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MANIFESTO: THE WORLD. THE 21ST CENTURY
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan publishes his views exclusively for Diplomacy&Commerce magazine
Humanity hoped that the 21st century would herald a new era of global cooperation. This, however, may turn out to be a mirage. Our world is once again in danger and the risks cannot be underestimated. The threat is a deadly war on a global scale. Our civilisation, by scholars’ estimates, has survived more than 15,000 wars, approximately three every year. Hundreds of millions of people have died, cities and countries have been destroyed, cultures and civilizations have vanished.
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At the dawn of the 21st century, stunning scientific discoveries are being made, and new technologies are being invented. The world is at the verge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Many horrific diseases are being successfully eradicated. But the virus of war continues to poison the international situation. It drives the military-industrial complex, which in some countries has become the most powerful sector of the economy. It may even in the future infect the development of artificial intelligence. Militarism has deeply penetrated our minds and behaviour. There are more than one billion small firearms in the hands of people. Thousands of civilians die every day from their use. this military threat could become a tragic reality on a global scale.
We can see the signs of such a terrible outcome. In international relations, the risk of conflict has increased. Conflict has engulfed the historic battlegrounds of the two World Wars – Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is not
WHICH COUNTRY COULD BE THE NEXT VICTIM
We cannot exclude the risk that
fulfilling its purpose. Nuclear weapons and the technology that produces them have spread all over the world due to double standards of the main powers. It may be just a matter of time before they fall into the hands of terrorists. International terrorism has gained a more sinister character. It has moved from isolated acts in individual countries to a large scale terrorist aggression across Europe, Asia and Africa. The exodus of millions of refugees, the destruction of sites and historic monuments have become an everyday reality. Economic sanctions and trade wars are commonplace. Our planet is now on the edge of a new Cold War which could have devastating consequences for all humankind. This threatens the achievements of the last four decades.
As a result of successful negotiations, the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia have been reduced substantially. Five nuclear powers have announced and kept a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. The process of forming regional security systems has accelerated. A unique and comprehensive security structure – the Organisation of Security and
Cooperation in Europe – was created on principles of mutual trust. Coordinated action between world powers and UN peacekeeping operations saw many conflicts ended.
However, today we are witnessing the erosion of these international security achievements. This is an increasing and serious concern for millions of people. How will the world situation develop? Could the tensions between the leading world powers escalate into a new long-term confrontation? Which country could be the next victim of the so-called “proxywars” between the world and regional powers? Which territory, flourishing for now, will be torn apart by tank tracks and explosive shells? In which cities will children die under heavy rocket fire? From where and where to will the refugees fleeing conflicts migrate next? More than 60 years ago two prominent scientists Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell presented their manifesto, in which they asked “a dreadful but an inescapable question: shall we put an end to the human race, or will mankind be able to renounce war?” The most brilliant minds of the 20th century have warned the people that in a future world war nuclear weapons will inevitably be used leading to the destruction of all life on our planet. Their demand that disputes between countries cannot and should not be resolved by military means remains hugely relevant in the 21st century. To end all wars is the most challenging task for our civilisation. But there is no other reasonable alternative. This task has to be treated by the world lead-
VIRUS OF WAR
ers as the highest priority on the global agenda.
In the 21st century humanity must take decisive steps towards demilitarisation. We won’t get another chance. If this objective is not achieved, our planet will end as a graveyard of radioactive materials. Our planet is unique. We have no other home.
It is why we need a new comprehensive PROGRAM - “21st CENTURY: A WORLD WITHOUT WARS”. Through this global strategy we need to identify joint and responsible actions to be taken by all nations in order to destroy the virus of war. This document should be based on three main principles. First, there will be no winners in any modern war; everyone would be on the losing side. Secondly, a new war will inevitably entail the use of weapons
WE NEED A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM -
of mass destruction.
This will lead to the destruction of all humankind. It will be too late to argue over who is responsible for this catastrophe. This threat must be understood by all current and future national leaders and politicians. Thirdly, the main tool for resolving all disputes between states should be peaceful dialogue and constructive negotiations on the basis of equal responsibility for peace and security, mutual respect and non-interference into domestic affairs Taking all of this into consideration, the world community must take comprehensive action towards these goals.
