innovative problem solving led to his pioneering work in the field of law & economics in Serbia and the region. According to Belgrade Law School Dean, Sima Avramović, this was ‘the first time in recorded history since the 19th century that a firm and former students have established a scholarship fund on behalf of their professor’ in Serbia. Our commitment to fostering home-grown talent is also illustrated by our involvement in the establishment of Harvard Club of Serbia Scholarships during my tenure as Vice President and scholarship project manager. ■ OCTOBER

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WORLD

NEWS

CLIMATE “Man-made climate change is contributing to increasingly strong hurricanes causing unprecedented damage. The whole world should be scrambling to get on top of the climate change issue before it is too late for this generation, let alone the generations to come.” — RICHARD BRANSON, Virgin Group

Alphabet Is Considering Investing $1 Billion In Lyft

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is in talks to invest about $1 billion in U.S. rideshare company Lyft Inc. The talks are being driven by top officials at Alpha-

bet. The potential investment could come either from Google or from CapitalG, Alphabet’s investment division, Bloomberg reported. Representatives of both Alphabet and Lyft representative declined to comment on the potential investment. The two companies have already forged strong ties. In May, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, Waymo, signed a deal with Lyft to collaborate on autonomousvehicle technology. In July, Lyft announced it was forming an autonomous-car division that would be based at a new center in Palo Alto, California. The app-based taxi company said Waymo would be among its partners that would have representatives working in the space. An investment from Google could help the company achieve that goal and give it a leg up on its archrival Uber. Google was an early investor in Uber, but the companies are now engaged in a hard-fought lawsuit over trade secrets.

CHINA

Made-In-China Buses Popularized On Quality Europeans are chasing a new fashion to take Chinadesigned new energy coaches as a fresh means of transportation as Europe strengthens its efforts to fight gas emission. Amid fierce competition, Chinese new energy car manufacturers have won favor from European clients thanks to their fashionable look, reliable quality and reasonable prices. In 2016, China manufactured and sold over 28 million vehicles, ranked top globally for WORLD

Global Debt Rose To $217 Trillion In its latest annual summary published at the end of June, the The Institute of International Finance (IIF) found that total nominal global debt had risen to a new all time high of $217 trillion, or 327% of global GDP. According to a last month released analysts by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), “FX swaps and forwards: missing global debt?” non-banks institutions outside the United States owe large sums of dollars offbalance sheet through instruments such as FX swaps and forwards. The BIS then calculates what balance sheets would look like if borrowing through such derivative instruments was recorded onbalance sheet, as functionally equivalent repo debt, and calculates that the total “is of a size similar to, and probably exceeding, the $10.7 trillion of on-balance sheet dollar debt”, potentially as much as $13-14 trillion. Every day, trillions of

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eight consecutive years. More importantly, the annual production of new energy vehicles in China has surpassed 517,000, with BYD, for instance, exporting its coaches and battery technology to more than 50 countries around the world. dollars are borrowed and lent in various currencies. Many deals take place in the cash market, through loans and securities. But foreign exchange (FX) derivatives, mainly FX swaps, currency swaps and the closely related forwards, also create debt-like obligations. For the US dollar alone, contracts worth tens of trillions of dollars stand open and trillions change hands daily. And yet one cannot find these amounts on balance sheets. This debt is, in effect, missing. How much is owed, by whom and for what purpose: trade hedging, asset-liability management, market-making? This special feature frames the issues and suggests some answers. To do so, it breaks ground in combining data on the aggregate amount of outstanding derivatives contracts (from the BIS derivatives statistics) with information from the international banking statistics and from ad hoc surveys to form a view of the size, geography and use of the missing foreign currency debt. The more detailed analysis focuses on the dollar segment, given the currency’s outsize role in the foreign exchange and other financial markets.

JAPAN

Apple, Dell Join Bid To Obtain Chips US tech titans Apple and Dell have joined a bid to buy Toshiba’s memory chip business, a deal seen as key to the survival of the cash-stripped Japanese industrial conglomerate. It was the first time Apple’s name has been officially confirmed as part of the bid, although it has reportedly also been involved in rival bids for the lucrative Toshiba segment. The announcement came after Toshiba said it had picked the Bain Capital-led consortium as the leading candidate to buy its prized chip business in a deal reportedly worth some $18 billion. The Bain Capital-led group also includes state-backed Development Bank of Japan and the public-private Innovation Network Corp of Japan as well as South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix. However, Toshiba has stressed that it was a “non-exclusive” agreement with Bain Capital that “does not exclude the possibility of negotiations with other consortia”. Other suitors are a group led by Western Digital, Toshiba’s US-based chip factory partner, and Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision, better known as Foxconn.

10 THINGS

THAT MAKE UP AN IDEAL WORKPLACE

According to the qualitative research, today’s employees are prisoners of low expectations. And they are often worn-out. Here are 10 tips to build that mythic, often dreamed about, idealized workplace.

1. Define a clear mission and vision 2. Make sure every employee understands he or she contributes to the mission and vision. 3. Engage in transparent communications. 4. Provide opportunities for growth and development . 5. Flexible schedules. 6. Offer competitive salaries, benefits, perks and promotions. 7. Mobile usage (66% of high school students feel it is acceptable to check a mobile device during work time). 8. Treat each employee as a person. 9. Be the leader that you wanted as an employee. 10. Have a little fun.

SIMULATIONS “We think, based on model simulations that climate change is having an effect, making storms slightly more intense with higher rainfall rates, but these changes are not huge and we cannot yet clearly detect them in observations.” — THOMAS KNUTSON,

US Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory

DENMARK

FRANCE

Lego Announces 1,400 Job Losses Lego has launched an overhaul of its business as it announced its first drop in revenues for more than a decade and 1,400 job losses. Coming on top of the unexpected ousting of its chief executive in August, the news suggests Lego is facing its biggest test since it came close to financial collapse in 2003-2004. Revenues fell 5 per cent in the first half of the year to €1.9 billion, ending near consistent double-digit growth over the past decade as Lego became the world’s most profitable toymaker and the second largest by sales. Lego had long defied gravity as other toymakers succumbed to the trend for children to spend more time playing digitally. But under Bali Padda, who was ousted as chief executive in August after only eight months and who had previously been chief operating officer, it had become an increasingly complex organisation. Lego will cut about 8 per cent of its 18,200 workforce – its number of employees has tripled since 2004 – its biggest job cuts ever announced.

SWITZERLAND

Nestlé Takes Majority Stake In Blue Bottle

Air France Unveils Low-Cost Airline Joon Air France on unveiled a new lower-cost subsidiary called Joon that will specifically target well-travelled millenials. A new medium-haul service will begin operating from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris later this year, with longhaul flights to follow in summer 2018. Joon is “especially aimed at a young working clientele, the millennials (18 to 35 year-olds), whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology”, Air France said in a statement, without elaborating on what new technology would be deployed. The name was chosen “to illustrate a positive state of mind”. Joon is aimed at helping Air France compete with the increasingly intense competition from budget European carriers such as Easyjet and Gulf airlines such as Emirates. UK

Rolling Stone Magazine Is Up For Sale Trailblazing music and popular culture magazine Rolling Stone is putting itself up for sale. Publisher Wenner Media - the majority shareholder - said it was exploring strategic options for its stake in the iconic magazine “to best position the brand for future growth”. It comes after Jann Wenner (71), who said that he hoped to keep an editorial role at Rolling Stone, but that decision would be up to its new owner. Musicians including The Beatles, Madonna, The Doors’ Jim Morrison, Lady Gaga and a naked John Lennon curled up on a bed next to his fully-clothed wife Yoko Ono have featured on the magazine’s cover, as well as politicians including Barack Obama and even Pope Francis.

Jann Wenner’s son - president and CEO of Gus Wenner Media, told The New York Times “Publishing is a completely different industry than what it was. The trends go in one direction, and we are very aware of that.” TURKEY

Switzerland’s Nestlé is accelerating its expansion in the US coffee market by taking a majority stake in California-based Blue Bottle, which is led by Dublin-born businessman Bryan Meehan. The deal values the cafe and roastery chain at more than €588 million. The acquisition of fast-growing Blue Bottle is a strategic shift into retailing by the world’s largest food and drinks company, which owns the Nespresso coffee capsule and Nescafé brands. It also pits Nestlé directly against two other huge coffee brands in the US – Starbucks and Keurig Green Mountain, owed by the JAB investment group. Nestlé is understood to be paying for the 68 per cent stake in Blue Bottle, which by the end of this year will have more than 50 cafes in California, New York, Washington, Miami and Tokyo.

Number Of New Companies Rises By 47% The number of newly established companies in Turkey reached 6,593 in August, growing by 47.46 % compared to the same month last year, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) said. A total of 1,218 companies went out of business in August, which saw an increase of 105.4% compared to the same month in 2016. The figures indicated that the number of foreign-partnered new companies stood at 644 in August, while 48,087 companies were established in the first eight months of the year, marking an 8.43% increase over the same period last year. In the first eight months of the year, a total of 3,958 foreign-partnered companies were established, including 644 in August. Out of this figure, 467 of the companies were established in wholesale trade not allocated to a specific commodity, 361 were residential or non-residential buildings, and 277 were established in the real estate sector. OCTOBER

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CORPORATE CAFÉ&FACTORY

Superior Aesthetics Of Taste Over the eleven years of its work, Cafe&Factory has become recognisable for its unique concept, exceptional assortment and high quality, as well as for cafés that provide enjoyment for all the senses

of Cafe&Factory, it is also possible to buy coffee to take away and prepare at home, and behind the numbers and delectable omestic brand Cafe&Factory is names hides a rich assortment of all blends part of an international company on offer. Thus, “0” denotes coffee without that has been operating succaffeine, No.1 marks the best-selling house cessfully in Serbia for 11 years. blend, No.2 represents the second house From the first café that opened in June blend, No.3 is for filter coffee, No.4 marks 2007, with a concept that includes a small espresso, while the other numbers up to 10 coffee factory with the café, with interiare single origin coffees: Guatemalan, Ethioors authored by domestic designers and architects, satisfied guests have consumed pian, Columbian, Salvadoran, Brazilian. a veritable river of the most diverse blends Our grannies boiled coffee in a Dzezva/ of coffee. For the locations of their cafés cezve and served it “with and without they choose proven locations – in the close foam”, while today the serving of coffee proximity of open markets, which are genscience, art, geography, gastronomy and has become a real art. Cafe&Factory serves hospitality. Though we are constantly espresso-based coffee, but the method of erally associated with freshness, various learning, we all at Cafe&Factory try to pouring milk into coffee is called “latte art”. scents and many people. gradually transfer our knowledge to our The visual presentation is very important, Besides their concept, another novelty guests and customers and to show them and is one of the main reasons guests they have introduced is their assortment all the possibilities of preparing and enjoyalways return. Of course, the quality of of the best and highest-quality variety of coffee is decisive, but the visual part is at speciality coffee beans, just roasted, just ing this drink,” says Irena Jović, Director of least equally deserving, for which staff ground and immediately served. Cafe&Factory, speaking to CorD. were trained by international masters and In addition to the House Blend, which Apart from drinking coffee at the cafés coaches. From quality raw material, via is also its bestseller, Cafe&Factory’s offer well-roasted and ground coffee, to also includes blends and single origin serving, each segment is equally imcoffees from all countries where coffee is grown worldwide. A special novelty portant, and ensuring that everything is represented by blends from lesserfunctions is a staff of around 50 emknown coffee producing countries, such ployees in six coffee shops at present, as Malawi, Burundi, Yemen and Ecuador, while that number is increasing rapidly. whose coffees are ranked among the “I am most proud of the fact that we greatest rarities. are enduring, and that, despite all the “Dealing with coffee was comcircumstances, we are not only enduring but growing. We are expanding our busipletely new to me, and I had to learn The visual presentation is very everything about it in order to do my ness and that is our greatest success, important, and is one of the main and the previous ten successful years job to the best of my abilities. I quickly reasons guests always return fell in love with everything related to testify to that. Our company is stable and coffee. This field intertwines botany, people like to work there,” says Jović. ■

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CORPORATE BUSINESS

Nike Footwear Made A Billionaire Of Park Yen-Cha The South Korean entrepreneur, who manufactures 60 million pairs of Nikes annually, has a net worth of $1.3 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and personal connections based on school networks matter for achieving success, Park worked to cultivate relations with those in power. After his release in 2014, Park returned to the helm of Taekwang. Of his four children, only a son in his early 30s, who’s considered an heir apparent, currently has a management role at the company. Revenue, which grew 14.5 percent last year to $1.6 billion, nearly doubled since 2011. Founded in 1971, Taekwang was among hundreds of footwear companies that turned Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, into the world’s sportshoe capital during the 1970s and ’80s. Global sports retailers, such as Nike, Adidas AG and Reebok International Ltd., flocked to South Korean shoe factories, attracted mainly by low-cost, abundant labour and the factories’ high production.

found workers at the company’s factory near Ho Chi Minh City being exposed to dangerous levels of toxic solvents. The resulting protests and consumer boycotts led Nike to announce the elimination of such substances at its subcontractors. A spokeswoman for Nike said that all Taekwang factories are in compliance ark Yen-cha, who built Taekwang with Nike’s code of conduct, which meets Industrial Co., an empire of more or exceeds international standards, and are than 70,000 employees which has subject to regular audit. been making Nikes since the late “Taekwang has shown a commitment to 1980s, took advantage of the trend to move progress through their approach to modmanufacturing offshore and now makes all ernisation, a culture of safety and lean-based of its Nikes — 60 million, or 12 per cent of all management for health, safety, environment Nikes sold worldwide last year — in Vietnam, and human resource management,” Claire Indonesia and China. Wahl, a Singapore-based vice president for He’s now moving his company toward a sourcing for Nike in Asia, said in a statement conglomerate model, into businesses includToday, Taekwang’s two factories in ing power generation and fertiliser production, Vietnam produce almost 71% of its output. and possibly taking a stake in a port operator. The company is currently building a third facPark has a net worth of $1.3 billion, actory in the southern city of Can Tho in order cording to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, to boost its ability to supply Nike by as based primarily on Taekwang’s valuamuch as 15%. tion. Park and his children own 98.4% of In 2011, Park, whose name is Yet with Nike’s growth rate expected Taekwang. Park also holds stakes directly alternatively spelled Yeon-cha, to slow to the low- to mid-single digits, and through Taekwang and his family was sentenced to 30 months in according to Cindy Wang, an analyst at members in plastic pipes manufacturer jail for tax evasion and bribery Taipei-based CL Securities Taiwan Co., TaeJeongsan Aikang Co. and in Taekwang kwang is turning to other projects for the affiliate Huchems Fine Chemical Corp., involving other officials long term. In July, the company received a where he’s chairman. “Taekwang was not a big name in the license to build a $2.3 billion, 1,200-megawatt It wasn’t success with Nike that put Park industry at the beginning,” said Michael Ku, thermal power plant in northern Vietnam. To in the spotlight. A decade ago, he was at the a former vice president at Taekwang, “But be completed in 2022, it would allow Taecentre of a multi-million-dollar corruption it was quick to adopt a computer-aided kwang to sell electricity to the Vietnamese scandal that involved dozens of politicians, inmanufacturing environment, shifting from government for 25 years. cluding former President Roh Moo-hyun, who labour-centred strategies to a technologyTaekwang also started work last year on killed himself in 2009 after being questioned centred approach.” a $60 million fertiliser plant in Vietnam. A over allegations that his family members took For example, shoe molds produced manuTaekwang spokesman said the company was millions in bribes from Park. In 2011, Park, also in talks to purchase a stake in Gemadept ally couldn’t provide enough design details, so whose name is alternatively spelled Yeon-cha, Corp., Vietnam’s biggest private port operator. computer-assisted technology helped apply was sentenced to 30 months in jail for tax Taekwang currently relies on Indonesia and 3D curves and geometry, Ku said. evasion and bribery involving other officials. China for almost 17 percent and 13 percent of its In the late-1990s, Taekwang came under The 71-year-old Park was born to a poor shoe production, respectively, and has plans to scrutiny for allegations of unsafe labour farming family and completed only elementary ultimately increase production in Indonesia. ■ conditions in Vietnam. An Ernst & Young audit school. In a society where family background

