D&C 14

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April 2017 | ISSUE No. 14 | Price 350 RSD

WE ARE CONTINUING WITH OBTAINING GOOD RATINGS

9772466380002 PAGE 16

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMACY&COMMERCE

JORGOVANKA TABAKOVIĆ

Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

RATINGS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS AND SERBIAN AUTHORITIES

There are no Alternatives to Democracy H.E. PERTTI JUHANI IKONEN

Finnish Ambassador in Serbia

Dual Education Ensures the Quality of Employees

Prof. DUŠAN VUJOVIĆ, Ph.D.

Minister of Finance in the Government of Serbia

LIBERLAND’S SECOND BIRTHDAY

VÍT JEDLIČKA

President of the Free Republic of Liberland

MARTHA SCHULTZ

Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber PAGE 25

CREDIT RATING OF SERBIA

AUSTRIA 2017

Special

SUPPLEMENT

H.E. JOHANNES EIGNER

Austrian Ambassador to Serbia

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EDITORI AL

C O N T EN T S

Groundhog Day Dear readers, During the era of Socialism, I took particular pleasure in confronting my brilliant Marxism teacher. He preached about dialectical materialism, and I promoted the thesis that mediaeval Christian philosophy based on metaphysical idealism is true. They said, no divine intervention, everything changes. I argued that nothing changes, like Father Jorge from “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Ecco exclaimed: there’s no progress, everything is just a sublime recapitulation. (The film was popular these days, with Sean Connery and Christian Slater, as a reminder). I argued that every sharp turn is in fact divine intervention in disguise. Well, many years later, I see that nothing changes. The candidate “nobody voted for” clearly won (like in the ‘90s), in Minsk protesters use the same logo and the same font as Serbia’s former Otpor resistance movement from the ‘90s (instead of “Dosta!” [Enough!] they just wrote “Basta!”). The protesters against Putin use the same yellow plastic duck as in “Don’t drown Belgrade” (with the pretext that Medvedev supposedly built some expensive duck house). Terrorism, wars and nationalism-chauvinism did not die out with the new technology. The evil minds just use the new technology for their ghastly purposes. The people tend to choose strong leaders instead of strong institutions all around the globe, like in every crisis.

They fear the unknown and foreign, like in every crisis – as it was in the 1920s and ‘30s. It is like Groundhog Day, the film in which Bill Murray wakes up every morning to find he is living the same repeating day… until Murray realises that the way to move on from this never-ending Groundhog Day is to do something substantial and positive. If you want to change anything, just do something and wait for the result. Divine intervention is okay, but I wouldn’t wait for it. Get out of your Groundhog Day, or you’ll live it all over again. ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor-in-Chief

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HAPPY TROUBLED BIRTHDAY

WE ARE CONTINUING WITH OBTAINING GOOD RATINGS

60 years of the European Union

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JORGOVANKA TABAKOVIĆ

Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

THERE ARE NO ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOCRACY

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H.E. PERTTI JUHANI IKONEN Finnish Ambassador in Serbia

Professor VLADIMIR VUČKOVIĆ

PhD, member of the Serbian Fiscal Council

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SERBIAN SPRING?

THE OLDEST FAIR IN THE REGION

What will winter bring?

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LIBERLAND’S SECOND BIRTHDAY

MSc JELENA MARINKOVIĆ

VÍT JEDLIČKA

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President of the Free Republic of Liberland

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THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor in Chief

zikica.milosevic@color.rs TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editorial manager

tanja.bankovic@color.rs ILIJA PETROVIĆ ”INDIGOCHILD” Art director

ilija.petrovic @color.rs JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

jovana.markovic@color.rs

VANJA KOVAČEV

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ Magazine director

ruza.ristanovic@color.rs

PR&Event support Nord Communications

ROBERT ČOBAN

vanja.communications @gmail.com

Director

robert.coban@color.rs Photos

NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES MLADEN SEKULIĆ

Advertising manager

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TOP 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT NEM

natasa.nesic@color.rs DRAGANA RADOVIĆ

Advertising manager

dragana.radovic@color.rs

Translation and lecturer

New media market

RECOGNISED PROGRESS

EVAN WOHLMANN

Vice President, Senior Analyst, Moody’s

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RATINGS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS AND SERBIAN AUTHORITIES

Prof. DUŠAN VUJOVIĆ, Ph.D.

NEW FACES IN THE POLITICAL ARENA

MP, political analyst, NSPM Editor

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Executive Director for Integrated Marketing Communications, Novi Sad Fair

ĐORĐE VUKADINOVIĆ

D&C first birthday

Diplomacy&Commerce

A LOT STILL NEEDS TO BE FIXED

Minister of Finance in the Government of Serbia

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WHERE DO WE GO, WHERE DO WE GO NOW (SWEET CHILD O’ MINE)?