First, there must be gradual progress to a world free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. An important step, to which Kazakhstan made a significant contribution, has already been taken in the right direction. On December 7, 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration for the Achievement of a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World put forward by Kazakhstan. 25 years ago Kazakhstan permanently closed the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. We were the first, and for now, only such country to take this action. Our newly independent state then voluntarily renounced the world’s 4th largest arsenal of nuclear weapons - the menacing legacy of the collapsed Soviet Union. These decisions triggered a moratorium on conducting nuclear tests by world nuclear powers. Twenty years ago, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was developed in the UN and was put forward to Member States to sign but has still to come into force. Under the IAEA
auspices, Kazakhstan is to host the Low-Enriched Uranium Bank on its territory, which will allow countries to develop civilian nuclear energy. Global nuclear security summits are of great importance. We now need global decisions to prohibit deploying lethal weapons in outer space, on the seabed and in international waters of the World Ocean, as well as in the Arctic.We should develop and adopt international binding agreements to ban the creation of new types of weap-
ons of mass destruction through new scientific discoveries. It is necessary to create a register in the UN of such scientific developments, which could be used for the creation and advancement of weapons of mass destruction.
Secondly, we must build on and expand existing geographical initiatives to gradually eliminate war as a way of life. There are already six nuclear weapon free zones in the world. They encompass Antarctica, virtually the entire South Hemisphere, including Latin America, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. The newest is a zone free of nuclear weapons in Central Asia created 10 years ago in Semipalatinsk by five states of the region. Now we must intensify international efforts to create a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. In 1992, Kazakhstan put forward the initiative to convene the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. This century the forum has been successfully institutionalised with participation of 26 Member States of the continent, the United Nations and other international organizations. Multilateral cooperation among the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s activities has had a positive impact. Peace zones in South America, South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean have significant potential. We should bring together these initiatives to create global international law. Issues of security and development in these Areas of Peace could be guaranteed by all the UN Member States as well as the UN Security Council.
Thirdly, it is necessary to eliminate such relics of the Cold War as military blocs, which threaten global security and impede broader international cooperation.
Geopolitical reality means that when one military bloc is established and developed an opposing bloc will be created. Power generates anti-power. Military blocs can include countries which are not always aware of their responsibility to promote peace and security. We have also seen attempts by some states to use the protection of military blocs to their advantage in their interactions with third countries, including immediate neighbours.It is how confrontation can be infinitely cloned in different regions and globally. We should also have learnt from past wars and conflicts that it is impossible to ensure our own security by undermining the security of others. That is why a Global Coalition of States for peace, stability, trust and secu-
NOW WE MUST INTENSIFY INTERNATIONAL
areas of peace based on a special
rity under the UN auspices should be set up against military blocs. Our common task for the next decade should be to end wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, in eastern Ukraine and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. We must reduce the dangerous potential of the situations on the Korean Peninsula, the basin of the South China Sea, and the Arctic.
Fourthly it is important to adapt the international disarmament process to the new historic conditions. A short-sighted dismantlement of previous treaty limitations on anti-missile systems and conventional arms has resulted in militarization in the political space of Eurasia. This increases the risk of a new global war, even by the possible failure of electronic defense management systems.
We need a new strategy for the UN Conference on Disarmament. The world needs to eliminate the new threat of cybercrime, which can become a very dangerous weapon if used by terrorists.
Fifthly, a world without war requires primarily fair global competition in international trade, finance, and development. During the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Kazakhstan proposed the development of a 2045 Global Strategic Initiative Plan. Its main goal is to eliminate the root causes of wars and conflicts. This can best be achieved by through equal and fair access to infrastructure, resources and markets for all nations. The plan should be implemented in time for the 100th anniversary of the United Nations in 2045. Kazakhstan proposes to convene a high level UN Conference in 2016. At this conference we should confirm the basic principles of international law to prevent devastating wars and conflicts in the 21st century. Calls for reason and dialogue, restraint and common sense should not be the targets of attacks by those opposing global peace.
In the 21st century, we all need peace. This is a key mission of our time. Peace is worth fighting for just as deliberately and persistently as did people in the past century. We should think hard about the future of our children and grandchildren. We must combine the efforts of governments, politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and millions of people around the world in order to prevent a repetition of tragic mistakes of past centuries and spare the world from the threat of a war. Failing to act or putting limits on efforts to promote peace risk global catastrophe. My Manifesto “The World. The 21st Century” reflects a sincere concern for the fate of future generations, which will live and work in the coming decades. We, the leaders of states and politicians, bear an enormous responsibility for the future of the humanity. As an individual who went through hardship and difficulties, and as a statesman who made a difficult decision to close the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and renounce nuclear weapons, I urgently call on world leaders and the entire international community to listen to reason. We need to do our utmost to free humanity from the threat of deadly wars forever. There is no more important goal.