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PROFILE

Be Worthy Of Imagination Being at the helm of a company like the Belgrade Fair, with an 80-year tradition, is an honour, a responsibility and a slightly surreal experience

DANKA SELIĆ General manager of the Belgrade Fair

n one side, this experience means facing business challenges and obstacles on a daily basis; a cramped, almost physical struggle for market survival and profit that means life; the inevitable daily assessment of the abilities and opportunities of yourself and others - personal, collective, joint, corporate, social, economic, state; a vortex of corporate demands and obligations ... On the other, more dominant side, the awareness that you are who you are, made of flesh and blood, with flaws and virtues, knowledge and prejudices, you find yourself in the place of the last, golden link in an eighty-year-long chain of incredible events, magnificent successes, but also tragedies, eternalised in each of the links before yours. Privileged and honoured by this fact, that in the year during which the Belgrade Fair marks its 80th anniversary, I am completely occupied with some raw statistics about “my Fair”, and at the same time I am able to personally enhance and upgrade them. And those statistics show that the gates of the company I run “to me” have been passed by more than 60 million visitors, that more than 3,000 fair events have been organised, with an average of 20,000 people “per event”, that it has hosted about 500,000 exhibitors from 180 countries. And 46 |

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also that it was a kind of foundation for the economic development of as many as seven countries that emerged “around it” in the meantime. This can be recalled thousands of times and the result is no less wondrous. This is about, for example, already legendary figures linked to the first fair of 11th September 1937, which show that during the first three months of that year as many as 26 pavilions were built at the new Belgrade Fair, that the first fair included the participation of 883 exhibitors, including as many as 390 from abroad, that the fair was then visited by about 300,000 people from the country and around 10,000 from abroad – more than Belgrade then had inhabitants. Or the data during the second post-war birth of the Belgrade Fair in 1957, which – along with the incredible, then

Every dinar that exhibitors invest in fair event participation is returned to them at least twofold immediately, and over time by as much as eightfold... globally valuable construction endeavour – recorded at the first fair event 1,500 exhibitors, 650 domestic and 850 foreign, from 28 countries around the world. That was then a European record that stood for a long time in relation to domestic and foreign exhibitors at some fair, with foreigners in the majority. The fair was already the whole world back then. During the ten days of the fair, instead of the expected 500,000 visitors, the fair was attended by a fantastic 1,150,000 visitors. And, how can I find professional and

moral satisfaction in myself, with such a starry sky above me?! What do I need to know and do to be worthy of the history, the mission and even the day-to-day functioning of the company that I manage and admire immeasurably? And not just me, but anybody in my place. Studies of finances and accountancy, professional exams of “European Finance” and “European business and marketing” at IFAM University in Paris; membership in ASCI and ACI Serbia and Montenegro, for financial and foreign exchange trading; there is also a Forex certificate, and professional training for acquiring certificates for public procurement officers... Twenty-odd years, as they say, experience in the profession. Is that enough only for one side, or for both sides of the medallion called the Belgrade Fair? And then some other irrational deadlocks on the highway return some other figures. Actual. The total economic effects of the company I head, with 180 employees, in the last year was estimated at 12.7 billion dinars of goods and services sold, and 4 billion dinars of gross value added – a full 10 per cent more than the previous year. Over 2.4 billion dinars of total tax revenues were secured. Every dinar realised by the operations of the Belgrade Fair is multiplied at the level of the national economy by up to 11 times. Every dinar that exhibitors invest in fair event participation is returned to them at least twofold immediately, and over time by as much as eightfold... The company doesn’t owe anything to anyone and fulfils all of its obligations, while our fairs and programmes have long since had global repute... I wonder if there is actually anything more realistic than that! 

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PERFORMANCE ART

The Line Between

ART AND LIFE

Performance is a genre in which art is presented "live," usually by the artist but sometimes with collaborators or performers. It has had a role in avant-garde art throughout the twentieth century, playing an important part in anarchic movements such as Futurism and Dada. Whenever artists have become discontented with conventional forms of art, such as painting and traditional modes of sculpture, they have often turned to performance as a means to rejuvenate their work

he most significant flourishing of performance art took place following the decline of modernism and Abstract Expressionism in the 1960s, and it found exponents across the world. Performance art of this period was particularly focused on the body, and is often referred to as Body art. This reflects the period’s so-called “dematerialization of the art object,” and the flight from traditional media. It also reflects the political ferment of the time: the rise of feminism, which encouraged thought about the division between the personal and political and anti-war activism, which supplied models for politi48 |

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cized art “actions.” Although the concerns of performance artists have changed since the 1960s, the genre has remained a constant presence, and has largely been welcomed into the conventional museums and galleries from which it was once excluded. The foremost purpose of performance art has almost always been to challenge the conventions of traditional forms of visual art such as painting and sculpture. When these modes no longer seem to answer artists’ needs - when they seem too conservative, or too enmeshed in the traditional art world and too distant from ordinary people - artists have often turned to performance in order to find

helped shape the direction of that discipline. Her commitment to giving new life to older performance works - both hers and the works of others -- led her to create the Marina Abramović Institute for Preservation of Performance Art, set for a 2012 opening, in Hudson, New York. This nonprofit organization will support teaching, preserving and funding performance art, ensuring an enduring legacy for her performances and, more broadly, for the ephemeral art form itself. About this Institute, Abramović has said, “Performance is fleeting. But this, this place, this is for time. This is what I will leave behind.”

AI WEIWEI CHINESE CONCEPTUAL ARTIST MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ – Art must be beautiful He is an inspirational figure for many people both in the West and in China, and both in and outside the art world. Ai’s new audiences and test new ideas. Performance art borrows styles struggle for freedom of speech and expression sheds light on specific and ideas from other forms of art, or sometimes from other forms issues that are important in their own right. More broadly, it reminds of activity not associated with art, like ritual, or work-like tasks. If us of the power of visual art to move us as individuals, and sometimes cabaret and vaudeville inspired aspects of Dada performance, this entire nations, to action. Ai’s work underscores the idea that art may have the power, and even the responsibility, to change society. Performance art borrows styles and ideas from Members of the general public and the other forms of art, or sometimes from other forms wider art community continue to support of activity not associated with art, like ritual, him. His often enigmatic messages on Instagram and Twitter have moved his “followers” or work-like tasks to participate in the creative process by responding in an array of on-line expressions of artistic and political reflects Dada’s desire to embrace popular art forms and mass cultural solidarity that are in turn indebted to his approach to art as social modes of address. More recently, performance artists have borrowed practice. In October 2015, for example, when Lego refused Ai a from dance, and even sport. large shipment of blocks (on the grounds that it doesn’t endorse Some varieties of performance from the post-war period are political art), hundreds of Ai’s followers sent their own Legos to commonly described as “actions.” German artists like Joseph Beuys the artist, via mail and official collection points. The entire event preferred this term because it distinguished art performance from was organised through social media. the more conventional kinds of entertainment found in theatre. But the term also reflects a strain of American performance art that could be said to have emerged out of a reinterpretation of “action painting,” in which the object of art is no longer paint on canvas, but something else - often the artist’s own body. In France, art corporel, or body art, compiled an avant-garde set of practices that brought body language to the center of artistic practice. MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ SERBIAN-AMERICAN ARTIST Abramović, who has referred to herself as, “the grandmother of performance art,” was part of the earliest experiments in performance art, and she is one of the few pioneers of that generation still creating new work. She has been, and continues to be, an essential influence for performance artists making work over the last several decades, especially for works that challenge the limits of the body. Although she does not view her own artwork through the frame of Feminist Art, her confrontations with the physical self and the primary role given to the female body have

AI WEIWEI, Rooted Upon

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YOKO ONO JAPANESE-AMERICAN CONCEPTUAL AND PERFORMANCE ARTIST, AND MUSICIAN Well before her famous partnership with John Lennon, Yoko Ono was the “High Priestess of the Happening” and a pioneer in performance art. Drawing from an array of sources from Zen Buddhism to Dada, her pieces were some of the movement’s earliest and most daring. With unprecedented radicalism, she rejected the idea that an artwork must be a material object. Many of her works consist merely of instructions. Ono’s performances and instructional paintings of the early 1960s changed forever the relationship between artist and audience. Bed-In and Bagism, pieces staged in 1969 with Lennon, are direct antecedents for subsequent works that turned private life into public spectacle, most famously Tracy Emin’s My Bed (1998) and her involvement in the peace movement encouraged future generations of artists to use visual art as a political platform. Her mutually influential partnership with John Lennon is well-traversed territory, but it is worth remembering that in leading us through the process of imagining a different, better world, Lennon’s famous solo song “Imagine” is essentially a reprise of Yoko’s instructional pieces. Ono’s innovative, iconoclastic presence in the art world extended far beyond this partnership, furthering the

YOKO ONO, Wish Tree for Hiroshima

Ono’s performances and instructional paintings of the early 1960s changed forever the relationship between artist and audience

dialogue on materialism and cultural consumerism in a way that has inspired Rirkrit Tiravanija, Suzanne Lacy, and other artists involved in social practice. Finally, in calling attention to the vulnerability and resilience of the female body, Ono gave future female performance artists, among them Valie Export, Hannah Wilke and Marina Abramovic, permission to take even greater risks.

comedy, illusion, dance, film, songs, and a simulated tornado into her performance. In 1995 she also crafted, with designer Hsin-Chien Huang, the highly complex interactive CD-ROM Puppet Motel.

LAURIE ANDERSON AMERICAN PERFORMANCE ARTIST, COMPOSER, AND WRITER One of Anderson’s early performance art pieces was Automotive (1972), for which she orchestrated car horns at the Town Green in Rochester, Vermont. In Duets on Ice, another early piece, Anderson wore ice skates frozen in blocks of ice; she then proceeded to play a duet with herself on an altered violin that she described as like a LAURIE ANDERSON, Chalkroom installation “ventriloquist’s dummy”—she replaced the bow hair with Anderson next toured in 1999 with Songs and Stories from Moby prerecorded audiotape and the strings with a tape head. The piece Dick, a multimedia musical event. She later served as NASA’s artist ended as soon as the ice melted. in residence, and the experience inspired her one-woman show By 1974 she had received several grants that gave her more The End of the Moon, which debuted in 2004. Her other projects freedom to pursue her artistic explorations. In 1994 a book of include The Waters Reglitterized (2005), an installation inspired by her work was published entitled Stories from the Nerve Bible: A her dreams, and the albums Life on a String and Homeland (2010). Retrospective, 1972–92. A year later Anderson embarked on a multimedia tour entitled The Nerve Bible, in which she read excerpts Anderson also collaborated on the opening ceremony for the 2004 from the retrospective book and incorporated elements of music, Olympic Games in Athens. 50 |

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VALIE EXPORT, Encirclement, from the series Body Configurations

VALIE EXPORT Austrian artist VALIE EXPORT placed her own body, and the female body in general, at the centre of her entire corpus of work. In this sequence of edited photographs, belonging to the series

built environment in a completely different way than the one implied by the urban design. In 1967, she changed her name to VALIE EXPORT (written in uppercase letters, like an artistic logo, shedding her father’s and husband’s names and appropriating her new surname from a popular brand of cigarettes). In conversation with Gary Indiana for BOMB magazine, Export described her name-change: “I did not want to have the name of my father [Lehner] any longer, nor that of my former husband Hollinger. My idea was to export from my ‘outside’ (heraus) and also export, from that port. The cigarette package was from a design and style that I could use, but it was not the inspiration.” Alastair MacLennan is Research Professor in Fine Art at the School of Art and Design, University of Ulster in Belfast. He is one of Britain’s major practitioners in live art. Since 1975 he has been based in Belfast and was a founder member of Belfast’s Art and Research Exchange. He is also a member of the European Performance Group called ‘Black Market International.’

Marina Abramović has been, and continues to be, an essential influence for performance artists making work over the last several decades, especially for works that challenge the limits of the body

MELLA JAARSMA, Dogwalk

“Körperkonfigurationen“(Body Configurations, 1972-76), she positioned herself in several points of the city of Wien and mimed through her body the built environment immediately around. Her actions are the representation of her own states of mind, communicated by her postures and gestures. Through a performance that assumes the form of an apparently passive adaptation to the configuration of the city or the landscape, the artist reacts to the

During the 1970’s and 1980’s he made long durational performances in Britain and America, of up to 144 hours each, non-stop, usually neither eating nor sleeping throughout. Subject matter dealt with political, social and cultural malfunction. He currently travels extensively in Eastern and Western Europe, also America and Canada, presenting ‘Actuations’ (his term for Performance/Installations). MELLA JAARSMA Twelve people with blank stares walked among the crowd; each was on a red leash and wore costumes made of cowhide, lambskin and goatskin — the animals’ hooves were still attached to the costumes. For one and a half hours, they wandered in different directions at a steady pace; sometimes attaching their leashes to one another. The scene above is part of Dogwalk, an art performance created by Yogyakarta-based artist Mella Jaarsma during the programs presented by the Museum of Modern And Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN) in West Jakarta. Jaarsma, who was born in the Netherlands, seeks to look at the relationship between humans and animals in a satirical interpretation of a fashion catwalk. “The idea is about human perception of animals – where one needs another – but we also have control over them. [We decide] which animals are killed and which are considered holy and protected,” Jaarsma said. “It’s always the human who makes the rules, which hypocritical.” ■ OCTOBER

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FACES & PLACES

SEE MORE WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM 31.08.2017

Turkish Victory Day Marked Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel provided the venue for a reception organised to commemorate the occasion of the 95th anniversary of Turkey’s Great Victory Day and the Day of the Armed Forces of Turkey. Addressing guests on this oc- H.E. TANJU BILGIÇ casion, Turkish Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Tanju Bilgiç, read excerpts from Turkish President Erdoğan’s official message. The reception was attended, amongst others, by General Ljubiša Diković, Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of Turkish organisations and companies active in Serbia, as well as business partners. H.E. TANJU BILGIÇ AND LJUBIŠA DIKOVIĆ 05.09.2017

01.09.2017

NALED Working Lunch With PM Brnabić

Foreign Investors Council In Serbia Commemorates 15th Anniversary

“Combatting the grey economy, reducing red-tape and corruption through the introduction of e-government, increasing the efficiency of cadastre registers, conducting reforms in the agriculture sector and strengthening the IT sector are among the key priorities of cooperation between the Serbian Government and NALED in the period ahead,” said Prime Minister Ana Brnabić at the working lunch for NALED members and partners which was attended by almost 200 domestic and foreign business leaders “The Government of Serbia wants to foster a permanent and open dialogue with the economy, aimed at finding the best solutions for long-term and dynamic economic growth. Crucial to this process is cooperation with civil society and associations like NALED, ” said PM Brnabić. YANA MIKHAILOVA (left) and FIC Executive Director ANA FIRTEL cut the celebratory cake

The Foreign Investors Council celebrated 15 years of operating in Serbia with an event at Belgrade’s White Palace complex, attended by numerous guests from the country’s economic, social and political life. On this occasion, the esteemed guests were addressed by FIC President Yana Mikhailova and Serbian Finance Minister Dušan Vujović. A retrospective on the establishment of the FIC was compiled by Christoph Greussing, who served as the first General Secretary of the Foreign Investors Council. “The FIC mission was, and is today, to remain committed to the active promotion of a sustainable business environment in Serbia through open dialogue with the authorities and other relevant stakeholders,” said FIC President Mikhailova. “Serbia today, after three years of reforms, is one of the most attractive investment locations in the Western Balkans and beyond. We are striving to improve the business climate in order to attract the largest possible number of investors. During 2016, thanks to foreign investments, 16,400 new jobs were created,” said Finance Minister Vujović.