Generation ”WHY”

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CARRYING THE LEGACY OF SERBIAN RAKIJA FROM AUSTRALIA TO AMERICA

Stara Sokolova

MRP EDITORIAL

Translation SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

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60 YEARS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Happy Troubled Birthday Europe in different gears Now we have the Premier League, the Championship and the First Division. Although this might seem like a quick overview of English football, it is in fact the situation in the European Union these days. We are facing the cruel fact that there are three “leagues” inside one entity; an entity that was initially conceived as being rather monolithic, or at least with the idea of becoming such; a home of equals, or at least a home for all those who would become equal after joining. Of course, there was always a difference between Sweden and Portugal, or Germany and Bulgaria, but that difference has now been legalised.

CONVOY(S)

In analysing the European Union these days, Miroslav Lazanski reminded us of World War II and the strategy of British convoys from Canada and the USA: a convoy, specifically, must travel collectively at the speed of the slowest ship – otherwise, it is not a convoy if the faster ships speed far ahead and leave the slower members behind.

If the fastest ones move very far ahead, the “medium paced” ones are left somewhere in between, and the slowest vessels remain last, with significant gaps between them… Well, in that case you end up with three convoys, not one.

Siegmar Gabriel said that Germany had to understand that the German perspective is not the only one, and that it was far from accurate.

Europe looks quite different when viewed from the perspective of some other country. Let us recall Brexit and, of course, what a disaster it is for the European integration process. Still, Europe has its chance

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to bounce back – though it will not do so by breaking its own rules, like refusing the principle of unanimity in voting for Donald Tusk, who was blocked by his home country of Poland, and yet that still happened, merely causing another crack in the European ship. In the end, the vote of 27-1 was recorded as a “legal” and “majority vote”, which is a clear case of a majority replacing unanimity. Of course, Poland might choose not to obey the decision for which it did not vote, and that’s not a terribly good thing.

THE EUROPEAN DREAM

It was 60 years ago that the precursor to the European Union was founded, and at that time there was little doubt about what the objectives of such a union would be: to stop future wars and animosity; to promote a common market and democracy, and to cut bigotry at its roots etc. All of these are noble causes and, of course, the “hard core” of the Union was among

tatorships and being economically imperilled. But they were quickly converted into solid democracies, with standards comparable to those of Italy, France or Germany.

Later, in 1990, came yet another expansion: the GDR, East Germany.

It became part of a reunified Germany and, of course, the Germans tried so hard to make them equal to West Germany. Anyone who’s visited the former GDR can say that there is no difference, almost.

There was no problem in 1995, when two wealthy Scandinavian countries and Austria joined. But then, in 2004, came the “Big Bang”, with 10 new Southern and Eastern members. Some of them fared better than others, which proved rather mediocre. Then came the “political” expansion of 2007, with the accessions of Romania and Bulgaria, and yet another in 2013, with Croatia joining.

With such a large expansion, it seemed too much for the EU to be able to advance them all to be on

STOPPING ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOP LOWER QUALITY PRODUCTS. THAT IS WHAT THE EU’S 2ND AND 3RD DIVISION MEMBERS EXPECT. AND IF WE JOIN THE UNION SOMEDAY, WILL WE BECOME MEMBERS OF THE 3RD DIVISION, WHERE ROMANIA AND BULGARIA COMPETE? JUST SAYIN' the strongest economies: France, Germany, the Benelux countries and Italy. After De Gaulle stepped down, the UK joined – another strong member. But a challenge appeared in 1981 and 1985, when the EU was joined by poor Southern European economies, Greece, followed by Spain and Portugal, with their weak democratic traditions, having freshly emerged from dic-

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an equal footing with, say, Spain at the least. And after the Economic Crisis of 2008, that ‘South’ became vulnerable. Some 60% of Spanish solar power plants have closed down due to lack of funding. Great ideas are collapsing one after another. The Greeks direct explosive remarks towards Wolfgang Schäuble, angry at the fact that austerity measures mean they will

not recover for many decades; and the fact that Germany was forgiven after WWII, but is not forgiving others now.

OUR WARNING FROM FAILED FEDERATIONS

A gentle reminder: when Yugoslavia and the USSR fell apart, the difference between the richest and poorest members was 6:1 or more (Slovenia - AP Kosovo, Baltic republics and Tajikistan). There is now pretty much the same difference between Luxembourg and Bulgaria. And when we noticed the terrible fact that the EU is repeating the deadly routine of failed federations, what is the solution? Helping the poorest to be less poor? No! It is merely legalising the fact that there are “several Europes”, a few league divisions. The richest will go ahead, while those other guys can find their slow way. Needless to say it will only make the gap bigger.

Greece and Italy did not gain anything from the euro, which only served to deplete their economies.

So they could, for the sake of their economies, revert back respectively to the drachma and lira, which would be a legitimate move if Italy and Greece, along with Spain and Portugal, are consigned to Europe’s “second division”. Not to mention the petition among Eastern members to put a halt to the scandalous practise of the same brands having lower value in Czechia or Poland than they do in Germany or France; stopping assistance to develop lower quality products. That is what the EU’s 2nd and 3rd division members expect. And if we join the Union someday, will we become members of the 3rd Division, where Romania and Bulgaria compete? Just sayin'.