The People Desire Civil Rights and Smiles
My task as the head of state will be to establish national unity – not structured on ideological or any other guidelines, rather on fundamental human values and rules. That is a precondition for us to restore people’s smiling faces, dignity and self-respect
I’m not interested in calculations of candidates, because I am orientated towards citizens and don’t fear censorship and self-censorship in the media, because I am convinced that citizens are well aware, even without them, of how tough their lives are and why they want to change that, says Serbian presidential candidate Saša Janković. From that symbolically highest position in the country a lot can be done to return the country to the citizens and stop it from being held hostage by a single man who has usurped all the power.
What do you consider as being the greatest success an independent candidate like yourself can achieve in the presidential election? — There is one success I am already celebrating: citizens, awakened, gathered around the same thoughts – we have suffered enough humiliation, we will not be servants to other people's self-will, which offends our common sense on a daily basis; we have the right and the power to live in the kind of Serbia we want and deserve. It started as a snowball, but it is now already gaining the contours of an avalanche, and I see that at all of our joint meetings, at every meeting of ours in every part of our country. The next success, that greatest one, will be shared and not just mine. We will prove that, no matter how much somebody insults us by calling us lazy, incompetent and spoiled, we can achieve a lot when we show solidarity and when we’re determined. We will prove that the political system does not have to be held hostage by personal ambitions and the interests of the few, alienated from citizens. We will restore trust in it. We’ll return our kidnapped country into the hands of us - its citizens.
Do you think that Vuk Jeremić
I HAVE BEEN MET BY THE SUPPORT OF CITIZENS
IN EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY AND I AM CONVINCED THAT AFTER THE APRIL ELECTIONS I WILL BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
will help or hinder you in the
first round, given that there are two candidates that will be options for similar sections of the electorate? — I don’t deal in calculations – rather I am fully orientated towards my partners in this process – the citizens. The citizens are those who will evaluate when choosing and will make a decision in accordance with what will help or hinder them, actually all of us together, and not me individually, Mr Jeremić or any other candidate.
What do the people who come to your meetings to support you desire the most and what can realistically be achieved from the position of president of the country? — Most are eager to smile. People in Serbia today have spasms on their faces; they’re sad because of the need to constantly check their pockets, restless due to considerations of how much and whose debt will lead to the confiscating of their property, in constant fear that they will not get sick because they do not have a health card, nor envelope to replace it. They are unsure, because while accounts are being settled on the street and property is being demolished at night, the police protect the powerful. As the
nation struggles for bare survival, they are mocked in the face from the state Cabinet by those who play the role of force. Our dignity has been downtrodden, society is sick. When we heal the society and restore people’s dignity, those spasms will be replaced by smiles.
We cannot do that until we establish equal rights and equal opportunities for all, as long as institutions are patched up, and the state equates to one man who has usurped all power - Aleksandar Vučić. In that function the president of the country can do a lot, because it is symbolically the highest position in the state of Serbia and reflects Serbia as it is, but also directs towards Serbia as it should be. It is a shield for basic human values and a protector of an ordered society.
My task as the head of state will be to establish national unity – not structured on ideological or any other guidelines, rather on fundamental human values and rules. The law must be the supreme authority, the same for all, because without legal security there is no other security. I will publicly condemn any politicisation of the judiciary and bodies of state administration. I will seek a ban on secret contracts, return the security sector to protecting national interests, and not personal ones, refuse to sign harmful legislation adopted overnight and during the night; I will not appoint ambassadors who do not have diplomatic potential, will advocate for media freedom, but also for the protection of basic ethics and morality in their content; I will provide support for culture, education and science; I will stand up publicly against favouring foreign companies at the expense of domestic firms and will halt sales and donations, i.e. covert
THE LAW MUST BE THE SUPREME AUTHORITY,
theft, of our strategic resources, such as land, telecommunications, forestry and water resources ...