GORAN PITIĆ, Societe Generale (left), MIRKO PETROVIĆ, Dunav osiguranje, ANDREJ JOVANOVIĆ, Moji brendovi

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Minister DUŠAN VUJOVIĆ

CHRISTOPH GREUSSING, the first FIC General Secretary

06.09.2017

Slovak Constitution And Armed Forces Day

H.E. DAGMAR REPČEKOVA

On the occasion of the Constitution and Armed Forces Day of Slovakia, the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Belgrade hosted a reception attended by government ministers, including Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy Minister Zoran Ðorđević and Chief-of-staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Ljubiša Diković, as well as ambassadors, members of parliament, business leaders and members of the Slovak community. The event began with the Ambassador of Slovakia in Belgrade, H.E. Dagmar Repčekova, opening an exhibition by Slovakian painter Rada Van Ladomerský, presenting a series of portraits of famous figures from both Slovakia and Serbia.

08.09.2017

26 Years Of Macedonian Independence Commemorated The Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia in Belgrade organised a reception to mark the 26th anniversary of the country’s independence. In her welcome address, Ambassador H.E. Vera Jovanovska-Tipko noted that the Republic of Macedonia is striving decisively through Euro-Atlantic integration, whilst giving exceptional importance to good neighbourly relations, which implies resolving all open issues via frank and constructive dialogue. The Villa Jelena reception was attended by numerous officials, including Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojković, government ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of political, scientific, cultural and public life in the country.

H.E. VERA JOVANOVSKA – TIPKO 08.09.2017

Hartmut Koschyk Visits German Minority Hartmut Koschyk, Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Matters Related to Ethnic German Resettlers and National Minorities, has visited the German minority in Serbia. After discussing numerous possibilities for joint projects with the Mayor of Sombor, he met with representatives of all existing associations of the German minority. Then, accompanied by Ambassador H.E. Axel Dittmann, Mr Koschyk visited the Bački Jarak memorial, which was formally unveiled in May this year, and paid tribute to all members of the German minority who died at the detention camp there between 1944 and 1946. At the end of his visit to Serbia, Bundestag Member Koschyk spoke with representatives of civil society organisations and religious communities, who reassured him of the existence of good protection of minorities in Serbia and close cooperation on religious issues.

THE GERMAN DELEGATION WITH THEIR HOSTS

HARTMUT KOSCHYK

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FACES & PLACES

SEE MORE WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

12.09.2017

Indonesian Independence Day Commemorated

20.09.2017

French Order Of Merit Awarded

H.E. HARRY RICHARD JAMES KANDOU

The French Embassy hosted a ceremony to present the prestigious recognition of the French Order of Arts and Letters in the rank of knight to pianist Jovanka Višekruna Janković, Bitef art director and selector Ivan Medenica, and Milan Savić, director of the Belgrade SAXperience festival. Višekruna Janković noted that this decoration showed the importance of “enduring on the road of quality, which isn’t easy but is right”. Receiving the Order in a crowded hall at the French Embassy, Medenica emphasised, among other things, that he was raised and lived his whole life in the spirit of the words of Voltaire “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. He dedicated his award to late Bitef founders Mira Trailović and Jovan Ćirilov. - All of us here who have received awards are connected by the same theme – encouraging and promoting quality and culture – said Savić upon receiving his prestigious award. The ceremony at the French Embassy in Belgrade saw these orders of merit presented to our laureate artists by Charge d’Affaires Nicolas Faye.

“alongside our historical connectedness, bilateral relations between Indonesia and Serbia are strong and diverse, supporting a broad field of cooperation for the mutual benefit of both nations,” noted H.E. Harry Richard James Kandou, Ambassador of Indonesia to Serbia, speaking at a reception marking Indonesian Independence Day. The reception marking the 72nd anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia was attended, amongst others, by Serbian Patriarch Irinej, Serbian National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojković, representatives of religious communities, the military and the diplomatic corps, as well as numerous figures from the public and cultural life of Serbia.

MILAN SAVIĆ (left), IVAN MEDENICA, JOVANA VIŠEKRUNA JANKOVIĆ and NICOLAS FAYE

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Viticulture Wine & Rakija Production

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VITICULTURE WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

ZVONKO BOGDAN WINERY

Authentic And Recognisable Premium Wines On the eastern banks of Lake Palić in the very north of Serbia, anchored in an ocean of vines, lies the Zvonko Bogdan vineyard, built in the Secession style characteristic of the traditional architecture of this region and the nearby city of Subotica. It began in 2008 when, uniting the specific Palić wine tradition with state-of-the-art French technology, this winery set out with the clear aim of producing top quality wine carrying the stamp of its region of origin. Its name already suggests its aspiration, to be recognisable, gentle, nearby but still specific, special, consistent - just like the singer Zvonko Bogdan. The Zvonko Bogdan vineyard covers 59 hectares in the Subotica-Horgoš sands district at three locations: Palić, Ludaš and Radić, each of which gives the wine the style and character of its specific terroir and microclimate. Respecting the region’s traditions, white grapes (Sauvignon blanc, Pinot blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and yellow Muscat) and red ( Merlot, Frankovka, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet sauvignon) were sown. It is well known that the production of good wine and its authenticity starts in the vineyard, but to bring high quality grape to a fine wine, modern technology plays an important role. The advice of established experts in the field of oenology completes the requirements for a top quality wine of unique character. All this is woven into the Premium wine, a Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard line that has been established at the largest global wine congresses, spreading the story of the beautiful Vojvodina plains, songs and farms in the north of Serbia. Succeeding at the most important competitions and winning the highest awards in Vienna, London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Prague and at home, Cuvée

No1, the first in this line, has grown with the vineyard. This complex and balanced wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Frankovka. It is complex, powerful, elegant, worth caring for and keeping, which is why it comes in a magnum besides the standard bottle, and in larger formats of 3, 6, 9 and 12 litres. Recognised by international juries, Zvonko Bogdan Chardonnay was proclaimed the best Serbian white wine of 2014. This dry white wine that has matured for six months in Barrique barrels of French oak is known for its intense aromas of apple, pear and peach, enriched with gentle tones of vanilla and a pleasant citrus sharpness. This is an exceptionally harmonious, creamy and rich wine, with a pleasant tang and long fruity aftertaste. Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc Zvonko Bogdan are now confirmed at the world’s major wine competitions, and are, as of this year, the proud the proud bearers of the most distinctive labels in the system of geographical origin – the purple plaque, which in Serbia regulates the production and marketing

of wine at the highest standards and guarantees genuine geographical origin and top quality. Three years ago, the Zvonko Bogdan vineyard expanded its Premium line with a dry, refined rosé of delicate colour and satin texture made from Merlot. Rosé sec is an exceptionally soft, balanced wine with a lively sharpness and long, fruity aftertaste. It has already won gold medal in Sofia, and last year took the title of the best rosé in Serbia. Pinot Grigio is the latest wine in the Zvonko Bogdan Premium line. This dry, layered and wellrounded white wine is made from the Pinot Grigio variety from the 2015 vintage. It intertwines the aromas of white fruit with gentle tones of wild flowers, and has already begun its golden journey on the international wine scene. The authentic Zvonko Bogdan Premium line can also be recognised by its labels that carry pictures by Sombor painter Eugen Kočiš. The first of these have adorned bottles of Cuvee No1 since the very foundation of the vineyard, and reactions to its use led to the idea of completing the whole collection of Premium wines with these characteristic images. And since the choice of wine depends on the occasion and mood, the Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard also provides its Classic and Icon lines.

INTERVIEW

Our Wines Are Distinguished By Their Quality And Specific Characteristics DARKO JAKŠIĆ Head of the Group for Wine Making and Wine Growing at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management

The Ministry has provided assistance in forming 12 representative associations

he Ministry of Agriculture devotes great attention to the development of winegrowing and winemaking, which is shown by an entire set of measures supporting the wine growing and winemaking sector. The incentives include nursery production and aromatised wine products and these sectors apply to all phases of production, starting with nursery plants, grapes and wine production, all the way to the marketing and sale of wine and aromatised wine products. The Ministry and representative manufacturers ’ associations have also joined forces and recently put considerable effort into establishing a system of geographic origin aligned with EU requirements.

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• There have evidently been positive changes and improvements in the wine sector in Serbia, wines becoming better and better over the years. Making wine with geographic origin is considered a top achievement. Why is that important? What makes them stand out? - The production of wine with geographic origin is truly a pinnacle in the

Thanks to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Agriculture, readers may learn all details and precise and unbiased information about vineyard areas, manufacturers, wines and other related matters

wine industry. This is a difficult and demanding path, but at the same time the only way for a group of manufacturers, a certain area, and even the entire country to gain recognition in the field of wine, gastronomy, tourism and culture. Several geographic designations of origin have already been protected according to the new, so-called “PDO/ PGI” system. Numerous other associations have started the procedure of protecting their designations. At the moment, some of our manufacturers’ trademarks may be more important than designation of origin, but following the example of countries with a long tradition of producing wines with designation of origin of the so-called

“Romance” type, the importance of designation of origin will increase and reach the same level as designations such as “Champagne”, “Bordeaux”, “Rioja”, “Tokaj”, “Chianti”, “Porto”…. • Wine is the first product in Serbia for which a system was introduced of labelling with designation of origin, quality and logos indicating origin. Who rates wines and what does the rating procedure look like? - In fact, this is not merely rating, but is rather a complex system of inspection, starting with winegrowing, the basis for this being the Wine Growers’ Register that functions according to EU rules. Only vineyards entered in this register may be included in the geographic designation of origin system, and this means that verification has been performed of the varieties, health, average yield, quality of grapes (particularly sugar content in must) …. In addition, the orographic and other winegrowing and administrative information is determined, vineyards’ surface areas are measured using GPS devices with great precision and GIS technologies, as well as spatial definition of the given vineyards, which all secures good control and reduction of the possibility of fraud in the yield and quality of grapes. The inspection of the grape production itself, notably harvesting, as well as wine production, is performed by inspectors of the Ministry of Agriculture. Following the completion of wine production, agriculture inspectors take samples of wines, code them, and send them to laboratories that are both accredited and authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture. The laboratories perform physical, chemical and, if necessary, microbiological analysis,

while sensory testing is performed by authorised sensory testers. Based on professional opinion and documents, the Ministry of Agriculture issues decisions in the form

Wine manufacturers have recognised the importance of clustering aimed at protecting their designation of origin, and to achieve other goals and make use of their possibilities of certificates for given wines with designations of origin, specifically for a precisely determined quantity from a given vintage, based on which the manufacturers may collect a precisely determined number of quality and origin indication logos produced by the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins. These logos are protected from counterfeiting in several ways, each logo having its own serial number, securing the principle of traceability. • The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia has published the Vineyard Atlas and Wine Atlas, including wineries in Serbia. You are one of the Chief Editors? - The atlases you mention stem from many years of effort, in which my col-

leagues and I took part to finally provide the stakeholders with real and clear information about the Serbian winegrowing and winemaking sectors. Now, thanks to the Serbian Statistical Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, readers may learn all details and precise and unbiased information about vineyard areas, manufacturers, wines and other related matters. I think that the greatest value of the Vineyards Atlas and Wine Atlas lies in the fact that every manufacturer of wine is listed under their name registered in the Business Registers Agency, with names of wines that that legally conform and are categorised in the official quality categorisation. In addition, what makes these atlases unique is that they also provide information on the characteristics of terroir and vineyard areas, which is why the Vineyards Atlas received an award for the best professional monograph in 2015 from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). • The Ministry provides a great many incentives for this industry. What are these measures exactly? - Concerning incentives, there is a large number of support measures for this sector. Some of them include raising new production vineyards through repayment for purchase of nursery plants, placing supports, preparation and cultivating of the soil for planting and soil analysis, raising new vine stem plantations through encouraging the production of nursery plants, certification and clone selection of fruits, grape, and hops, or improving the production of grapevine nursery plants, support to investment in primary agricultural production, support for equipping wineries, improving the quality of wine through VITICULTURE WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

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partial recovery of the costs of laboratory analysis of wine aimed at improving quality, support to the functioning of the designation of origin wine manufacturers’ associations. • One can often hear that there is a need to form associations. In the new system of protecting designation of origin, do winemakers' associations play a key role? your? How does this function and what is cooperation with associations like? - Wine manufacturers have recognised the importance of clustering aimed at protecting their designation of origin, and to achieve other goals and make use of their possibilities. To date, the Ministry of Agriculture has provided assistance in forming 12 representative associations, whose targets conform to the EU’s targets for recognised manufacturers’ associations. All of this will have a positive impact on improving the quality of our wines and on better promotion of our designation of origin logos. The Ministry of Agriculture has excellent cooperation with all associations, and it will soon be necessary to form a national association, which would be an association representing the existing area representative associations (by request of the EU), which would strengthen cooperation with manufacturers in resolving issues in the future framework of positioning the Serbian wine sector in the EU. • According to available information, we have about 25,000 ha of vineyards. Is there a plan to increase this surface by the time of EU accession? - According to new European regulations and the negotiations on Serbia’s accession to the EU, Serbia

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The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to take measures supporting the winegrowing and winemaking sectors and, starting this year, some new measures will be introduced, such as certification of nursery plants and clone selection of autochthonous and created domestic varieties of grapes amounting to 10 million dinars annually may raise vineyards without any restrictions even after its accession to the EU. That means that “unnatural” pushing for the necessity of raising vineyards is not necessary. The focus is on strengthening market solutions to meet the needs of raising vineyards. Since winegrowing and wine production is very expensive and has a long period of payback on an investment, the Ministry of Agriculture aims at stimulating manufacturers to raise new vineyards, notably with our autochthonous and created domestic varieties.