BR EX I T BEGI N S

Britain’s Brutal Encounter With Reality Time to be honest about the trade-offs ahead

NINE tumultuous months after Britons voted to leave the European Union, the real Brexit process is at last under way. Theresa May’s dispatch of a letter to the European Council on March 29th, invoking Article 50 of the EU treaty, marked the point at which Britain’s withdrawal from the union became all but inevitable. For half the country’s population this was a moment to celebrate; for the other half, including this newspaper, it marked a bleak day. The future of both camps—and of the EU itself—now depends on what Mrs May does next.

The negotiations are sure to be difficult. Time is short, since Article 50 comes with a two-year deadline. The task of unwinding Britain’s membership of the club is fearsomely complex. Neither side is well prepared. In Britain, where Brexit increasingly resembles a faith-based initiative, voters have been given wildly unrealistic expectations of the Utopia ahead. Their first contact with the reality of losing preferential access to their

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main market will be traumatic. Unless Mrs May can persuade the Brexiteers on her own side that they must accept concessions, Britain may end up flouncing out of Europe without any deal at all.

THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE SURE TO BE DIFFICULT. TIME IS SHORT, SINCE ARTICLE 50 COMES WITH A TWO-YEAR DEADLINE. THE TASK OF UNWINDING BRITAIN’S MEMBERSHIP OF THE CLUB IS FEARSOMELY COMPLEX. NEITHER SIDE IS WELL PREPARED CRUISING FOR A BRUISING

The timetable is tighter even than it looks.

The sides may spend weeks arguing over process. The EU wants to fix the terms of the Article

50 divorce, covering such matters as the rights of citizens resident in other countries and Britain’s multi-billion-euro exit bill, before starting work on a future trade deal; Mrs May wants to negotiate on everything at once. Nothing much will be agreed on before the German election in September. At the end of it all, ratifying the deal will take six months. That leaves little more than a year for the talks themselves.

Mrs May’s priority is to fulfil the Leave campaign’s promise to “take back control” by ending the free movement of EU citizens to Britain and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). She has acknowledged that this means leaving the EU’s single market. But leaving would be a mistake. Even if it takes control of immigration, Britain will not be able to cut the numbers much without damaging the economy, as ministers are slowly realising. And the government is wrong to claim that there exists some relationship with the single market that has all the benefits of membership with none of the costs.

It is true that many Britons backed Brexit because they wanted to cut immigration and regain sovereignty, but they did not vote to make themselves poorer—as Mrs May’s “hard Brexit” will. Her government has been characterised by U-turns and her letter this week was more emollient than some of her earlier statements. Even so, in thrall to Brexiteering backbenchers and the Eurosceptic press, she is unlikely to change course now.

Mrs May is not just making the wrong choices, but also downplaying awkward trade-offs.

By promising barrier-free access to the single market while stopping EU migrants and ending the ECJ’s jurisdiction, she is still telling Britons they can have their cake and eat it. Although she concedes that exporters to the EU will have to obey EU rules, the more Mrs May insists on controlling EU migration and escaping the ECJ, the less barrier-free will be Britain’s overall access to the single market. This is not just because free movement of people is a condition for the EU, nor because it will be hard to secure tariff-free access for trade in goods, something both sides can readily agree on. It is because the biggest obstacles swept away by the single market are not tariffs or customs checks, but non-tariff barriers such as standards, regulations and state-aid rules. Unless Britain accepts these, which implies a role for the system’s referee, the ECJ, it cannot operate freely in the single market—as even American firms trading in the EU have found.

BOXED INTO A CORNER

The most dangerous of Mrs May’s illusions has been her claim that no deal is better than a bad deal. Her letter this week steps back from this notion, but only a pace. To revert to trading with the EU only on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms would cause serious harm to Britain’s economy. It would mean the EU imposing tariffs plus a full panoply of non-tariff barriers on almost half Britain’s exports. No big country trades with the EU only on WTO terms. An acrimonious

UNLESS MRS MAY CAN PERSUADE THE BREXITEERS ON HER OWN SIDE THAT THEY MUST ACCEPT CONCESSIONS, BRITAIN MAY END UP FLOUNCING OUT OF EUROPE WITHOUT ANY DEAL AT ALL break-up would make it harder to co-operate in such areas as foreign policy and defence. And it would surely increase the risk of Brexit triggering Scotland’s exit from the United Kingdom.

Mrs May needs not merely to soften her tone, as she has started to do this week, but to lower expectations. Instead of threatening to undercut her European partners by building an unregulated Singapore-on-Thames (something that, despite its appeal to free-traders, would horrify most Brexit voters), or hinting that Britain might

co-operate less fully on security, or claiming that the EU needs Britain more than the other way round, she should accept that in these negotiations she holds the weaker hand. She should hence be more flexible over payments into the EU budget, a subject her letter skates over.

Because negotiating a full free-trade deal is certain to take more than two years—no country has concluded one with the EU in so short a time—she should accept another consequence: that transitional arrangements will be needed to avoid “falling off a cliff” in March 2019. Her letter talks airily of “implementation periods”, but does not acknowledge how hard these may be to sort out. A proper, time-limited transition might mean prolonging free movement of people and the rule of the ECJ, but that price would be worth paying for a better Brexit.