How possible is it to run a campaign under conditions of media censorship and self-censorship? — It is not impossible and mustn’t be. It is certainly more difficult than for those that are abusing their state functions, blackmailing and pressuring, who have harnessed a large part of the media in their propaganda machinery. However, this must not be an excuse – for me firstly, nor for the people who are behind me. Serbia has today fallen to its knees – it is naked, barefoot and humiliated. We cannot defend it by whining and seeking excuses outside of ourselves. After all, even under the baton of the regime the media can no longer hide the image of that kind of Serbia. Citizens do not need to read the newspapers or watch television shows to find out how well we’re doing. They see that on a daily basis – when they open their fridges, look at their plates, wait in line at the unemployment bureau. That’s why this election will not be determined by media campaigns, but rather by this one of ours – this life, on a daily basis.
What will be your next step if you win a relatively large number of votes, but not enough to become the president? — I’m not considering that, because I am convinced that after the April elections I will be the President of the Republic of Serbia.
NOT-SOBLACK-ANDWHITE WORLD I understand the whole mess and fuss about the controversial decisions of the new American president, but it is simply incomplete to discuss these ideas and acts without a global picture
Walls, the denial of entrance and the fear of the different have happened and are happening all around the globe. Trump didn’t invent them.
I WON’T LET YOU IN
Okay, now the decree denying entry to the U.S. for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries has been blocked, but let’s think in this direction a little. There are 16 countries that refuse entry to citizens of Israel. They are: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the UAE. Eight of those 16 countries won’t even let you in if there is any proof – in your passport or elsewhere – that you visited Israel (including Palestinian Territory), like a stamp or anything like that. Israel, reciprocally, won’t allow citizens of these countries in either: they are considered enemy states. As for Malaysia, we are now pretty friendly, but until several years ago citizens of Serbia and Montenegro could not enter Malaysia under any circumstances. It was simply forbidden, like it is for Israelis. And that all originates from the war in Bosnia during the 1990s. You dream of visiting Mecca and Medina? Well, it won’t happen if you are not a Muslim. (As for the Puritanism of Saudi Arabia, let us note that Under Saudi rule, it is estimated, since 1985 about 95% of Mecca's historic buildings, most over a thousand years old, have been demolished.) No wonder they won’t let any non-Muslim to their holiest place. And let us go a bit further: The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is also prohibited if you are not a Muslim. You can see it only from afar. If you have visited Nagorno-Karabakh, you will be banned from entering mainland Azerbaijan. The same applies if you visit Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Russia – in which case you should forget about visiting Georgia. As for the recent war in Ukraine, definitely entering the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk or Lugansk won’t help you if you try to enter the rest of Ukraine, nor will a Crimean holiday be a good recommendation for the rest of Ukraine.
ANOTHER BRICK
IN THE WALL
When we say “The Wall”, some will immediately think of Pink Floyd’s famous album and some will remember the Berlin Wall, while recently the world has been paying attention to the “Mexican Wall” that Donald Trump has vowed to build. But Trump is not the first wall-maker, nor is he the only one. There is already some 930 kilometres of wall between Mexico and the United States that Barack Obama could not or would not demolish. Trump’s wall would be just an … extension; the completion. And what about the wall between Israel and Palestine (West Bank)? Banksy decorated it artistically, but it is huge and impenetrable, almost cutting the holy city of Bethlehem in two. The Berlin Wall might have come down, but there are other walls. We all know about the wall Israel erected along the border with the Gaza Strip, but there is also a wall between Egypt, an Arab nation, and Palestinian Gaza – and that has nothing to do with Jews. And there is also the wall between Morocco and the Western Sahara Polisario held-territories. Making this one even stranger, it is built in the middle of the Western Sahara, which Morocco considers its own territory, thus separating Morocco-held and Polisario-held territories in the middle of the Sahara Desert. And on both sides there are Arabs and Berbers, speaking the same language and practising the same religion. And let us go a bit further north: Ceuta and Mellila, the two Spanish African enclaves, are surrounded by thick fences to prevent illegal African immigrants.
IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THE WORLD
The Hungarian Walls are notorious here, since Hungary erected its border fence between itself and Serbia and Croatia – though with Croatia they were a bit “lucky” that the River Drava forms a natural barrier. In Belfast, Londonderry/ Derry and other settlements in Northern Ireland, barriers, dubbed “peace lines”, have been built to separate the two main communities. Their purpose is to minimise inter-communal violence between Irish nationalists/republicans (who mainly self-identify as Irish and/or Catholic) and unionists/ loyalists (who mainly self-identify as British and/or Protestant). They were first built following the 1969 riots and the start of the “Troubles”, but have continued to be built and expanded since the Belfast Agreement of 1998. In 2016 Norway constructed a barrier along a short part of its border with Russia, near the only official border crossing, while Latvia started building a fence along its border with Russia in December 2015. Nicosia in Cyprus is still a divided city, just like Berlin was decades ago. Ukraine is also building a wall along its border with Russia, while Bulgaria started erecting a fence along its border with Turkey in 2013. In August 2015, Estonia announced a plan to build a barrier on its border with Russia. Botswana began building a 480-km-long electric fence along its border with Zimbabwe in 2003. Turkey has completed hundreds of kilometres of its border wall with Syria. The Iran-Pakistan barrier wall is 700 kilometres long and is claimed by Tehran as being part of efforts aimed at stopping the flow of illegal border crossings, stemming the flow of drugs and preventing terror attacks. Want more? These are just facts, no fiction.
LITTLE MAN, WHAT NOW?
My favourite novel title, right? But it is true that we are living in a world full of entry denials and barriers. Everyone wants a fence to protect them from unwanted neighbours. That doesn’t mean that Trump should build his Mexican wall; it’s just a small reminder that he’s not the only one, nor did he invent any of this.
WE GIVE SMALL COMPANIES A CHANCE TO BECOME BIG
Their share in the Agency’s portfolio has been increased to over 30%, which resulted in these companies also boosting their export activities. For 2017, AOFI has allocated 70% of its capital financial assets to facilitating development of SMEs and entrepreneurship.
We are talking to AOFI’s director, Dejan Vukotic about Agency’s plans and the results accomplished in 2016.
What are AOFI's goals in 2017? — Facilitating export activities of Serbian companies through funding and crediting export projects, and cooperating with similar institutions in countries that are our foreign trade partners are the main goals of AOFI. We are also going to focus on boosting the competitiveness of the Serbian economy and conquering new markets. AOFI’s aim is to strategically improve the conditions for doing business for export-orientated companies and improve the structure of the Republic of Serbia’s export. Considering the good results that we achieved in 2015 and 2016, as well as the fact that we have successfully implemented all incentive programmes devised during “The Year of Entrepreneurship”, our goals for2017 will not be drastically different to the ones from the previous period, apart from us providing an even bigger support to SMEs and small businesses through expanding our existing product range, and revising our current interest and premium rates which should help Serbian exporters with occupying a strong competitive position on the existing markets, and potentially conquering new, preferably fast-growing markets.
How much money have you allocated this year for export incentives for SMEs? — If we analyze export-orientated SMEs and small businesses in the Republic of Serbia, we can conclude that the biggest problem they have been facing is an inadequate access to funding sources. Lack of these sources, needed both ship”. Through implementation of government programmes, Export and Credit Insurance Agency (AOFI) has invested the biggest effort possible in supporting small and medium enterprises. Their share in the Agency’s portfolio has been increased to over 30%, which resulted in these companies also increasing their export activities. For 2017, AOFI has allocated 70% of its capital financial assets to facilitating development of SMEs and entrepreneurship.
How aware are companies of the importance of insuring their export? — Insuring both export claims, and the claims in the country in today’s
THE SPEED OF DECISION-MAKING, THE
for funding their current assets and investments, has disenabled them from achieving continuous growth and development which in turn, inhabits the growth and development of the entire Serbian economy. Serbian government has recognized the importance of this economic segment, and hence declared 2016 as “The Year of Entrepreneurship”, and the next decade as “The Decade of Entrepreneurmodern trade provides security and predictability of payment because the insurance covers a multitude of risks. The biggest advantage of insuring claims, apart from the obvious prevention and safety, is an opportunity to boost one’s competitiveness based on the better payment conditions they can now offer, and lower costs compared to other formats of insurance. Despite these advantages, insuring claims has still not become an integral and mandatory part in doing business in Serbia. One of AOFI’s tasks in the upcoming period will be to raise awareness about the values of this product for Serbian exporters.