• Interest in exporting wine to foreign markets is on the increase. What are the quantities in question? What is our advantage compared to wines from other countries? - As Serbia is a much greater importer than exporter of wine (in 2016 we exported approximately 10 million litres of wine while we imported 22 million litres), we must first tackle competition on the domestic market. In other words, we must all work together to promote domestic wines and strengthen the wine culture in the sense of a moral obligation for us to consume domestic wines in the first place, followed by imported wines. Serbian wines are not competitive in terms of price compared to some imported wines, but what distinguishes them are special quality and specific characteristics, which are common to wines with designation of origin. • What are the Ministry’s plans for further development and improvement of wine growing in Serbia? - The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to take measures supporting the winegrowing and winemaking sectors and, starting this year, some new measures will be introduced, such as certification of nursery plants and clone selection of autochthonous and created domestic varieties of grapes amounting to 10 million dinars annually. In addition, the new Law on Wine and Other Grapes and Wine Products will help introduce certain novelties in the winegrowing and winemaking sectors, such as unconditional access of the wineries to the registry, assistance to grape and wine manufacturers concerning administrative procedures, support to the organisation of national contests for best Serbian wine, etc. ▪

WINEART CELLAR

CORPORATE

Art Of Serbian Wineries Podrum Wineart (Cellar) received the prestigious One-Star Award under the auspices of the annual selection of the World's Best Wine Lists, which is organised by The World of Fine Wine magazine, in association with the Octavian Wine Vaults

his prize not only brings a sense of a satisfaction, but also ensures that WineArt is on the map as one of the best wine lists in the world. As WineArt’s offer includes a large number of Serbian wines, this success simultaneously represents the success of Serbian winemaking. Confirmation of this success is provided by the fact that Serbian wineries won nine gold medals and even more silver medals at the recent prestigious, globally relevant wine

PODRUM WINE BAR IN VIŠNJIĆEVA STREET, BEAUTIFUL ROOF TERRACE

tasting event in Vienna. The Austrian Wine Challenge 2017 (AWC) included the testing of 12,615 wines from 40 countries. With an offer that includes over 200 wine labels, as many as 100 of which hail from Serbia, as well as two cellars for hospitality – Podrum in Old and New Belgrade – and three vinoteque wine bars, WineArt represents a paradise for wine lovers. The Podrum (Cellar) in the old part of the city has one of the most beautiful roof terraces in Belgrade, where guests can enjoy over 50 wines available by the glass and, as of recently, the refreshing and “elevated” dishes of the new culinary team of the Podrum wine bar in Višnjićeva Street.

full glass, to merely tasting, for which they can also take advantage of the most exclusive wine labels. The Enomatic machine is used with

PODRUM (CELLAR), NEW BELGRADE

Serbian wineries won nine gold medals at the Austrian Wine Challenge in Vienna A special experience is organised in the Podrum (Cellar) in New Belgrade. Guests have available 16 wine labels and the possibility of serving themselves, along with a personalised wine card, with the help of Enomatic appliances. The Enomatic wine system is a specialised appliance for serving wine “by the glass”. The most important element is that it retains the freshness of wine for a longer period of time. Guests have the option of choosing from a

the help of personalised wine cards, which are topped up with credit at the wine bar. The offer includes excellent wines from Serbian wineries Cilić, Deurić, Erdevik, Temet, Zvonko Bogdan, Lastar, Jeremić, Doja, Aleksić, Jelić and Pusula. A special charm in tasting your favourite wines is provided by the atmosphere created by a team of sommeliers, together with young chef Petar Mandić. Alongside the best wines, are his culinary delights, which were recently enriched with the addition of dry-aged beef from the Dry Ager refrigerator, which can be seen at the Podrum wine cellar. ▪ VITICULTURE WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

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INTERVIEW

Associating To Reach The International Market Geographical origin is a guarantee of an original and recognisable product. Winemakers were among the first to recognise the importance and need to associate, and the possibility of realising individual interests through common interests VESELIN DESPOTOVIĆ Founder of the Association of Wine Producers With Designation of Geographical Indications of Šumadija

hings function like that around the world, and we just try to apply this winning combination. Any individual producer does not have the specific weight needed to launch things and that's why the Association is the only way of drawing attention to ourselves, the state, the market and equipment suppliers, and ultimately also to both distributors and consumers of our products. • The Association of Winemakers of Šumadija gathers together a large number of producers and participates very actively, be that in legislative amendments, the training of its members or control. How would you explain the work of your association? - Šumadija was among the first, but other regions also launched initiatives, so now there are several regional associations active. As a coincidence of the fact that we planted vineyards before the actual regionalisation, the Despotika Winery has part of its plantation in the Belgrade

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region, so on that basis we are also a member of that association. We try to give our maximum contribution and to advance the work as much as we can, because the problems that hamper us are identical in Šumadija and Belgrade and Župa and on Fruška Gora etc. Good experiences should be used and copied in similar situations, because that accelerates the process, and the ultimate goal is for most registered producers to be within the system of protected geographical designation. • As an association, you were the first to launch the story of protecting geographical origin. How important is that for producers? - Protecting geographical origin is very important for every producer, and the state rightly pays great attention to this issue. Designated geographical origin is a guarantee that the wine in question was produced in our country, in a specific region and from a specific variety of grapes, and according to technology, as defined in the study, adopted by the competent ministerial service. This principle is also important for many other products, such as rakia brandy, honey, slatko fruit preserve,

ajvar pepper chutney etc. Furthermore, it is also a guarantee that consumers are buying an original and recognisable product. Winemakers are certainly the drivers of this process and we care a lot about it coming to life as soon as possible in practise. As things stand, the current vintage will be in line with this principle and we are very pleased that 2017 wines will have designated geographical indications. This is an established system in developed wine countries and with it we become compatible and visible on the broader wine scene. • The state, or the Ministry of Agriculture, provides a large number of subsidies that relate specifically to wine production. Are you satisfied with that cooperation? - It's true that a lot has been done and that the Ministry has established subsidies on the basis of several factors. Many people decided to enter into raising vineyards or purchasing equipment, relying on the aforementioned subsidies. Of course, we mustn't be satisfied with what has already been achieved, because there is always room for improvement. In the years ahead we

expect an increase in the agriculture budget and an increase in the amount made available to producers, because in this respect we are still a long way behind our counterparts in the region, and especially in Europe. We also rely on various European funds, which are constantly being announced but never start. For now, associations can use part of these funds, mainly for marketing purposes, introducing quality standards and increasing visibility, but the real effects can be expected when it becomes possible to use those funds for investments and the procurement of equipment, raising and expanding production capacities, or equipping areas to cater for wine tourism. â&#x20AC;˘ What are the main assets of the Serbian wine industry when it comes to appearing on foreign markets? Is it local varieties? - Local varieties are important, as something unique and characteristic of each country or region, and as such should be preserved, developed and promoted. Unfortunately, we don't have many of them, so we can dedicate more time to them than was previously the case. In this sense, they can be a lure that will compel potential consumers to pay attention to us and will place us on the world's wine map. With the quality of our wines, we certainly deserve to find ourselves in such company, because all other factors are in our favour. We have a beautiful country, hospitable people and a rich history. We only need to clean up and mark the

Local varieties are important, as something unique and characteristic of each country or region, and as such should be preserved, developed and promoted natural and historical sights and we'll be much more interesting to foreign guests. Wineries are the leaders of these processes, but they can't do it by themselves. Wine production brings with it many other services, such as restaurants and hotels that follow modern tourism. Each has to do their own part of the job, from production, via tourist organisations, local communities and the competent ministries. And, of course, associations, without which it is impossible to appear on the international scene. â&#x20AC;˘ In addition to being a major export opportunity for our country, the wine sector also enables higher employment of young people, especially in rural areas. Do you think interest exists among them? - The labour force issue is becoming increasingly important and I fear that it will eventually be a limiting factor in the further development of winemaking. Viticulture is a labour-intensive branch with the great participation of manual labour. If we manage to keep young people in the villages and offer them the chance to have a normal life, then we have succeeded. Winemakers contribute because we are interested in ourselves, but many other factors need to be included. Otherwise, there is a growing trend among people from urban areas in investing money in agriculture and agri-based production, so we are now experiencing a mini boom VITICULTURE WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

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in establishing vineyards, distilleries, breweries, dairies etc. That needs to be welcomed and supported, because I think that our future is in agriculture and associated processing and service activities. I hope all this will contribute to the revival of rural communities and the return and sustaining of the young. • The Vineyard-Growers and Wine Producers’ Association of Serbia, VIVIS, was founded back in 2008. How important is a joint approach and associating in this area?

- The Vineyard-Growers and Wine Producers’ Association, headed by Gvozden Radenković, was the precursor to modern associations in our region, and everything started from there. Another thing is that the new law on wine placed an emphasis on regional organisations, as they are smaller and more operative. This is logical, of course, and that's also how it is in the EU's wine countries, though some level of national organisation is still required, and I think there is a need to satisfy that through the transformation and modernisation of VIVIS. This is especially important for smaller countries like Serbia, where regional associations often include only a few producers and cannot independently attend international fairs and festivals as regions. For example, at the world's largest wine fair in Dusseldorf, national organisations are responsible for appearances, naturally

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with the support and help of the state. In this sense, I consider a national association as being necessary. • Serbian wines win numerous significant awards internationally. How much effort needs to be invested to achieve this? - When it comes to recognition, the truth is that Serbian wines are becoming increasingly recognised by almost all evaluators worldwide, and I must admit that everyone mentions that to us. However,

We, as a country, have an additional argument, and that is that we're pretty “exotic” for large tourism markets, and that should be exploited in the best way as usual, behind every success there is a great deal of work, sacrifice, investments of time, energy and money in order to reach a final product that will draw attention to some variety, region or specific producer. The problem is that this is a process requiring time, and producing under open skies is very risky. Given weather conditions, it is increasingly difficult to achieve continuous quality, and preventative measures are essential to ensure, as much as possible, a more or less successful harvest each year. Here we again reach the State and its role in supporting subsidies to build irrigation

or hail protection systems. Not to mention the role of colleges and institutes in selecting and developing new varieties, clones or substrates better adapted to weather conditions that we cannot influence. All in all, this is beautiful and creative work that requires a lot of effort and sacrifice, but when you receive significant recognition everything comes into place. • Wine tourism in Serbia has prospects. What do you feel needs to be done in order for this type of tourism to operate at full capacity? - Wine tourism is a rapid growth branch and, together with rural tourism, represents a driver of development in many regions. However, although wine production is perhaps the most important, it is only one tile in a mosaic that needs to be fully formed in order to complete the picture. There are parts requiring investment, such as repairing broken roads or building hotels and parking areas etc. But there are also jobs that we can launch with a lot of resources. Not much is required to pick up plastic bags or bottles or get rid of some wild dumps. That's more down to the consciousness of people at the local level. When all of this is assembled, then a bit of marketing and promotion is needed, and in a few years the results will not be lacking. We, as a country, have an additional argument, and that is that we're pretty “exotic” for large tourism markets, and that should be exploited in the best way. This is also true of the world of wine, but also in many other areas. According to our experience, the vast majority of foreign guests are delighted with their stay in Serbia, and they are the best advertisement for us as a destination. We also shouldn’t forget domestic guests, because as living standards and opportunities grow, so our people will increasingly be guests of wineries and other tourist attractions. Despotika Winery and most of our colleagues are generally ready to welcome this wave. That’s why I can freely invite all those wondering where to go for the weekend – to come to nature, fresh air, natural food and good wine. ■

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INTERVIEW By LIDIJA CAREVIĆ

The Future Is In Autochthonous Varieties The advantage of Serbian viticulture is the region – its geographical position, the composition of the land, the climatic influences and man, while the future lies in autochthonous varieties that have the potential to create “great wines”

years, in order to approach the goals set for wine consumption in Serbia.

DEJAN ŽIVKOSKI President of the Serbian Sommelier Association (SERSA)

espite active work being undertaken to popularise the wine culture in Serbia, and a wine offer that is diverse and rich, facts show that annual consumption of wine in Serbia is only four to five litres per capita, which is 10 times less than in some European countries.

• How would you explain this statistic? - This information, unfortunately, is correct. Belgrade and Novi Sad are the most important wine consumers in Serbia. They are followed by Kragujevac, Niš and a few tourist destinations. In many parts of our country, wine is very rarely consumed – in some places only as part of religious ceremonies. Raising the wine culture is a process that’s underway and it is necessary to work on it for another 10 to 15

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• Autochthonous grape varieties provide the basis for penetrating the international market. Do our varieties have the potential to be made into “great wines”? - Indigenous varieties, yes! The potential lies everywhere, but it needs to be recognised, nurtured, advanced, preserved and presented, all in the right way. This year saw the Serbian Sommelier Association - SERSA present Serbian wines at the planet’s largest wine fair, Vinexpo, Bordeaux, in a hall filled with visitors from New York to Tokyo, from Cape Town to Reykjavik. The reactions to our autochthonous varieties were exceptional, and after the lecture and tasting we stayed for an hour beyond the allotted slot to answer all the questions of the participants. This tells us that there is space for our wines in the world. • If you had to single out a common characteristic of Serbian wines, what would that characteristic be? - It is impossible to find a single word that would describe the common characteristic of our wines. I’ll try it this way:

stubbornness, tradition, luck-misfortune, persistence, stuff happens, pride, love, perseverance, copy-paste ... and the key one: a can-do attitude! • Which wines are most commonly consumed in Serbia and how much is the average consumer ready to set aside for good wine? - When it comes to people surrounding the Serbian Sommelier Association, those are wines of “small” wineries, 30 to 40 of them (I would remind readers that Serbia has around 369 registered wineries). But if we expand the story to encompass the wider public, we reach wineries with large production capacities (exceeding a million litres), while further expanding the sample brings us to wines made by cousins, neighbours or friends. In the majority of cases, wine is rarely consumed... For example, during training that we conducted in Pirot, we came to the realisation that the vast majority of those present only consumed wine before crossing themselves during family saints’ day celebrations. • Does the quality of Serbian wines justify the price, and is their price competitive with imported wines?

- When we compare Serbian wines (here I'm talking about the 30-40 most popular wineries on the wine lists of restaurants and the wineries with which SERSA works closely), we see that prices vary very little. Then, if we compare the wines from Serbian wineries and similar wineries in another European region, we reach the conclusion that prices are similar and there are no major fluctuations. Finally, when we look at the situation from the perspective of the average Serbian consumer, the usual place where prices are compared is the local shop, where European wines from wineries producing tens of millions of litres are compared to our wines that are produced in the thousands of litres. That, you will admit, is not quite comparable. To conclude, if wine is good and the price is appropriate for you, everything is as it should be. • Some pretty serious medals have arrived in Serbia for wines made from our indigenous prokupac variety. Which awards in the past year left the greatest mark on Serbian winemaking? - As it is in sports, so it is when wines are concerned; we have grown quite spoiled and with every appearance at a foreign wine review we expect a handful of medals, and to our happiness and joy that actually happens. We experience every medal awarded for our wines very personally; we are proud because SERSA has been part of the country’s new modern viticulture and winemaking since the start. Prokupac won Balkan gold, which is excellent. I’m not saying this is coincidental – it is the crowning glory of sweat and pain during the past 15 years of working on Prokupac, but I don’t think it's enough; we must and can do much more by all working together. Every award leaves its mark, and the biggest task of all of us – from growers, via sommeliers to the state – is to increase the consumption of wines in households and significantly increase exports of mid-priced Serbian wines. • When it comes to the quality of local wines, how can one recognise and select wine from a rich offer without extensive knowledge of wine?