The softer tone of Mrs May’s letter might, with luck, encourage her EU partners to be more accommodating. So far they have reacted to threats from London in kind, talking up the exit bill, insisting that Britain ends up being worse off outside the club than inside and digging in over terms for co-operating in foreign and security policies. There is a possibility of a deal between Britain and the EU that minimises Brexit’s harm.

Unfortunately, in a negotiation against the clock where both sides start so far apart, there is also a big risk of one that maximises harm instead.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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I NTERVI EW

There are no Alternatives to Democracy

Finland has achieved so much by nourishing democracy that it is hard to believe it could be reversed. It has built an accountable and functioning state administration, it supports equality between its citizens and believes in power of education. We do not see better alternatives

H.E. PERTTI JUHANI IKONEN

Finnish Ambassador in Serbia

We spoke with H.E. Pertti Juhani IKONEN, Finnish Ambassador in Serbia about the building blocks of the Finish democracy, which proved to be resilient in spite of challenges for more than 100 years. The centennial is marked by altogether more than 2 000 events and projects in Finland and internationally. The absolute peak of Finish centenary celebrations in Belgrade was Tero Saarinen Company's performance in the Belgrade Dance Festival on 1st of April.

In 2017, Finland celebrates 100 years of independence and democracy. How strong is Finnish democracy in today’s world where democracy is strongly challenged in many places?

— In Finland, uninterrupted democracy has lasted for over 100 years, which means that we are very accustomed to it. What keeps our democracy strong and alive is a constant and open discussion on how we can do things better. Therefore, within our program for marking the centennial, a number of Finland 100 projects is assessing the state of democracy in Finland and pursuing new ways to participate and exert influence. We know that democracy is a never-ending process.

What are the building blocks of Finnish society that secured resilience of the country?

— Democracy, as we just mentioned, plays a key role, and not only in its procedural form but the one nourishing equality and fair-

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ness in the society. We have built an accountable and functioning state administration, providing high-quality services to all of its citizens on the basis of equality between the citizens. Finally, our belief in the power of education is the cornerstone of our success in practically all fields; Finland is a genuinely knowledge-based society.

is the dance of the icebreakers that will be performed on 6th December 2017, on our Independence Day. When we are talking about Belgrade, the absolute peak of our centenary celebrations was Tero Saarinen Company's performance in the Belgrade Dance Festival on 1st of April.

“Together” is the theme of the Suomi Finland 100 celebrations, showing that everyone is welcome to take part. Do you think that multicultural concept is still alive in Europe?

— In Serbia, the centennial has been celebrated by a series of events presenting Finnish design, music, cinema and dance as well as promoting Finnish business, and there are more events to come throughout the whole year. Furthermore, having in mind that Finland is the greenest country in the world, we set a goal to plant 100

— Of course it is alive, with all the challenges it has encountered.

However, throughout the last few years, it has become clear that we

How will Serbia take part in this celebration?

SERBIA'S EU INTEGRATION MEANS THAT FINLAND AND SERBIA ARE GETTING NOT ONLY CLOSER TO EACH OTHER, BUT GENUINELY AND INEVITABLE INTERCONNECTED need to search for new solutions best suited for given circumstances. I do not see other alternatives.

We have achieved so much with this concept that it is hard to believe it could be reversed and to advocate for isolation within national borders. Today’s world is too dynamic for that.

The centennial will be marked by altogether more than 2 000 events and projects in Finland and internationally. Which of them you would like to highlight?

— My favorite project in Helsinki

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trees in cities around Serbia. So far we have planted trees in Kragujevac, Nis and Belgrade, and our next stop is Sabac.

How do you see bilateral relations between our two countries?

— Our bilateral relations are very good and I am sure that they will continue to develop positively. Serbia's EU integration means that Finland and Serbia are getting not only closer to each other, but genuinely and inevitable interconnected. We would especially like to see more trade and investment between our

two countries and the Embassy is contributing actively towards this goal. We see many opportunities in the country and are happy to witness a growing interest of Finnish companies for Serbia.

What Serbia can learn from your example in building its democratic structures?

— Every society is a story in itself, but what we have proved, and what can serve as an example to others, is that respect for the democratic principles and rules really pays off.

We have worked persistently on building accountable and transparent state institutions that enjoy the trust of citizens. That kind of a system generates competent people in managing positions, but also well informed and aware citizens who are an active control mechanism if things go wrong.

How is Finland supporting Serbian EU accession process?

— Serbia has invested a lot into the reforms within the EU accession process. We have witnessed the results stemming from those efforts, and the opened negotiation chapters are only one part of that.

Finland strongly supports Serbia’s EU accession process, as we know that this process is a huge effort for any country. Besides the support that is channeled through the EU administration, we have had many Finnish experts who have shared their knowledge with their Serbian counterparts in order to assist Serbia's alignment with the EU policies and practices.

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OVERVI EW

PHOTO: Petar Markovic, RAS

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Serbian Spring?

What will winter bring?