To what extent have companies been using AOFI’s factoring services? — Factoring services are just one of the AOFI’s direct financing instruments for Serbian exporters. The speed of decision-making, the competitive interest rate, and a possibility of buying foreign claims have all contributed to AOFI becoming a recognizable financial institution in this segment of crediting. The number of our clients and the markets in which we operate has grown a lot, so I am confident that this trend will continue in the future too.
Could you tell us something about your client structure? — Considering that the SME and small business sector has been recognized as the driving force of economic growth, and especially its export-orientated segment, and that the Serbian Ministry of Economy has declared the following period as „The Decade of Entrepreneurship“, AOFI has restructured its portfolio and is now focusing on this segment of the Serbian economy. So, today, SMEs and small businesses dominate our client structure.
The new UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, appointed by the UN Secretary General, will be representing UN Country Team in Serbia comprising of 20 UN agencies, funds and programmes in Serbia. UN Country Team is actively involved in supporting the advancement of the development agenda in Serbia under Development Partnership Framework 2016-2020
Ms. Karla Hershey has a total 28 years of development and humanitarian experience and has served in four ‘Delivering as One’ UN countries to date.
Karla served as the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative and Designated Official in Maseru, Lesotho (2012-2017). Karla was also serving with the World Food Programme as their Representative and Country Director in Swaziland (2009-2012). Other previous posts have included WFP’s Deputy Country Director and Head of Programme in Malawi (2006-2009). Karla has also undertaken the role MS. KARLA ROBIN HERSHEY New UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia / UNDP Resident Representative
of WFP Country Director a.i. in Syria (2007) and the Head of Resource Mobilization, Food Procurement, Pipeline Management, Public Information and Sub-Office Focal Point in Tanzania (2003-2006). She also served as WFP Regional Affairs Officer, Bureau for East and Southern Africa, Johannesburg (2002-2003) and Programme Officer in Ethiopia (2000-2002).
Ms. Hershey began her UN career with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as Humanitarian Affairs Officer (OCHA) in Angola (1998-2000).
Prior to joining the UN, she served in various capacities with World Vision Relief and Development in Angola, Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois, American Employee’s Association in Rwanda and United States Peace Corps in Rwanda as a Business Advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Cooperatives (Rwanda 1989 – 1993) and the YMCA.
Ms. Hershey holds an M.B.A in Management from the American InterContinental University and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the Southern Methodist University in Texas. She also took post graduate courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science in Sociology, Middle East studies, Nationalism and Foreign Relations.
STANKA PEJANOVIĆ New president of the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM)
At its 10th annual assembly meeting, the Serbian Association of Managers appointed new management. Director General of Gorenje Beograd, Stanka Pejanović was chosen as the new president of the SAM for the next three years.
Stanka Pejanović has been director general of Gorenje Beograd d.o.o., a part of Gorenje Group which is the biggest Slovenian and 8th biggest manufacturer of household appliances in Europe, since November 2014.
Before Gorenje, as an experienced economy expert, she spent her 20-year-long career on building up brands like Roda and Mercator. Before she was appointed director general of Gorenje Beograd, she was a member of the Managing Board of the Mercator Group, and was responsible for Mercator’s operations in Southeast Europe in her capacity of the director general of Mercator-S. Stanka Pejanović has a wealth of experience in corporate management, managing and implementing mergers, acquisitions and other complex transactions, integrations and post-integration activities, business restructuring and downsizing, strategies and brand evaluation, category and supply management, price and sales strategies, marketing and loyalty strategies, as well as a lot of knowledge about market activities and economic trends in the regional countries.
She graduated economics and received her Masters Degree, also in economics, from the University of Novi Sad’s Faculty of Economics. She is currently working on her PhD at the same faculty.