- Very easily! Follow your personal taste, which is the correct and only recipe for satisfying your senses. But if you want to go beyond your usual limits, to go a step further, to challenge your senses and put them to the test, come to one of the training sessions organised by SERSA, where you will be taken care of by the highest quality team of experts in the field of wine education, with a combined total of more than a century of experience in the best hospitality establishments.

attend seminars elsewhere in the world. This period ahead of us is very important, crucial for further raising quality and expanding the area covered by vines. Let’s recall that at the end of the 1980s Serbia had about 100,000 hectares of vineyards, while today it has barely 25,000ha. State support is essential... The future is in indigenous varieties. • China and some other major markets are showing interest in Serbian wines, while some indications suggest that the

SERBIAN SOMMELIER COMPETITION SPARKLING WINE 2015

Prokupac won Balkan gold, and that’s no coincidence. This award is the crowning glory of 15 years of sweat and pain working on Prokupac. Quality is no longer an option for Serbian viticulture; quality is an everyday reality • In your opinion, what are the biggest problems and greatest advantages of Serbian wines? What sets us apart and where does the future of Serbian winemaking lie? - The advantage of Serbian viticulture is the region – its geographical position, the composition of the land, the climatic influences and man. We have a lot of young people in the wine industry, which is excellent, but there is a lack of more serious state support that would enable them to gain professional training and

Chinese market could “down” all Serbian wines? How do you position Serbian wine as a brand and what is your performance strategy? What potential does Serbian wine have on the European and world markets? - The Chinese market is very large and all wine-producing countries are battling for it, including Serbia. I’m certain that our strategy shouldn’t be to sell large quantities of cheap wine to China. The strategy I would implement would be to introduce the Chinese market to our region, potential and quality, and when the first significant quantities of top, high-quality wines start to flow, they will be followed immediately by huge quantities of table wine. We have the potential and the product for both the Chinese and European markets, and for all other markets worldwide, and the Serbian Sommelier Association invests, and will continue to invest, all of its energy into promoting Serbia and Serbian wine. ■ VITICULTURE WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

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CORPORATE VOĆAR KOPAONIK D.O.O.

Tradition of Quality Lasting More Than a Century

oćar Kopaonik is a family business located on the eastern slopes of Kopaonik Mountain, headquartered in Brus, that is engaged in growing fruit and processing it into fruit brandy. The company owners’ tradition and experience of several generations of distilling rakija brandy dates back more than a century and is applied at each stage of production. It is important to note that Voćar Kopaonikćs products are continuously and consistently of a superior quality. The natural fruit brandies represented in the range of company Voćar Kopaonik are clean, crystal

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Cultivating fruit and processing it into fruit brandy is an old craft that is very commonplace in Serbia. For generations, the skills of making homemade brandy have been refined such that they have a quality that ensures they can even take pride of place on foreign markets

clear and colourless, which contributes to the overall visual appeal of this rakija. The aroma of these fruit brandies is accentuated, well developed, luxurious and clean, which is typical of this type of brandy, which creates the impression of a pleasant, pleasing and complex bouquet. Voćar Kopaonik possesses ISO and HACCP standards, and in the analyses of national consumer organisations all products are evaluated as being 100 per cent natural. Voćar Kopaonik pays particular attention to the packaging of its products, thus its offer includes an

exclusive wooden box for brandy that is ideal for corporate gifts, and on which a logo or slogan of the client company can be added. Medals and awards received by Voćar Kopaonik for the exceptional quality of its products confirm the high quality of these fruit brandies. Of the numerous awards that have been won, the most significant were awarded at international fairs in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Leskovac and Brussels. Since 2001, Voćar Kopaonik’s products have received 20 gold and 13 silver medals at the aforementioned fairs. ■

The Best From Portugal Importer: VINOMOND d.o.o. Belgrade, Zmaj Jovina 7

Sales: Vinski dućan Tinto® Lagumska 16, Zemun; Phone: 011 31 61 859

CORPORATE TANASIJE KATANIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE KATANIĆ WINERY

Winemaking As Culture "The state must recognise winemaking and wine tourism as one of the (most) important branches of agriculture and decide on investment,” says Tanasije Katanić, director of the Katanić Winery, in this interview for CorD

t the very heart of Šumadija, in the immediate vicinity of Mount Rudnik, at an elevation of 500 metres above sea level, in reddish soil, the vineyards of the Katanić family grow. The Katanić winery is located on a family estate in the village of Kamenica near Kragujevac. “The presence of these specific topographic and environmental elements, including a natural source of water under the vineyard itself, fuse to create a special microclimate that is a natural ally to winemakers, and to Katanić’s wines in particular,” explains Tanasije. - As a consequence of this, our wines are produced exclusively from grapes grown on our estate, where quantity is secondary to quality – from the choice of French oak barrels to the selection of French bottles and label designing. Our assortment comprises the following wines: Chardonnay, Chardonnay barrique, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. • Serbian winemakers have been making plans in recent years to turn Šumadija into the “Serbian Tuscany”, based primarily on the quality of their produce. To what extent are such intentions viable and realistic? - “Individual” initiatives of associations can in no way be achieved without a strategic investment by the state. And this means that the state must recognise winemaking and wine tourism as one of the (most) important branches of agriculture and invest in the

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development of infrastructure, i.e. roads, the internet, electricity, water supply… In parallel with this, it is necessary to invest in education and healthcare, and to preserve and improve the existing eco-system. It is important to firstly raise awareness at the

Our wines are produced exclusively from grapes grown on our estate, where quantity is secondary to quality national level regarding the importance of producing and buying domestic products. The state should run a “marathon” and not “sprint” to stimulate the growth of the economy in the long run, and to raise the competitiveness of domestic products and services - within Serbia, but primarily beyond our country’s borders.

• Comparisons are often made between the number of litres of wine consumed annually by the French and here, and that calculation somehow always boils down to beer and rakija brandy in Serbia. To what extent is this down to the lack of a “culture”

of wine and perhaps insufficient promotion, or is it simply a case of “national habits”? - The “culture of wine” is not related only to the traditional “habits” of society, but rather to the culture of society in general. Thus, the role of the state is also crucial here. Specifically, the state must create conditions for ‘fair play’ economic development, because only a strong economy can raise the level of education and culture, but also the living standards of the population, which ultimately result in raising awareness of the “wine culture”. ▪

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PRESENTING HILANDAR WINE

Serbian Wine th From The 12 Century

MILIVOJE RANDJIĆ, Director of the Holy Monastery Hilandar Foundation

In cooperation with the endowment of Hilandar Monastery, company WineArt organised a wine tasting event featuring wines from this holy mountain for HORECA managers and media representatives at the Podrum Wineart in New Belgrade

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n the presence of Milivoje Randjić, director of the Holy Monastery Hilandar Foundation, Srđan Stefan Milenković, communications & production manager at the Foundation, and Nebojša Šikanić, coowner of the Podrum Wineart wine cellar restaurant, wine tasting of three premium labels – Savino polje 2010, Hilandar 2012, and Hilandar Ružica 2016 – was conducted and included a large number of wine lovers. Hilandar wines come exclusively from Holy Mount Athos, made from grapes of the Savino Polje Vineyard, which is located just two kilometres from the monastery complex, on the shores of the Aegean Sea. The vineyard covers an area of 15 hectares, with plantations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Nearby, housed in the buildings of an old port facility, is a modern winery. Wine has been produced at the monastery since it was first founded in 1198. The old vineyard was completely drained and renewed in the 1960s, only for it to be re-established in its present form, adhering to the highest standards, at the end of the first decade of the new millennium. Annual production currently stands at about 90,000 litres, while the monastery’s rich archives, which have yet to be fully examined, include photographs of harvests from the 20th century and records of the Prokupac variety. Hilandar is also home to the oldest vine of St. Simeon, dating back to the early 13th century, which is claimed to have medici-

nal properties and is known in the world for curing couples’ infertility. This vine is not used for wine production purposes. Wines produced from the Savino Polje Vineyard are premium labels, while the monastery’s own vineyard produces wines with a lower percentage of alcohol and low in tannins, which are served on the monastery’s tables. Plans include expanding the Savino Polje Vineyard to include plantations of Prokupac and autochthonous Greek varieties. It could be said that the wines from

Wine has been produced at the monastery since it was first founded in 1198. The old vineyard was completely drained and renewed in the 1960s, only for it to be re-established in its present form, adhering to the highest standards, at the end of the first decade of the new millennium. Annual production currently stands at about 90,000 litres

Hilandar are very specific, due to the unique terrain they come from, through their long history, tradition and alternative approach to cultivation, maintenance and production, all under the watchful eye of monks. These are wines with character; with impressive, playful and striking bouquets. Special attention has been paid to the labels, which represent a fusion of tradition and modernity. It is also interesting that the monks drink wine beside two meals per day, and that Saint Sava himself established the rule that wine is not forbidden during working days. Wine from this holy mountain is sold in Greece, while the market in Serbia is slowly being conquered, with people being introduced to these wines and liking both the story and the actual wine. All wines from Hilandar can be tasted at Podrum Wineart bars in Belgrade's Stari Grad and New Belgrade, as well as being available to buy in the vinotheque shops of both venues. And buying this wine also helps with the renovation of Hilandar Monastery on Holy Mount Athos, which was damaged by fire in 2004. ■

HILANDAR RUŽICA (rosé) This merlot wine, easy to drink, fresh and bubbly, with slightly higher alcohol content (14.2%), has a finish with the aroma of forest fruits, dominated by blackcurrant and sour cherry. To be consumed alongside heavier food, it is specific compared to other rosés on the market. What is characteristic of rosé is that in the Middle Ages it was produced sweetened and drunk diluted with water, with only barbarians drinking undiluted rosé. HILANDAR 2012 A well-balanced Bordeaux blend of the varieties merlot (40%), cabernet sauvignon (35%) and cabernet franc (25%). An extremely strong and powerful wine with fine tannins and 14.55% alcohol. It offers a spicy nose with the aromas of vanilla and caramel that develop in oak barrels.

SAVINO POLJE The red Savino Polje (Sava’s Field) is a premium wine, an atypical red, complex wine, which has received rave reviews. A Bordeaux blend, 50 per cent merlot, with equal parts cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, with intensive aromas of spices and forest fruits, a full flavour and soft tannins, and 13.5% alcohol, this wine has great potential for aging. A peculiarity of this wine is that it is not bottled if the year is bad, i.e. the harvest is selective (for example, 2014 was rainy, so the wine was not bottled).

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VITICULTURE WINE & RAKIJA PRODUCTION

MY LIFE

Total Trash

B y R A DM I L A STA N KOV I Ć , P h o t o : Z O R A N P E T R O V I Ć & P R I VAT E A R C H I V E

RULES IN CULTURE VLADIMIR VLATKO STEFANOVSKI

MUSICIAN

He led one of Yugoslavia’s best pop, jazz, rock, ethno groups – Leb i Sol – for two decades. He has long been one of the world's best guitarists, composing music for films and theatre plays, and does not subject himself to trends, but rather persistently fosters his own style, based on Macedonian melos. He performs with the London Symphony Orchestra with the same success as was once achieved playing with this orchestra by Deep Purple and Pink Floyd

uitar is his love, which feeds him, gives him wings and allows him to travel, earn money and support his family. It is his straitjacket and his psychiatrist. His guitar enables him to be on stage, and for him the stage is life and dedication. He started hanging around with a guitar when he was a 13-year-old kid, and he hadn’t even turned 20 on 1st January 1976, when he formed the band Leb i Sol, which would go on to become synonymous with good music, which is difficult to explain with singular significance. They performed pop, jazz, rock, ethno, progressive rock etc. It was an original and recognisable group, the best in the field of contemporary music to emerge on the territory of Macedonia. And he never went to music school, rather he taught himself what interested him. He didn’t even bother learning that which didn’t interest him. OCTOBER

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And so, for the following twenty years, with various lineups, Leb i Sol endured, only to hold its last concert ever on 13th December 1995 in Thessaloniki, at club Miloš. By that time they had recorded 13 albums, gone their separate ways and continued their careers, but they come together again in 2006, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the band’s founding and tour the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Vlatko Stefanovski (60) also had compositions that represented

know exactly who has how many points and where they stand. And there are great guitarists around the world, from Brazil to Scandinavia, to the north and south of this planet, who aren’t stars at all, but are phenomenal musicians. It is possible to rank players in sport, but that’s impossible in art. In music today I’m increasingly interested more in spiritual verticals and spirituality than perfection or some highly ranked place.” It’s a pleasure to converse with Vlatko, because he gives everything he says full meaning. This artist was born in Prilep and was aged three when he arrived in Skopje with his parents and brother Goran, five years his senior. Goran Stefanovski has long been a celebrated writer of drama who lectures on dramaturgy and creative writing at the University of Canterbury in England, writes dramatic works that are performed around the world and recently became a proud grandfather. Asked about the kind of upbringing the two sons had from their parents – an actress mother and theatre director father, Vlatko tells CorD: “I grew up in what represented the middle class in the former Yugoslavia. Coming through our house were various characters, very interesting people, friends, artists, relatives... The house was located in the village of Taftalidže and the doors were never locked. This settlement was known for the numerous donations that arrived after the 1963 earthquake and I was fortunate that a trio, performing alongside fellow guitarist Miroslav I’ve met very interesting we lived in a Finnish house, or Finnish Tadić, with violinist Stefan Milenković, but he was barracks, as they called it. I went to a people in villages and and remains essentially a guitar soloist, composer new school that was a donation from smalltown-minded and author of enduring music. He is the author of the Czechoslovakia. Everything smelt unique, irrepeatable music for the film Gypsy Magic people in big cities. There new, fresh, of fine materials, of new and many others, while in 1977 he wrote the music construction. Taftalidže was a large are no rules when it for the play The Liberation of Skopje (Oslobođenje village. We were free, running, playing comes to big and small Skoplja) which starred Rade Šerbedžija, and then, football, basketball; I grew up happily places … There are almost four decades later, he wrote the music for the and normally. During my secondary film version of The Liberation of Skopje, directed by millions of small towns, school days, music took me under its Rade and his son Danilo Šerbedžija, and starring wing, with the first bands emerging, because provincialism Rade... He has played with the London Symphony the first gigs, and I craved for good is not about the state of instruments, amplifiers. Rock ‘n’ roll Orchestra, just as this orchestra once performed the size of the population, took me, and my generation listened with the likes of Deep Purple and Pink Floyd. He has performed with the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra and to new and interesting records comrather provincialism ing from England. Our parents were played in New York and Los Angeles, and according is a state of mind concerned about us, but they were to unofficial polls he is among the world’s top ten truly liberal and we grew up as freely guitarists. He reacts to such a rating unhesitatingly: formed young people. We had an enviable library in the house, so “I don’t know how such a ranking list would be made. You can our main preoccupation was reading books and listening to records.” do that for tennis players, because there is an ATP list and you