Panic on the streets of Belgrade, panic on the streets of Novi Sad, and I wonder to myself… Of course, that’s the opening line of The Smiths’ timeless classic “Panic” from the mid-80s, with the lyrics slightly changed to fit the situation, but they fit perfectly – anywhere from Bucharest to Skopje, and now Serbia too. As we mentioned in the observation about the divided world and the troubles and tricks to ruling a deeply divided population, which is troubling both Mr Trump and Mrs May, the problems of different views and different truths persist… in Moscow and Minsk, in Washington DC and Istanbul. The Arab Spring turned into an Islamic Arab Winter, a disastrous result. What would a “Serbian Spring” bring?

Let us analyse what brought all these young people out onto the streets. Namely, the silence before the elections was quite awkward… as though nothing was happening. Election day was bright and all sides were pretty enthusiastic.

PM Vučić seemed destined to be the clear winner, either in the first round or the second. But then it all turned into protest. Why? WHY NOW?

Let us hear the first side, the young protesters. Every govern-

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ment has some troubled decisions and some obstacles in its way. Even Mr Fillon, a Thatcherite puritan in the French election, was ruined by an affair of corruption and nepotism, while people all around the world are tired of corruption and ties between politicians and money. That is why Hillary lost and why Romania was restless for weeks.

College students and school pupils name many things that have accumulated during SNS’s monolithic rule, like the “Savamala phantoms” affair, the overnight destruction of Remed’s mural in Novi Sad, the centralisation of power, the uneven media coverage of the government and the opposition, political party-based hiring, RTV firing, uni-

ment can lead to an accumulating of things that don’t show results immediately, but can erode power in the long run. The full monolithic power may feel comfortable, but that is often a trigger for protests.

We, as a generation spent, our entire student lives on the streets, protesting and whistling. The rule of Slobodan Milošević was, however, far weaker in terms of international support. Western support, after alignment with the Brussels Agreement and the requests of the IMF, as well as the support of Vladimir Putin, has made this government much more stable.

Milošević never had support in the West and the often unstable Yeltsin never cared. However, young people seem not to be convinced by the whole direction of developments. They are far less inclined towards the European Union as a concept (membership only), but they want a better life, while they feel like they are being dragged down. The majority of FDI relates to unskilled jobs of assembling

YOUNG PEOPLE, NO MATTER HOW PASSIVE THEY SEEM WHEN STARING AT THEIR MOBILES, INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS AND FACEBOOK PROFILES, ARE NOT STUPID form newspaper covers a few days before the elections and, of course, what made them really angry and imaginative in protests is the case of the fainting spectator in the studio (which prompted the satirical feigned “fainting” of protesters on the streets). The problem is that the self-confidence of every govern-

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final products for around 200+ euros per month, so dual education doesn’t mean much to them. They would rather be waiters in Greece during the season.

The Putin-Erdogan-Orban style of rule is quite appealing for many local leaders, but the combination of “EU direction, EU market and

Putin’s concentration of power” seems to work poorly in the heads of the young. This generation is not rebellious initially, but can be quite unpredictable when angry.

WILL THEY SUCCEED?

No... at least not if success means the government stepping down. The victory of PM Vučić was clear cut: 55:16. No sane person would step down. So, the point of these protests cannot be the overthrow of the government, no matter how “dictatorial” the protesters feel it is. The whole idea is more like “we noticed what you are doing, watch your back!” Young people, no matter how passive they seem when staring at their mobiles, Instagram accounts and Facebook profiles, are not stupid. The people notice that culture is not doing fine; that museums are still closed; that the country is being flooded with low-paid jobs, while cheap starlets rule the media space. Tycoons are doing well. They talk about moving abroad. That’s not a good solution. A better solution would be to create a parallel culture, an alternative media, a counter culture scene, bands and concerts, as an alternative to what they feel is “media darkness”. They can restore their dignity. If they did not vote en masse on Sunday, they can at least take this rebellious step to define themselves. A gentle reminder: next time you vote; next time you think about all these issues before the elections. Otherwise you just come across as someone who suddenly realised that there was an important business meeting, yesterday, which you missed.

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NATIONAL DAYS

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

in April

SYED ADIL GILANI

3rd April

New ambassador of Pakistan

Syed Adil Gilani is appointed new Pakistani ambassador to Serbia. He was born in 1944, and has B.E. (Civil) obtained 1966, from N.E.D. Engineering College, Karachi. A Civil Engineer by Profession has experience of 51 years in Pakistan and Nigeria in Public/Private Sector Government of Sindh 1966-1970, North Estate of Nigeria 1970-1975, Gammon Pakistan Ltd 1979-1989, Karachi Port Trust Government of Pakistan 1989-2000, Project

Management and Advisory Services since 2000. Member as Port Consultant of the Sub-Working Group on Ports & Shipping, Government of Pakistan for Five Year Plan 2005-2010. He is an anti-corruption expert and founder member of Transparency International Pakistan. Chairman since 2000 of TI Pakistan 2006-2011 and advisor from July 2011-2016. He served as Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission Consultant 2015 – 2017.