She speaks Serbian, English, Slovenian and Russian, and has two children. PREDRAG MIHAJLOVIĆ New Director of OTP Banka Srbija
OTP Bank Serbia has implemented changes in management and as a result, as Predrag Mihajlović was appointed as President of the Executive Board of OTP Bank Serbia AD Novi Sad. His rich 25 year-old experience was built in management positions in leading international and domestic banks. With the arrival of Predrag Mihajlović as President of Executive Board, OTP Bank has enhanced and improved its management structure, creating prerequisites for achieving better results in the Bank's operations in the future. SOUTH KOREA Independence Day
1st March
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Proclamation of Independence 1992
3rd March
BULGARIA Liberation Day
6th March
GHANA Independence Day
8th March
SYRIA Independence Day
12th March
MAURITIUS Independence Day
15th March
HUNGARY 1848 Revolution Day
17th March
IRELAND St. Patrick's Day
20th March
TUNISIA Independence Day
21th March
NAMIBIA Independence Day
23h March
PAKISTAN Pakistan Declaration Day
25th March
GREECE Independence Dayy
26th March
BANGLADESH Independence Day
31th March
MALTA Freedom Day
Win - Win Solution for the State and Entrepreneurs
Development of private sector is crucial for the growth of national economy which is why the state has been continuously supporting small and medium enterprises with the view of enabling to be more competitive both in the country and abroad
One of the main tasks of the state is to create a stimulating business environment, empower SME to produce good quality, safe products, give them access to the know-how and the workforce, and to help them with boosting their competitiveness on the national and international markets. The Ministry of Economy is fully committed to executing this task.
GORAN KNEŽEVIĆ Economy Minister
Small and medium enterprises make 99.8% of the Serbian economy today, their share in the national GDP is 57.7%, and they employ 65.7% of the workforce in the non-financial sector. Development of private sector is crucial for the growth of national economy hence it is exceptionally important for the state to provide continuous support to this sector– from start-up and business development programmes to acquiring fresh knowledge / information, and boosting competitiveness. Our goal is for these companies not only to be strong in Serbia, but to compete ”shoulder to shoulder” with other companies abroad too. By getting together and creating a common market, the countries that founded the EU understood that free flow of goods and services and joint market were possible only if the same production rules and standards were applied and if only safe products were manufactured since the consumers, their safety and environmental protection are of utmost importance.
Every country wanting to join the EU or export their products to
Although, in the past period, the state has been focusing its capacities towards securing the stability of public finances, we have managed to pool our resources and support SMEs in a 2016 alone, they were given 13 billion dinars through various programmes – from starting businesses, purchasing equipment, ing new jobs. Of course, money is not the most important thing here. We have also given them the most valuable things, as consulting services, mentoring and, JOVAN PETROVIĆ Assistant Minister for Product Quality and Safety
the EU market has to incorporate these requirements in their own legislation which needs to be harmonized with that of the EU, as well as to create an efficient and internationally recognized system of quality infrastructure which will help businesses to easier implement this regulation.
How does Serbia fair in all of this? Serbia has incorporated 97% of the said standards and close to 75% of technical regulation. Serbia has built a required system too, namely a network of institutions and laboratories that help businesses here to fulfill market requirements.
We don't view this as Serbia's obligation for the EU accession but rather as an opportunity to make our products and companies competitive, while inteentrepreneurship above all, KNOWLEDGE. We have been working on developing the entrepreneurial spirit, reforming the education system, implementing dual education and providing more training.
The Ministry of Economy is an institution that is in service of economy. It has to listen to it, talk and work on its behalf, in order for the provided support to have the best effect on businesses and, in turn, on the growth of the national economy. the importance of SMEs not only as the driving force behind the economic growth, but also about their potential: to create a reliable system of cooperators and suppliers of big investors and as their businesses grow they can create new jobs and facilitate the development of other value chains. grating ourselves into the EU's common market. This is one of the strategic goals of the Ministry of Economy.
The competitiveness of Serbian companies is closely tied to their ability to produce safe products of good quality which is something that our business community is becoming increasingly aware of. This is the reason why we have been focusing on raising awareness on the importance of the Serbian Mark of Conformity on the majority of industrially non-food products as a proof of their safety and adherence to relevant standards.
Slowly but surely we are leaving behind the issues like privatization and transition, and are focusing on what really matters – enabling fair and equal conditions
way that they really needed it. In expanding operations and creatKATARINA OBRADOVIĆ JOVANOVIĆ Assistant Minister for small and medium enterprises and
We need to speak up about for doing business.
This year, the state will give even more for this cause - 18 billion dinars to be exact. Despite that, SMEs need new ways and sources of funding their development. The state has already set aside through EU funds over 160 million EUR for that purpose, and with the opening of the negotiation about Chapter 20 we can expect even more. Now it is important for business owners to become courageous and to fearlessly continue developing their companies.
So, what should we focus our strength on in the future? A transparent and predictable business environment is the priority. But additionally, it is important for the state to cooperate more with businesses on creating policies and drafting regulation, as well as to adapt the education system to market needs.