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Vlatko never dreamt of what he would like to be when he grew recorded on four channels and made masterpieces, while today up. He was interested in what would happen today, how to form a every child has 24 channels in their bedroom.” band, play, procure instruments. And he did all this at the level of Vlatko revealed to us in this interview that he intends to write a hobby. He completed high school and enrolled to study English, a book about what he has lived through during his career, about convinced he would work as an English professor, because who misfortunes, about the bad things that followed him, about the seriously thinks that they can make a living from playing music? struggle with institutions. He reveals that everything was difficult and remains so: It was in his twenties that he began to think music could be his “It’s difficult to release a record, a CD; it’s dififcult to persuade profession, that he could perhaps make a living in that way. Was he troubled to be forging his career in little Skopje, and not in a big Belgrade or some other major city: “I’ve spent my life smashing prejudices about what would count for a stereotype, especially when someone would refer to some corney general palce. And stereotypes mostly annoyed me the most. I’ve met very interesting people in villages and smalltown-minded people in big cities. There are no rules when it comes to big and small places. The environment can determine your direction, stimulate you, motivate you to do something with your life, perhaps inspire you and help you realise your dreams. But there are no guarantees that your environment is crucial. There are millions of small towns, because provincialism is not about the state of the size of the population, rather provincialism is a state of mind. Skopje began filling up after the earthquake, with people settling, and it came to life. We followed the music scene in London and In the Balkans those who are responsible to help you; it’s difficult America, and nothing escaped us. It is no coincidence that the band Leb i miseries formed our lives to persuade producers or journalists to invest in you, Sol came out of Skopje. We were the and influenced us. A little to give you adequate space in the media. Perhaps it’s a bit easier for me today, but that fight doesn’t end. product of a fine citizenry. Of course, time passes, then crisis, There is no past work in this business. Yesterday we had a need for competition, bea little time passes, then I played in Belgrade, but I had to practise for that cause we wanted to show that we are not provincials, that we know concert, to devise it and focus on it. You have to do a misunderstanding, and are capable, perhaps even more press-ups ahead of every project that awaits you; you some quarrel, sabre than was expected of us.” have to do your mental physical exercise, spiritual rattling, war... Balkan As a younster, Vlatko was the gymnastics before you enter your job that you’ve work. There’s never greatest fan of the Korni Group, he done for forty years, like me, for example.” liked Tajm and YU group, and parpeace in the Balkans ticularly loved the Indekses. When ■ Is it difficult to remain active on the market he began to play, he was critical of when its powerholders determine what will be Bijelo Dugme, towards which he had reservations. But later he offered to consumers, and when they seek only new and grew to love them: fresh meat on a daily basis? Is it tough to persevere in “That was a time of interesting and honestly made music, what Stefanovski nourishes as his specific view of music? sufficiently knowingly and filled with emotions. Listen to Indeksi - “It is due to that worldview that we have made it to where we today and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It means nothing are today. And that is total trash in culture and art. What is on to me if a song is perfectly produced technically. The Beatles the scene is something I would never buy or listen to, what they OCTOBER

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bombard us with is banal. I’m not just talking about the Balkans, but rather the global offer. Turn on any TV channel, even MTV, and try to hear something that will touch you. Thus Bruce Springsteen sang in one of his songs: Fifty-seven channels and nothing on! When I buy television packages, I see all the channels where they have sport 1, sport, 2, sport 3, sport 4, sport 5 ... I ask the people selling it where the Arte channel is, to which they say that they don’t have it. I ask where the Mezzo Channel is, and they again say they don’t have it. But maybe I need those two channels, and not seven sports channels. Business rushes headlessly towards its own programming concepts that will be about commercials. That corporate world, which is convinced that it is smart in the economic and marketing sense, is constantly offering us trash. Trash probably sells much better than real value. Don’t even accidentally mention that you are a jazz musician, because you will be left jobless. Don’t even accidentally mention that you are an avant-garde artist, because if you do you’ve signed a fine ensuring you won’t work for the next five years. And it’s not true that the public only likes what the powerful give them. Tickets for Sting’s concert in Skopje sold out in one afternoon. Audiences love this high-quality music, which is also popular. Play good classical music for your audience and you will see that they will love it when they understand it. If you feed people only hamburgers, they don’t have anything to like but hamburgers.”

■ Goran Bregović told me in an interview for CorD last year that he performs between 110 and 150 concerts annually. Are you satisfied with the number of concerts you perform; can you make a living from them? - “I don’t have 150, but I have at least 50-60 concerts a year and my family can live decently from that. I think I am a modest man, because I don’t overrate myself, because I am grateful for every royalty payment I receive, everyone who comes to my concerts, everyone who buys my CD, because those 78 |

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I’m sorry to see that younger generations are being pressured and manipulated by consumerism and corporate capitalism … Still, I’m happy to see young, beautiful, smiling people who live their lives to the fullest. I believe strongly in the energy of the youth; I believe that young people will make this world slightly more beautiful

people enable me to have a career. A man must be on the earth when he positions himself in society. And when you’re in art, you can fly between the clouds. I recognised that little talent in myself and I’ve been trying to nurture it for a few decades now. That’s my holy duty.” This musician has long dealt with researching interesting Macedonian folklore, and when it comes to the music of his homecountry he simply says: “Macedonian music is ingenius. Intertwined within it are pastoral scenes, sheep, mountains, sorrow, melancholy, joy, beauty, sun, wine, happiness, misfortune – you can find everything. I try to learn it well, especially in the most difficult segment that possesses some difficult dance, kolo. That music can be very complicated, layered, difficult to understand, but I’m also trying to learn that. That entertains me.” He also announces his new album to us, which was recorded on acoustic guitar with just a single microphone. He tried to reduce everything down to total simplicity: solo, acoustic guitar and him. This album will be called Maternji jezik (Mother Tongue): “That’s exactly what I’m dealing with; I’m dealing with my mother tongue. What is it that is passed down from generation to generation? Those are some songs, good songs that the people have filtered through sieves and troughs. Everything that was no good has fallen away, and that which is good is left. I deal with that which is left, trying to learn what’s left. And to extend its life, perhaps by showing some new generations how that folklore can also be played and handled.” He says he’s not nostalgic for the country has has been gone for 20 years, the country in which he was born, and he is convinced that his grandfather also probably didn’t suffer when the Ottoman Empire collapsed. He is actually nostalgic regarding the future, interested in how our children will live. And he prays to God for that future to be more humane and decent than the present we are living today: “All these miseries formed our lives and influenced us. A little time passes, then crisis, a little time passes, then a misunderstanding,

some quarrel, sabre rattling, war... her doctorate in Italian literature in Balkan work. There’s never peace in Padua and his son is in secondary the Balkans. Someone always owes school. He thinks that he has spoiled somebody, somebody is always guilty his children more than his parents to someone, someone’s next-door spoiled him, because they have more neighbour is no good, while their secthan he had when he was a child: ond neighbour is their friend... All this “I try to avoid the mistakes my doesn’t only affect me, rather all the parents made with me. But I stumble people who live in the Balkans. That into some other mistakes that I’m is the eternal spark of uncertainty in not even aware of. And that’s how it the air. I don’t live in Sweden and I’m goes from generation to generation. not Abba for that not to touch me. In I try not only to make some good the 1990s I couldn’t travel, let along concert somewhere in the world perform. I still hope that some normal available to my children, but also days are coming to this Balkan region some gallery or museum... When they and that we will all strive towards recently attended the Guns & Roses some better times together.” concert in the Netherlands they also The fact that his music easily went to the Van Gogh Museum. That crossed and crosses borders is exsomehow comes as a package. I don’t plained by his authenticity, because think one should eat steak or grilled it is easy to communicate all ausalmon every day, but it is good to thentic things: consume something more valuable “When I play Kalajdžisko oro for from time to time, due to balance. some Japanese guy, he will be very Today I admire my children for their impressed because that is something energy and capacity.” very original, colourful and fun. For He adheres to the thesis of Bertolt that he doesn’t need to know anything Brecht that everyone must accept his about Balkan culture. When I listen own shame, but at the same time is the to African singer Salif Keïta I do not best promoter of his thesis that everyone must affirm their own beauty: know what he’s singing about, but “I’m sorry to see that younger his emotional message reaches me generations are being pressured and very easily. It’s not a matter of having manipulated by consumerism and to understand every single word, I corporate capitalism. The world is in sometimes don’t even understand various crises, people are uncertain what Mick Jagger’s singing about around the entire planet. As sure because he mumbles so much, but Macedonian music is as I was in my music, I’m as unsure that in his message unerringly reaches me. I don’t ingenius. Intertwined the next five minutes there won’t be some understand some abstract artists, but some cataclysm, some tornado, some flood, some messages reach me.” within it are pastoral tsunami... Something that disturbs people’s Do you understand Despasoto, the song scenes, sheep, lives. Still, I’m happy to see young, beautiful, that was on fire this summer on YouTube, mountains, sorrow, smiling people who live their lives to the with billions of views: melancholy, joy, beauty, fullest. I believe strongly in the energy of “My son played it for me. I don’t understand anything, but there’s no need to the youth; I believe that young people will sun, wine, happiness, understand anything. That’s a huge commisfortune – you can find make this world slightly more beautiful, mercial hit, production perfect, but it doesn’t and more decent than it is now. For, everything … That music richer mean anything to me personally. I don’t need as they say, we didn’t inherit the world from can be very complicated, our ancestors, but rather we borrowed it perfect production, I need something for my soul. Something that will hook me. My son from our descendants.” layered, difficult to told me that he had more than three billion Asked if he is afraid of the sabre-rattling understand, but I’m also views, but again that doesn’t mean anything that this frivolous world of politicians resorts trying to learn that. to me. It’s the same as asking me if I saw a to, Vlatko says that no fear helps with that. That entertains me new ferrari model. Maybe I saw it and maybe You just have to keep a clear head and be I didn’t, but I don’t plan to buy one...” aware that this world is run by caricatured Vlatko has a wife and two children. His daughter is preparing characters. It is sad and funny at the same time. ■ OCTOBER

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Taking THE BLACK

INTERIOR

Winter is coming. And it's going to be a dark one indoors. We're talking black, navy and deep-purple walls, buttonback furniture in leather or velvet, and bright metallic accents in brass or gold. It's a moody, nocturnal look with a fairly strong Gothic influence. Just imagine that you're decorating for a vampire with expensive tastes

“D

ark colours are a very distinct trend coming in for winter,” says Helen Coughlan of Meadows & Byrne. “It’s giving a kick to the clean Scandi look.” The Scandinavian look, which has been around for years, is all about bringing in the light, using natural materials, and keeping it simple. “It needed to be turned on its heels, to some extent,” Coughlan says. In contrast, the new dark décor is sophisticated, decadent, and a little bit neurotic. One thing’s for certain. This is not a look for wimps. “If you’re going to go for it, you have to commit and go the full hog,” says Coughlan. “People worry about overdoing it. I think that overdone things can be fantastic, but you have to have that innate sense of discipline in your DNA.” Unless you’re a total design genius, keep the look relatively simple. “Too many juxtapositions and everything starts looking argumentative.” In response to the trend, Meadows & Byrne is bringing in a midcentury style sofa in black leather (€898) and a button-back chair in 80 |

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midnight blue velvet (€198) with a companion pouf (€98) along with velvet cushions in deep jewel colours (€40). “The chair is one of the most stunning pieces we’ve ever had,” says Coughlan. “It’s the kind of thing that you’d buy even though you don’t need it, just because it’s gorgeous.” Meadows & Byrne also has a wintery selection of tableware: black woven table mats (€4), plates in aubergine (€15); and brushed-brass napkin rings (€3 each) to be used with moiré aubergine napkins (€15 for a set). There’s more than a touch of Art Deco creeping into Marks and Spencer’s autumn/winter collection. You can see it in the angular patterning on the Webster drinks cabinet (€683), the metallic legs of the Ava marble side table (€226) and the Hexagonal shelf mirror (€170). Overall, it’s a very dark ensemble and interesting in that black furniture is photographed against black walls. No half measures here! “They’ve been saying that for years but it takes a while for these things to come on board.” She agrees that it’s not a look that you can do by halves. “You have to embrace the full room - walls and furniture. People tried using dark colours on feature walls but it creates too much of a contrast. It’s not easy to live with.” For those wanting to dip a cautious toe into the world of darkness, she suggests trying out the look in a den. “It’s lovely to come into a dark room in the evening,” she says. “It never feels cold.” Black, she admits, can be tricky on the wall. “It’s oppressive if it’s not done right.” The key is to invest in good quality paint. “People are always asking me if posh paints are better. They actually are. It’s like cooking - the better quality paints have better ingredients. They have more pigments in them.” While you might get away with a cheap white paint, a cheap black is definitely a false economy. “Cheap black paint looks very flat. You don’t get that rich experience that makes you want to touch it.” If you’re going for black, she recommends a colour called Onyx from Benjamin Moore. “It’s the undertones in the paint that create the warmth - it’s like an aura - there’s definitely a difference.” As with clothing, navy is an easier colour to use than black and tends to work better with Irish skin tones.

A dark room is no good if it makes the occupants look like the undead. For a slightly softer take on darkness, Courtney recommends a colour called Gentleman’s Grey, also from Benjamin Moore. “It’s a blackened navy with undertones of grey and it’s beautiful for furniture.” She also likes Benjamin Moore’s classic, Hayle Navy. “It’s really popular and versatile. It can look preppy, you can use it with red and white for a nautical look, but it also combines with deeper colours.” Benjamin Moore paint is unashamedly expensive. An American gallon (just under four litres) from MRCB Paints will set you back €104. For furniture and smaller projects, a pint of eggshell costs €15. The devil, of course, is in the detail. A room in which the walls and the furniture are dark could be a gloomy place to be. Decadent can be a good look, but you need to stop short of depressing. Metallic details, preferably gold or brass, are transformative in this regard. The design team at Arthouse, a company that specialises in trend-led interior design products, describes the style as Modern Luxe. “Modern Luxe is peppered with foil metallics, glistening beaded surfaces and high shine lacquered finishes,” writes the Arthouse crew. Wallpaper, which is one of their specialities, is another way of embracing the darkness. Some of it is fairly extreme. The Glitterati Chevron wallpaper (€27 per roll) in black and gold offers up-scaled geometric patterns. The gold is textured glitter; the other two colours are matt. This is what the Arthouse team describes as the gold-to-bold effect. Other wallpapers that use contrasting textures include Palais Black Velvet wallpaper (€91 per roll). This is designed by Sophie Conran for Arthouse and shows the resurrection of what is probably the most reviled element of interior design - flock. This, in case you’re too young to remember, is furry textured wallpaper created with small particles of fibre and formerly found in dubious hotels. Miraculously, Conran makes it look good by using large damask-style patterns in black against a background of grey. So flock is back. Where will it all end? ■

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CHILL OUT MEXICO

GUADALAJARA MAKES 3-TONNE GUACAMOLE

Photo: Reuters

▶ The recipe for a record-breaking guacamoleis simple - 25,000 avocados and 1,000 people to mash them. That is what avocado growers in Jalisco mobilized last month to break the world record for the biggest guacamole, a whopping 3 tonnes of delicious dip made from “green gold.” The mass mash-up was part entertainment and part politicking, as growers and Mexico make the point that they – and the guacamole loving Americans – have benefited from the North American Free Trade Agreement that is now under threat from US President Donald Trump. More than 600 student chefs and 400 people from the rural town of Concepcion de Buenos Aires prepared the traditional dish for thousands people, many of whom came from the Jalisco state capital of Guadalajara and the state’s governor was on hand to receive recognition from a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records. INDIA

CHOOSING A SIKH NAME ▶ Like most Indian names, the Sikh baby names beginning with S have spiritual meanings. Some Sikhism names are taken from the scripture of Guru Granth Sahib and others are Punjabi names. English spelling of Sikh GREECE

THE BATTLE OVER “GREEK YOGURT” ▶ Greek governments have been battling over sole ownership of the “Greek yogurt” product for decades, with a new big battle inside the EU rapidly rising. This time it is the Czech Republic which is under the sights of the Greek Agriculture Ministry. The government is now considering legal action against the Czech Republic for producing – and profiting from – a product it claims exclusively as its own. The move is

spiritual names is phonetic as they come from the Gurmukhi script. Different spellings may sound the same. Spiritual names starting with S may be combined with other Sikh names to form unique baby names that are appropriate for either boys or girls. In Sikhism, all girl’s names end with Kaur (princess) and all boy’s names end with Singh (lion).

part of an action plan drawn up by a 14-member working group set up last month by Greece’s Agriculture Ministry. It is ramping up efforts to block non-Greek producers – at least within the European Union – from manufacturing the thick, creamy dairy delight known to palates across the world. The European Commission has already warned Prague that its production of imitation Greek yoghurt is creating unfair competition. So far though, to no avail. As a result, Athens is now taking a harder line. Officials in Athens hope to secure this status by the end of the year. N O R WA Y

HIDDEN NORWAY ▶ Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse by the edge of the Kjerag mountain in Lysefjord, near Stavanger, Norway. The boulder itself is a five-cubic-meter large block of stone suspended above 984-meter deep abyss. Despite its impressive appearance, it is easily accessible on foot without any special equipment. The whole of Kjerag mountain is a popular hiking area, and Kjeragbolten is a favorite photo spot. Apparently, for some the thrill of standing on a boulder suspended between two cliffs isn’t quite enough, as Kjeragbolten has become a very popular spot for base jumpers to use when launching themselves into the air.