GUINEA Independence Day

17th April

SYRIA Evacuation Day

27th April

THE NETHERLANDS King’s Day

27th April

KIRIL TJURDENYEV

MILOŠ ĐURKOVIĆ

New General Manager at the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS)

Director of Technology and Media Practice in Adriatic Region

The Board of Directors of NIS AD Novi Sad has decided to appoint Kirill Tyurdenev, former First Deputy Director General of NIS for processing and marketing as a new CEO. Kirill Vladimirovich Tyurdenev was born on 19 April 1977. He graduated from the Faculty of International Relations and he has Masters in International Law (with specialisation) at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He also earned a Masters in Law (LL.M) from the University of Manchester. He was also trained in the programme for executives in international business school INSEAD and the London Business School. From 2000 to 2004 he worked in companies AT Kearney and Unilever. In 2004 he started to work at McKinsey&Co. From 2007 to 2012 he worked as Deputy General Director for Strategy and Corporate Development of the Company ”Sibur - Mineral Fertilisers”. From 2012, he was the executive vice president and member of the Executive Board of AFK ”Sistema”. Before coming to the NIS, Kirill Tyurdenev served as president and chairman of the Management Board of OAO ”Unified Oil and Chemical Company” which was at the moment inside a group AFK ”Sistema”, as President of the Board of Directors of ”Ufaorgsintez”. In April 2016, he started working with NIS Novi Sad, at the position of the First Deputy Director General for processing and sale.

He was elected member of the Board of Directors' of NIS Novi Sad on 8 December 2016 and was appointed to the function of Director General of NIS Novi Sad on 22 March 2017.

Prior to joining Amrop, Miloš Đurković accumulated over 20 years of leadership experiences in Serbia and neighboring countries. His professional experiences include General Manager role at Hewlett Packard and IBM as well as Head of the Representative Office role at CISCO Systems, responsible for the markets of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.

He started his professional career in research & development and manufacturing before he specialized in sales and leadership in Technology Sector.

Miloš is Graduated from University of Belgrade, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Between 2011 and 2014 he was President of American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia. He is a member of The Board of Directors at Piraeus Bank Serbia. He is also active member of Association of Serbian Corporate Directors, Serbian Association of Managers and Vice-President of the Rowing Club “Red Star”.

At Amrop, Miloš’s main focus will be strategic development of Technology and Media Practice in Adriatic region where he will conduct searches for board level executives and senior professionals.

SANJA LALEVIĆ - CVETKOVIĆ

New president of the IAB Serbia Assembly

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Diplomacy&Commerce

Members of the IAB Serbia have appointed Sanja Lalević – Cvetković, head of digital in Direct Media, as the new president of the IAB Serbia's Assembly for a three-year-term.

Sanja is Head of Digital in one of the most successful communication agencies in the region, closely working with the biggest digital advertisers in the market. She has worked on award winning projects, as well as ground breaking technologies for the agency clients. Over a decade long marketing experience on

both media and agency sides has helped her to see the big picture on her mission to finding the holy grail of the advertising industryhow to achieve maximum ROI. Sanja’s experience over the years has included working with global giants in telco, FMCG and banking among others on over 500 digital campaigns throughout her career.

Operating through its bodies and having 80 corporative members, IAB Serbia is the biggest self-regulating training and expert centre of online advertising industry in Serbia.

SOUTH AFRICA Freedom Day

NENAD MIŠČEVIĆ

New commercial director of Pepsico Western Balkans

The PepsiCo Company has appointed Nenad Miščević as the new commercial director for the Western Balkan area which includes the company's operations in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prior to being appointed to this position, Miščević had been the Sales Strategy, New Business Development and Trade Marketing Manager in PepsiCo Western Balkans.

For the first time since its arrival to the Western Balkans in 2008, PepsiCo has appointed a local manager to run the company.

Nenad Miščević has over seven years of experience in various sales positions in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He had an important role in setting high standards in sales, implementation of innovation, and successful realization of sales strategies. By carrying out significant improvements and managing profitable customer initiatives, Nenad Miščević lead the PepsiCo Western Balkans to become the recipient of the IS&OP platinum certificate in 2016 for excellence in businees process thus securing the company’s growth trajectory. Nenad Miščević graduated from the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Economics.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

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I NTERVI EW Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Liberland’s Second Birthday No man’s land, no more.

Now it is Liberland

VÍT JEDLIČKA

President of the Free Republic of Liberland

Liberland, officially the Free Republic of Liberland, is a micronation claiming a parcel of disputed land on the western bank of the Danube river, between Croatia and Serbia. It was first proclaimed on 13 April 2015 by Czech politician and activist Vít Jedlička.

Namely, Serbia doesn’t give up the territory on the left bank of Danube but refusing to take the portions on the right bank. Croatia refuses to take territories on the West bank, and – voila! Unclaimed territory, perfect for a new state.

We talked to President Vít Jedlička on the occasion on the proclamation of statehood.

Why did you decide to start a new country?

— I believe it is much better to start a new country then to try to fight already existing and usually broken systems. Most of the countries are over regulated and over taxed. European Union alone has made it quite difficult to do business in Europe with now more then 200,000 pages of regulations. We decided to form a new country for all liberty loving people around the world that share our national believe in freedom.

We can see that places like Monaco, Hong Kong or Lichtenstein are quite prosperous so why don't we copy the same mode on Balkans?