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JAPAN

OKINAWA ZENTO EISA MATSURI FESTIVAL ▶ Eisa is a dance performed during the O-bon holidays as a way to remember, pay respect, and to send off ancestors. Youth associations from each Aza (neighborhood, region) parade through the communities while dancing the Eisa. The traditional Eisa that have been passed down through generations in each community have their own unique personal character. There are powerful ones using massive taiko drums, ones that incorporate Karate forms, as well as the gentle and elegant moves performed by women. This is the largest Eisa festival, showing not only the traditional performances, but also the creations performed by innovative Eisa dance teams. The very first festival was held in 1956 in contest form and from 1977 onwards it became its current festival form. It has never been canceled for any reason, meaning it has been ongoing for over sixty years now. USA

BRANSON SURVIVES HURRICANE IRMA IN WINE CELLAR ▶ The British billionaire Sir

Richard Branson decided to stay put on his private Caribbean island Necker, despite it being directly in the path of Irma, the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever. His son Sam said they had survived as they hunkered down

SIR RICHARD BRANSON and his son Sam

in the wine cellar, but it had destroyed a lot of the buildings. “All of us slept together in two rooms. I haven’t had a sleepover quite like it since I was a kid.

GERMANY

Strangely, it’s a privilege to experience what is turning into possibly the strongest storm ever with such a great group of young people,” said Branson. Necker, which has a large main house and several small Balinese-style houses that can accommodate about 34 people in total, is rented to private groups for $80,000 a night, according to its website. The island has more than 100 staff and two infinity pools.

I TA LY

BUBBLE TROUBLE ▶ From the terraced vineyards of

the Veneto region to the corridors of parliament in Rome, Italy has reacted angrily to British claims that drinking prosecco leads to chronic tooth decay.

USA

PLAYBOY MODEL EEARING DRESS MADE OF MONEY

WWII BOMB DEACTIVATED IN FRANKFURT ▶ German explosives experts defused a massive

World War Two bomb in the financial capital of Frankfurt after tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes. The compulsory evacuation of 60,000 people was Germany’s biggest such manoeuvre since the war, with more than a thousand emergency service workers helping to clear the area around the bomb, which was discovered on a building site last week. The evacuation area included two hospitals, care homes, the Opera House and Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, where $70 billion in gold reserves are stored underground. Police maintained security at the building.

▶ Victoria Xipolitakis, 31, better known as Vicky Xipolitakis, was filmed walking around the New York subway dressed in the unusual outfit. She said she wanted to give back to others and decided to hand money to commuters in the city. Victoria, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, chose to do so by allowing strangers to rip the money from her specially made dress. “Life gave me a lot, now it is time to do something from my side... money for everybody... the homeless, people on the subway,” she said.

The Italians are taken aback by suggestions that knocking back the fizzy stuff can result in rotten teeth, cavities and the dreaded “prosecco smile” – receding gums and unsightly gaps. Prosecco, which has soared in popularity in the UK, offers a “triple whammy” risk to oral health according to Prof Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser for the British Dental Association. “Prosecco offers a triple whammy of carbonation, sweetness and alcohol, which can put your teeth at risk, leading to sensitivity and enamel erosion,” he said. But the British claims incensed the Italians, with the indignation extending all the way to government level. OCTOBER

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33rd Belgrade Jazz Festival

26-30 – Belgrade Youth Centre/Sava Centre

Following the huge success of last year's edition of the Belgrade Jazz Festival, which was unanimously declared as being the best since the event was resurrected in 2005 – by the audience, but also by domestic and international critics – this year the organisers decided to offer an even bolder programme that will represent new artistic tendencies in contemporary jazz music. This year's edition of the Belgrade Jazz Festival will represent yet another step towards presenting today’s most important international jazz artists. The wish of the organisers is to share with their ever-expanding audience, as well as the international cultural public, a moment in the history of jazz when a new fusion of this direction is being born with other musical forms. Jazz is today, once again, the most exciting and creative form of popular music – and that’s why it’s time for visions of jazz and jazz visions. The Belgrade Jazz Festival will again run for five days this year, with its traditional double concert programme every night, in the halls of the Belgrade Youth Centre and the Sava Centre. The festival will include the performances of over 20 compositions from within the country and around the world. The key names of this year’s programme include great

Lost And Found In The Translation Of Cervantes 5 - EU Info Centre - 18.00

Lost and found in the translation of Cervantes: between texts, art and body

American artists like outstanding saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman, a creator who paved the way for the younger generation in the 1990s and 2000s, Donny McCaslin, who worked in the compositions of David Bowie (on his final Blackstar album), then supergroup The Young Philadelphians, the main stars of which include such avant-garde stars as Marc Ribot and Jamaaladeen Tacuma. They are joined by numerous European artists who are presenting themselves to the Belgrade public for the first time, and who rely completely on the new eclectic aesthetics: from the top ambiental studio of Mats Eilertsen and the Rubicon project from Norway, to irresistible poetic pianist Jan Lundgren from Sweden; from enormously talented newcomers like Emile Parisien from France and Giovanni Guidi from Italy, to the dramatic contemporary treatment of the piano by Nitai Hershkovits from Israel, a former associate of Avishai Cohen; from the delicate but powerful Spaniards Josemi Carmona and Javier Colina, to the nocturnal melancholy of the Netherlands’ Wolfert Brederode. Programme: www.bjf.rs

Miguel de Cervantes is one of the symbolic figures of European literature, one of Europe’s embodiments of the Artist. This artist, as a historical figure and cultural symbol, is inextricably linked to the hero Cervantes created - Don Quixote. This lecture examines the metamorphoses and mediamorphoses through which the writer’s character passes, from literary to film and theatre expression, as a translation between historiography and various arts. Barely touching his already extensive literary productions, novels in which Cervantes the writer became a literary hero, the central focus of the lecture is the film and theatre transformation through

49th BEMUS 11-20

The 49th Belgrade Music Festival BEMUS 2017 - will be held from 11th to 20th October at various Belgrade locations. A total of eight concerts will be held at Kolarac’s Endowment Hall, the Ceremonial Hall of the City Assembly and the Ethnographic Museum. The 49th BEMUS commences with a performance of the famous Glinka choral ensemble, while the finale will be marked by the RTS Symphony Orchestra, under the conductor’s baton of Bojan Suđić. Kolarac Endowment Hall and the City Assembly will host prominent soloists, smaller ensembles, but also the Strings of St. George, an orchestra celebrating the great anniversary of 25 years of work. They are led on this occasion by violinist Jožef

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Žiga, concert-master of Staatsorchester Braunschweig. Once among the most talented young musicians of Yugoslavia, Žiga actually enjoyed his first artistic achievements at BEMUS, back in 1989. Famous Belgrade violist Dejan Mlađenović has prepared a true musical treat for the BEMUS audience: he will perform the concerto for solo violin by Johann Sebastian Bach on viola, which is a very rare endeavour in international circles. Programme: www.bemus.rs

which the play about Cervantes progressed, from Vincent Sherman’s film Cervantes (1967), through various performances of the musical Man of La Mancha (1965) by Dale Wasserman, to the latest film and television productions in which Cervantes’ life is fictionalised. The lecture will be held at the EU Info Center, Kralja Milana 7.

spaciousness that most people in society can’t even imagine. Courage in expression, topic, approach, touchingly irrational, with an openness of view of where society is handicapped with blind spots, all of these characterize the films of this year’s selection. They will shake you, move you, strike you, compel you to think, laugh, feel surprised. Come so we can experience these emotions together.”

Bosifest 10-12 – Sava Centre The Eighth Belgrade International Film Festival For & By People with Disabilities - Bosifest will be held at the Sava Centre from 10th to 12th October, under the slogan “Start Change”. Bosifest is a unique film festival in our country, but also in world circles, because its entire programme is dedicated to subjects related to the lives of people with disabilities, and the films screened are relevant and notable achievements of the documentary genre. According to Darko Ivić, director of Bosisflet, “In a world where solidarity and empathy are increasingly suppressed and lost, the films we will have the opportunity to see at this year’s Bosifest primarily direct us towards thinking about basic values of human society. We will see special films with special characters, which are not different due to their disability, but due to their constant battle and celebration of life. This certainly makes them special and distinctive in a society that has fallen into apathy. Such a society is often dominated by a superficial view of people with disabilities, who are exclusively seen as those who are unable to walk. These films reveal that they actually walk, and do so in a

A lot of interest has been attracted this year – with registrations of as many as 90 films from all over the world: Canada, Italy, Czechia, Poland, Georgia, Israel, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Iran, England, Bulgaria, India etc. The festival’s selector, renowned Serbian director Goran Radovanović, selected 18 documentary films, with ten to be screened in the competition section and eight in the review section of the programme. Programme: www.bosifest.rs

26th International Festival Of Ethnological Film 10-14 – Ethnographic Museum The International Festival of Ethnological Film will be held in Belgrade from 10th to 14th October 2017. This festival seeks to promote the successful visual research of traditional and modern

Book Launch By Itamar Rabinovich

RECOMMENDS

2 – Aeroklub- 18.00

The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) invites CorD readers to the launch of the new book by Itamar Rabinovich, “Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, leader, statesman”, cultures all over the world, contributing to raising general awareness about the importance of cultural heritage for the qualitative development of human communities. Programme: www.etnografskimuzej.rs/en/

Bernhoft 19 – Bitefart Café – 22.00 Bernhoft is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and composer Jarle Bernhoft. This man - band gained repute for his complex and fascinat-

published in Serbia by CIRSD. With welcoming remarks to be delivered by Israeli Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Alona Fisher-Kamm, speakers include the book’s author, Itamar Rabinovich, former SCG Ambassador to Israel, Krinka Vidakovic-Petrov, and CIRSD President Vuk Jeremić. The launch will be held on Monday, 2nd October at 6pm, at Belgrade’s Aeroklub, 4 Uzun Mirkova Street. You may confirm your attendance via https://goo.gl/XZ3iT6 The implementation of this project received financial support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Belgrade.

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND Robert A. Heinlein 1650rsd

to school language pupils, members of the mediateque, parents of kids attending children’s workshops, but also their friends and family.

StandUpFest 2017 17-23 - Vuk Karadžić Culture Centre In mid-October we can expect an entire week of laughter at the 7th StandUpFest 2017, to be held at the Vuk Karadžić Culture Centre from 17th to 23rd October.

1490rsd

Those who attend StandUpFest year after year know that this festival bring together the best stand-up comedians from the region and highquality performers from the English-speaking world, but also that the atmosphere it creates cannot be described – you must come and see for yourself! The organisers at Standup.rs this year promise

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 28 – KomBank Arena – 20:00 ing live performances. Bernhoft was nominated for a 2014 “Best R&B Album” Grammy for the album Islander. Since his definitive breakthrough with the 2011 album Solidarity Breaks, Bernhoft has appeared on many TV shows worldwide, including the Nobel concert. He sold out several tours that amassed rave reviews in both Norway and the rest of the world. Bernhoft’s 2016 autumn tour included more than 30 concert dates in Norway, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Bernhoft will present himself to the Serbian public for the first on 19th October at Bitefartcafe Club, 8 Mitropolita Petra Street, within the framework of the Musicology Barcaffe Sessions concert series.

One of the most memorable phenomena on the world music scene, esteemed author and performer Nick Cave, with his band The Bad Seeds, will perform on 28th October at the Belgrade Kombank Arena! This Belgrade concert will form part of their world tour to present the album “Skeleton Tree”, which reached number one on numerous charts around the world and was awarded with five stars by The Guardian newspaper and described as “a masterpiece of love and devastation”. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have sold over five million copies of their albums

Belgrade SAXperience 1-14

For the 4th edition of the Belgrade SAXperience Festival, the French Institute and Société Générale Bank Srbija are preparing a musical treat for you in the form of a tour of ten cities in Serbia called Le Tour de Sax. After last year’s remarkable experience in Novi Pazar, Leskovac, Kraljevo, Subotica and Sombor, with Baptiste Herbin and the Luka Ignjatović Quartet, organisers this year decided to double the number of

towns and, like a saxophone caravan, tour Serbia with Hugo Afettouche and the Uglješa Novaković Quartet, Vincent David and Nikola Arsenijević. Programme: www. belgradesaxperience.com

DUNE Frank Herbert

Cinéclub At Institut Français Every second Wednesday in the month - Institut Français - 18:00 Cinéclub returns to the French Institute this autumn, with an array new films. Film gatherings will be organised every second Wednesday of the month, from 6pm to 8pm, in the mediateque. Screenings are free of charge and are led by a French Institute professor, with whom guests will be able to share impressions of the film whilst also practising their language skills. A new addition is that Cinéclub is now open

The original uncut edition of Stranger In A Strange Land by Hugo Award-winner Robert A Heinlein, one of the most beloved, celebrated science-fiction novels of all time. Epic, ambitious and entertaining, Stranger In A Strange Land caused controversy and uproar when first published and is still topical and challenging today.

worldwide and left a deep and far-reaching impact on the world’s art scene. The previous performance of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the Belgrade Arena was proclaimed Serbia’s best concert of 2008. This was one of this musician’s longest concerts, lasting nearly 150 minutes, with Cave fulfilling the musical wishes of his fans on numerous occasions. seven exciting days of comedy at the Vuk Karadžić Culture Centre, from new stand up artists like Srđan Dinčić, through evenings of humour with stand-up comedians Dinja, Marina and Martina (it will be fierce), to the premiere of the new Black Humour Evenings programme! Original jokes and good humour are a given, and you will convince yourself that some of the drivers of the stand-up scene in this region have a lot more to say. Of course, there are also young stand-up hopefuls, for whom there is always room at StandUpFest. This year’s English-speaking artists are Daniel Sloss and Kai Humphries, who will perform on 19th October. Programme: www.standup.rs

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender’s Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time.

A MAN CALLED OVE Fredrik Backman 1490rsd A million-copy bestselling phenomenon, Fredrik Backman’s heart-warming debut is a funny, moving, uplifting tale of love and community that will leave you with a spring in your step. Perfect for fans of Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project and David Nicholl’s US.

GoetheFEST 6-11 – Belgrade Culture Centre The sixth edition of “GoetheFEST”, the festival of contemporary German film, will be held in the Hall of the Cultural Centre of Belgrade from 6th to 11th October, under the slogan “Reality in Fiction”. Eleven films were announced jointly by the guest director of the KCB film programme, Stefan Arsenijević, Director of the Goethe-Institut in Belgrade, Frank Baumann, and Culture Programme Coordinator at the Goethe-Institut, Sunčica Šido, including comedies, family dramas and the creations of major directors, but also a debutant.

OCTOBER

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02 JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD ON SEP

MAGNIFICENT MUSIC NIGHT

06 TELENOR – 11 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL SEP

OPERATIONS IN SERBIA

Telenor has marked the 11th year of its successful operations and one decade of Telenor Foundation’s work in the presence of representatives of state institutions, economic sector and numerous well-known personalities. Welcoming all present, Ingeborg Øfsthus, CEO of Telenor Serbia, pointed out that Telenor is continuing to contribute to the development of digitalisation in Serbia, in partnership with key participants from the state and economic sectors. This company has built the largest mobile network in the country, which connects over three million customers. Telenor 4G network is following the customers’ growing needs, providing seamless and consistent experience wherever they are. Telenor Foundation is entering the second decade of its work with over 200 projects implemented in cooperation with some 300 partners.

The Night of Music, Noć Muzike, powered by Plazma, organised a magnificent concert of the Symphony Orchestra and the RTS Choir under the baton of conductor Bojan Suđić, to the delight of more than 15,000 spectators at Belgrade’s Tašmajdan Stadium. As special guests of this stellar music evening, the Kolibri Choir awoke nostalgia among many visitors, while celebrated tenor Amadi Lagha provided a completely unique pleasure for all in attendance. In addition to the audience at the stadium, around a thousand people enjoyed this wonderful concert live from Tašmajdan Park via a video projection, confirming that Belgrade is a city of culture. More than 170 music performers led the audience on a journey around the world, fusing virtuoso melodies from Europe, America, the Middle East and the Far East. Thanks to general sponsor brand Plazma, company Polimark, the Ministry of Justice, the City of Belgrade and the Tašmajdan Sports and Recreation Centre, the Night of Music has become a traditional event and another symbol of summer in Belgrade.

07 CENTENARY OF DANISH-SERBIAN

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RELATIONS CELEBRATED

The Embassy of Denmark and newly appointed Danish Ambassador to Serbia H.E Anders Hougard marked the 100th anniversary of the establishing diplomatic relations between Denmark and Serbia, as well as the 20th anniversary of the successful operations of the Peter Justesen Company in Serbia. The event began with wine tasting and included a look at this year’s Peter Justesen Catalogue. The reception was attended by numerous guests, including members of the diplomatic corps and LIDIJA CAREVIĆ (left) and NATAŠA representatives of cultural and public life. TRIFUNOVIĆ

Senior representatives of the Peter Justesen Company

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H.E ANDERS HOUGARD toasts guets

INGEBORG ØFSTHUS AND H.E. ARNE SANNES BJØRNSTAD

08 IMPROVING HEALTH SEP

POLICIES IN SERBIA

The American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia (AmCham) held its second annual healthpolicyconferenceatBelgrade’sHotel Metropol,whichsawdiscussionsofthepossibilitiesandbestpractisesforimprovingthe AmCham Serbia Executive healthsysteminSerbia.Participantsincluded DIRECTOR VERA NIKOLIĆ DIMIĆ VericaLazić,DirectoroftheRepublicHealth InsuranceFund,MehoMahmutović,StateSecretaryattheMinistryofHealth,representatives oftheFinanceMinistryandmembersoftheAmChamHealthCommittee.Mahmutovićnoted that the conference provided yet more confirmation of the very successful cooperation that has been realised for years by AmCham and the Serbian Health Ministry. “Intheperiodahead,weexpecttheadoptionofkeylawsinthehealthdomain,whichprovidethe basisforhealthpolicyandwhichincludetheHealthInsuranceAct.TheaimoftheRepublicHealth Insurance Fund is to advance the rights of insured persons with funds provided by obligatory healthinsurance,andwillcontinueinthatdirectionintheforthcomingperiod,”announcedLazić. “Thisopendialoguehasshownhowcomplextopicsimprovingefficiencyandpublicprocurement in healthcare system are, but also that optimal solutions which consider the interests and safety of patients is quite possible and achievable,” said AmCham Executive Director Vera Nikolić Dimić.

AmCham Conference on the development of healthy policy in the Republic of Serbia

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AMBASSADOR JULIE FEENEY with representatives of the Municipality of Palilula

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AUSTRALIA RETAINS BALKAN ASHES

The second annual Balkan Ashes, an exhibition cricket match between teams of the Australian and British embassies, played on the Lisičji Jarak field, saw Australia retain the title. After three hours of play, the team of Australian Ambassador H.E. Julia Feeney was 37 runs better than the team of British Ambassador H.E. Denis Keefe, who himself took part in the T20 (twenty-twenty) match. The best individual players were declared as Stuart Taylor (British Embassy) and Paul Champion (Australian Embassy). The cricket match brought together numerous officials, including Uroš Pribićević, on behalf of the Municipality of Palilula. This “Sporting Spectacle on Jarak” was organised by the Crveni krst Palilula team. “We are ending the season in a nice way, with an exhibition match between two traditional cricketing nations, and we are extremely happy that we will be organising similar matches in the years ahead,” said Haris UROŠ PRIBIĆEVIĆ (left), EU Delegation Head SEM Dajč, president of the Cricket Federation of Serbia FABRIZI and HARIS DAJČ

CELEBRATING THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF THE BELGRADE FAIR

At ceremonial event, accompanied by a retrospective exhibition, marked 80 years of the existence of the Belgrade Fair. The open-air exhibition of photographs and documents recalled everything from the beginning of construction of the first pavilions, in 1937, to the present day. “Eighty years of the Belgrade Fair, established on this very day, is a great anniversary. This is an exceptional tradition of which we are proud, but which also obliges us. Behind us are positive and encouraging results, and all of that is what makes us the fair institution with the best prospects in this part of Europe,” said Danka Selić, general director of the Fair. Nemanja Berić, president of the AssemblyoftheCityMunicipalityofSavskiVenac, home of the Belgrade Fair, congratulated the hosts on their great jubilee. “Considering that the Belgrade Fair is a place that, as the hosts say, has been seen by the whole world, we believe that the Fair will continue to be that in the future,” said Berić.

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DANKA SELIĆ, General Director of the Belgrade Fair

U.S. EMBASSY MARKS 9/11

U.S. Ambassador Kyle Scott joined members of the United States Embassy community and Serbian partners and friends to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the tragedy of 11th September 2001. Following the 9/11 attacks, many Americans responded by looking for a meaningful way to contribute to their community and a huge number did so by donating blood. As blood banks in Serbia historically hold low reserves after the summer months, the U.S. Embassy chose to follow the lead of those first responders and donate blood to the community that has welcomed American citizens. For the 7th year in a row, the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade partnered with the Serbian Red Cross to host a blood drive to honour those who died 16 years ago.

NEMANJA BERIĆ, President of the Assembly of the City Municipality of Savski Venac

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JELENA BULATOVIĆ, SAM Executive Director

STANKA PEJANOVIĆ, SAM President

Ambassador of Israel, H.E. ALONA FISHER-KAMM

ANDREA ORIZIO, Head of OSCE Mission in Serbia

US AMBASSADOR H.E KYLE SCOTT

SAM POST-HOLIDAY RECEPTION

The Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) continued its activities after a short summer break with its now traditional ’After Holiday Cocktail Party’. This occasion saw attendees welcomed by SAM President Stanka Pejanović, Executive Director Jelena Bulatović, and Dušan Basalo, a member of the SAM Management Board. - The “After Holiday Cocktail” is an event that we traditionally organise for our members and friends of the association after the summer break, where we meet up with them again, socialise and announce some new projects and events for the last quarter, such as the awarding of the SAM Annual Awards on 12th December.This evening also saw us announce our third cycle of the MenProSAM mentoring programme, of which we are particularly proud, because 27 young managers and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to gain a mentor, in the form of one of our experienced managers, which is extremely important for the development of young professionals,” said Executive Director Bulatović. OCTOBER

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AFTER WORK

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MRS. KATE KEEFE welcomes the guests

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IWC’S SEPTEMBER MEMBERS’ GATHERING

The International Women’s Club of Belgrade (IWC) launched its new 2017/2018 term by holding its traditional September members’ gathering at the British Ambassadorial Residence in Belgrade, which was generously hosted by Mrs Kate Keefe, spouse of the British ambassador. This midday event, held mainly in the residence’s beautiful garden, was supported by the great September weather and the enthusiasm brought by membership renewal and a large number of newcomers to the Belgrade diplomatic and international community scene, enriching the IWC’s membership. Not forgetting the success of this year’s Spring Festival, the IWC has huge expectations for the upcoming International Winter Bazaar, which takes place every year around Christmas and was formally announced during this Coffee Morning. WORKING SESSION

DAYS OF ISRAELI FILM

The Embassy of Israel in Belgrade organised its traditional Days of Israeli Film festival from 14th to 17th September, in cooperation with the Culture Centre of Belgrade. The festival was opened by Deputy Head of Mission Jenny Sedov. The Belgrade audience was able to enjoy some of the most significant works of contemporary Israeli cinema during the four days of the festival. The seven award-winning films screened are works of wellknown Israeli directors that bring brilliant music, laughter, family drama,socialandpoliticalnarratives,touchingintimatestoriesetc. The Days of Israeli Film opened with the film “Presenting Princess Shaw”, while all screenings were held in the Hall of the Culture Centre of Belgrade.

VESNA DANILOVIĆ, programming editor of the Culture Centre of Belgrade and JENNY SEDOV, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Belgrade

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THE THIRD WEAVING COLONY

The cities of Pirot and Sombor, under the auspices of the Agreement on Cooperation to Preserve Traditional Rugmaking, together with the Etho Network NGO and local associations, and with the support of NALED and the embassies of Australia and the United States, organised the third weaving colony in Stapar, near Sombor, from 14th to 17th September. A representative review of the most beautiful Stapar rugs was welcomed by the ambassadors of Australia and Norway, as well as diplomats from the embassies of the United States, Israel, Great Britain and the United Nations Programme, but also numerous local officials from provincial and national institutions. This year’s colony, besides weavers from Stapar, Sombor and Odžak, also included the participation of around twenty top weavers from Leskovac, Kladovo, Kruševac, Novi Pazar, Šabac, Pančevo, Sremski Karlovci and Pirot, who came to improve their rug weaving skills and techniques. This year also saw the colony visited by representatives of the lace museum in the city of Kiskunhalas in neighbouring Hungary, who came with the aim of establishing cooperation on cross-border programmes to preserve cultural heritage. Workshops and children’s activities were also organised within the framework of the colony programme, in order to introduce youngsters to their country’s tradition and culture. During their visit, diplomats presented awards to primary school pupils from Stapar who participated in an art competition on the topic of rugs. 88 |

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WEEK OF MOROCCAN CULTURE IN BELGRADE

The Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Serbia are this year commemorating six decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations and continuous cooperation between Rabat and Belgrade, which provided the occasion to stage an event presenting the rich culture and traditions of Morocco to Belgraders. The “Week of Moroccan Domestic Craftsmanship in Belgrade” was organised at Kalemegdan Fortress and in the City Hall – with the help of Morocco’s diplomatic mission and the Belgrade City Assembly – and saw artists from different parts of Morocco exhibit their works. A reception and fashion show, featuring the work of fashion designer Salma Debbagh from the city of Fez, took place at Belgrade City Hall. Her works are inspired by high fashion and the traditional H.E. MOHAMMED AMINE diversity of her home city. BELHAJ

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RANGE ROVER VELAR FORMALLY PRESENTED IN BELGRADE

OSTOJA MIJAILOVIĆ

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CompanyBritishMotors has formally presented the Velar – the fourth member of the Range Rover family – to the local public. “It is an honour for me that our successhasmadeusdeserving of Serbia being among the first countries where the Velar has gone on sale. We have achieved a lot in a year and we have to thank our efforts for that, as well as all of you who supported our beginnings and gave us the courage to persist,” said Ostoja Mijailović, general manager and owner of British Motors. The event was attended by representatives of the economic sector and many celebrities.

CCFS MONTHLY MEETING

The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce gathered its members and business partners together on 19th September for the association’s monthly meeting at the Embassy of France, the first following the summer break. The host of this meeting was Mr NicolasFaye,Charged’Affaires of the French Embassy, DRAGOLJUB DAMLJANOVIĆ (left) and NICOLAS FAYE while attendees were also addressed by CCFS President Dragoljub Damljanović. The reception was attended by over 50 members of this association and provided the occasion to announce that France Week, organised by the CCFS, will be held from 16th to 22nd November, under the SANJA IVANIĆ, CCFS director slogan “Living in digital”. SEP

EUROBANK MEDIA MEETING

Belgrade’s Square Nine Hotel provided the venue for Eurobank to organise a meeting with media representatives to present the results of its operations in the first half of the year, as well as the innovations introduced to its operations aimed at making Eurobank the first choice of clients on the Serbian market. The gathering was hosted by Eurobank CEO Slavica Pavlović, who presented the bank’s results and responded to journalists’ questions.

SLAVICA PAVLOVIĆ (centre)

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AFTER WORK SEE MORE WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

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‘SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE OPERATIONS’ SEMINAR HELD

H.E. PERTTI IKONEN, MARKO ČADEZ, ANDREJA PAVLOVIĆ, executive director of the Nordic Business Alliance, VANDA KUČERA and MIŠA STANKOVIĆ

A seminar entitled “Sustainable and innovative operations – including corporate social responsibility”, organised by the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade and partner companies of “Suomi Finland 100”, was held at the Finnish ambassadorial residence in Belgrade under the slogan “What are the next steps that will make Serbia like Nordic countries?”. The seminar was opened by Finnish Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Pertti Ikonen. Alongside Ambassador Ikonen and Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia President Marko Čadež, the panel discussion also included Miša Stanković, Executive Director of KONE Serbia, Vanda Kučera, Director of Corporate Affairs at I&F McCann Group and Andreja Pavlovic, executive director of the Nordic Business Alliance. The aim of the gathering was to present sustainable and innovative operations and successful examples of the CSR activities of Finnish companies and their distributors.

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NALED LEADER FORUM HELD

The introduction of e-permits for construction, the register of non-tax and para-fiscal charges, online fiscalisation and the electronic system for registering seasonal workers – these are just some of the reforms for improving the business environment that could be applied by all of the region’s countries with the aim of regulating standardisation or harmonising business conditions and ensuring predictability for existing economic operators and potential investors. This was stated during the forum “Establishing a Common Framework for Operations in Southeast Europe”, organised by the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Serbia and NALED, under the auspices of the “Days of Srpska in Serbia” event. The gathering was jointly opened by prime ministers Željka Cvijanović and Ana Brnabić. The forum included the presenting of an initiative to establish, within the framework of the BFC SEE programme, institutions and organisations from Serbia, BosniaHerzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Croatia, and to launch a regional platform within which the governments of Southeast Europe will share knowledge, experiences and examples of good practise in implementing reforms.

ANA BRNABIĆ and ŽELJKA CVIJANOVIĆ

25 PREMIERE SCREENING

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OF THE FILM ‘250 STEPS’

The documentary film “250 Stepenika” (250 Steps), about the generation of Yugoslav basketball players who won the 1987 World Junior Championships, premiered in the Yugoslav Drama Theatre’s packed Ljuba Tadić Hall. Produced by PGMnetwork, authored by journalist Vladimir Pajić and directed by Vladimir Kurćubić, the film looks, back 30 years on, at the story of the generation of basketball players who won the World Junior Championships in the Italian town of Bormio in 1987. This documentary, which features all the players and members of the professional staff who participated to that great success, was greeted with thrilled applause from the audience. Following the screening, Svetislav Pešić and chosen ones from that time appeared on stage, bowed to the enthusiastic audience and, together with film author Pajić, discussed the film. SVETISLAV PEŠIĆ, with the The former Yugoslav junior national team coach surprised his former players by presenting them with awards and plaques 30 years later trophy won 30 years ago for everything they did back in Bormio in 1987, but also for everything they subsequently gave to basketball. 90 |

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