— First of all it is three times larger than Monaco and we know that in Monaco there is around 37 thousand living people. So we can comfortably fit as much as 100 thousand people. Right now we have some 440,000 people signed up from all around the world so we will have to be a bit picky in who we will accept as resident. More than 1200 architects applied for citizenship as well.

Some of them very famous like Patrick Schumacher, CEO of Zaha Hadid. He helped to organise architectural competition and we received many interesting submissions. You can see and read all about it in our latest brochure.

— We are going to take care only of basic services that state should offer namely security, justice and diplomacy. We believe that state should not run thousands of other things like for example education or healthcare system. Private sector is usually much better i providing these services. We also believe that state should collect very little taxes so that people can spend their money according to their own wish. We have introduced concept of voluntary taxation which basically allow anybody to pay as much as they want and directly to the service that

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF CREATING LIBERLAND IS TO BE A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR OTHER COUNTRIES IN TERMS OF MINIMUM REGULATION, MINIMAL TAXES AND STATE OF ART MODEL OF GOVERNANCE

What are your plans with the territory? Liberland is just 7 square kilometers how do you plan to fit all the people that applied for citizenship.

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How Liberland will be different from the other countries?

Diplomacy&Commerce

they want to support in Liberland.

The territorial claim of Liberland is quite reasonable: Serbia does not want the territories on the Western side of Danube, and does not want to cede the ones on the Eastern side. So, your „country“ is quite legal under the terms of the international laws, right?

— The Chicago Journal of International Law confirmed your observation with an in-depth analysis.

Liberland was created on one of the few pieces of land where it is legally possible. The Serbian Foreign Ministry officially confirmed eleven days after we founded the country that they have no issues with our claim and Croatia has confirmed that de facto by building up border between Liberland and Croatia.

Luckily international law is quite friendly to process of building up new countries. The right to self-determination is deeply imbedded in Charter of United Nations and other important documents.

Was the primary purpose of Liberland to show the senselessness of the territorial claims and obsessions with borders, especially in the Balkans?

— No. The primary purpose of creating Liberland is to be a good example for other countries in terms of minimum regulation, minimal taxes and state of art model of governance. Yes there is a lot of obsession about the borders on Balkans but people also fairly used to creation of new countries.

With Liberland we want to bring

strong prosperity to the whole region. There are already more than 65,000 entrepreneurs signed up with interest to open up business in Liberland. Our economists have calculated that we would bring more than 1 percent of GDP growth to both countries. These estimates are made according to experience with creation of Hong Kong and similar freedom oriented enclaves.

Croatian parliament. We are stopping for evening program in Baja, Hungary but most of the program will happen inside of Liberland on the Danube River. It will be time for us to celebrate and socialize but also lunch a number of new projects.

How do you rate the rise of nationalism and populism in Europe and elsewhere? Are plurinational (multinational) states in danger?

— In the following month we are lunching number of state registries, namely company, ship and car registry. We also proudly announce that Liberland will be the first country where companies will be able to issue shares in state of art for - as a crypto currency. In not so distant future you will be able to see ships floating under Liberland flag and cars with Liberland license plates.

— Most successful nations like Switzerland and the United States are multinational just like Liberland. Their strength comes from the fact that they had in the past a very limited government and lots of liberties for its people. If the rise of nationalism is based on the liberty movement it is a healthy thing.

If it is based on other things such as race or religion, it is unhealthy.

Liberland is according to some

“FAMILY BUSINESSES – PILLAR OF SERBIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT”

What are the most recent projects Liberland government is working on?

What is the future of your project?

— By the end 2017 we are projecting to have one million applicants for citizenship and to gain firm

WE HOPE TO DEVELOP EXCELLENT RELATIONS WITH BOTH OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND BECOME A STABLE PIN ON BALKANS MAP WHERE ANYBODY CAN COME TO DO BUSINESS OR SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS

Velimir Gavrilović, ENERGIA Gas and Power, Katarina Đulić, KPMG, Bojana Vranješ, Advantis Broker and Minja Bolesnikov, Grand Motors

A business conference about family-run companies took place in the 88 Rooms Hotel in Belgrade, organized by Color Press Group and the Pro Educa education centre. The conference was opened

by President of the association of Italian companies in Serbia – Confindustria, Eric Kosuta, Director of the Strategic Planning, Development and Analysis Department of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Aleksandar Kemiveš, and President of Color Press Group, Robert Čoban. The experts from this branch talked about the challenges, problems and innovations family businesses have been having.

The main sponsor of the conference, the ENERGIA Gas and Power Company spoke about their business activities in the shape of a case study presented by the company’s director Velimir Gavrilović who underlined that his company was the second biggest power supplier in Serbia, and that their target group was small and medium enterprises.

Minja Bolesnikov, Executive Director of the Grand Motors Company, which was also one of the sponsors, said that their company did not experience problems with generational transition and hiring external associations because they adhered to the right postulates.

A cocktail party, sponsored by Carlsberg, was held to mark the end of the conference.

Erich Cossutta, President of Confindustria Serbia

world media the most ideologically empowered nation on earth and I truly believe they are right. Nations and countries are as successful as much they agree o liberties and functional government.

How are you celebrating your second anniversary on 13th of April?

— Government of Liberland and number of prominent speakers is going for a boat ride from Budapest to Liberland. We are happy to have on board also some members of

ground in international organisations such as UNPO. We will also start building basic infrastructure and have advanced systems for our justice system and security to be in place. In the long term we would like to be the most developed country on earth that will help to spark growth in the whole Balkan region. We hope to develop excellent relations with both of our neighbors and become a stable pin on Balkans map where anybody can come to do business or solve their problems.

Velimir Gavrilović – Director of ENERGIA Gas and Power

ENERGIA Gas and Power

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D&C FI RST BIRTHDAY

First Anniversary of Diplomacy & Commerce Diplomacy&Commerce magazine celebrated its first birthday at Mikser House. The guests were able to enjoy in the food representing ten international cuisines, prepared by the renowned Belgrade restaurants: Tricolore, Mezestoran Dvorište, Dukat, Go Sushi, Hummus Bar, Kovač, Šaran, Wurst Platz Bar i Hrana Mediterana , as

well as in the premium Serbian wines, Temet, Aleksić i Kovačević, homemade rakija Stara Sokolova, iQOS- the very new brand of PMI, New castle beer -Heineken company, as well as champaign vidi sa Savickom, and the entertainment provided by the bands Sputnik and The Gift.

The celebration was attended by many guests including the repre-

Robert Čoban, H.E Kyle Scott, U.S. Ambassador and Nevena Scott

Diplomacy&Commerce

Giuseppe Manzo, the Slovenian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Vladimir Gasparič, presidents and directors of foreign chambers of commerce (German, French, American, Croatian, Slovenian, Greek, Italian), head of UNICEF Serbia Michel Saint-Lot, head of EBRD office in Serbia, Daniel Berg, a UN representative Karla Robin Hershey and many others.

Marko Stanković, Milana Petrović, Danijela Vujošević, Tatjana Dujko, Svetlana Glumac, Mladen Šarčević and Vladimir Vučković

Nataša Lozović, Snežana Goršek, Goran Križ, Danijela Fišakov and Tamara Sarić

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sentatives of the Serbian government, diplomatic corps, and the figures from the Serbian political, cultural and public scene including Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Šarčević, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Marko Čadež, the US Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Mr. Kyle Scott, the Italian Ambassador H.E. Mr.

Marko Čadež, Ruža Ristanović, Vladimir Vučković

Jelena Sadler and Radomir Aničić

H.E. Sheikh Mubarak Fahad J.M. AL-THANI, Quatar Ambassador

Tanja Banković and Branislav Bugarski

Massimo Stronati President Confcooperative Lavoro e Servizi Italia, Oliver Lepori with colleagues

Charalambos Kounalakis with spouse

Goran and Olja Draganić

H.E. Giuseppe Manzo, Italian Ambassador

Ivan Miletić and Dragan Penezić

Simon Franko, General manager BASF Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, Nataša Nešić and Miroslav Brnjak, Team Leader of Communications & Government Relations, BASF Central Europe East

Barbara Bojović, Ana Abramović, Ruža Ristanović, Jovana Marković

Ruža Ristanović and Nataša Đurđević

H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, Ambasador of Mexico, H.E. Dae Jong Yoo, Ambassador of Korea and H.E. Tomasz Niegodzisz, Polish Ambassador

Muamer Zukorlić and Samir Tandir

Vlatko Sekulović, Law office

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H.E. Philippe Gérald Guex, Swiss Ambassador, H.E. Ricardo Fernando Fernández, Ambassador of Argentina and Michel Saint-Lot, UNICEF

H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, Ambasador of Mexico and H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Algerian Ambassador

H.E. Branislav Mićunović Montenegrin Ambassador

Nemanja Radović, Katarina Krstajić and Darko Nikčević

Dragan Lupšić, Andrea Radonjić, Ruža Ristanović, Marko Milanković

Đorđe Odavić Biljana Bobić Subin, Aleksandar Subin

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Diplomacy&Commerce

Robert Čoban, President of Color Press Group

Dragoljub Zečević, Ruža Ristanović, Lazar Stanić, Jovana Vujadinović and Tanja Banković

Marija Bošković, Predrag Ćulibrk, Natalija Jegdić

Milka Forcan

H.E.Tanju Bilgiç Turkish Ambassador

Vladimir Čakan, Owner at C Dental Center and Nenad Stanković, world champion in boxing

Sanja Gligorić, New Kunst & Sago and Ilija Petrović, Art Director, Diplomacy&Commerce

Jasmina Stojanov, Sanda Savić with friends

Milica Ožegović, Ronald Seeliger, Doris Danilović

Ivan Lalić, Vesna Savić Đukić, Robert Čoban Natalija Popović, Miodrag Bogić

Color Media Communications and Diplomacy&Commerce team

H.E. Philip Pinnington, Kanadian Ambassador with spouse

Gordana Predić and Zoran Sekulić

Tijana Škorić Tomić and Marija Vicić

Srđan Šaper, I&F McCann Grupa

Divna Anđelić, Milica Đokić, Robert and Sandra Čoban

The Gift and Sputnik bands

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D&C AWARDS 2017

Winners of the „Diplomacy & Commerce Awards 2017“

Diplomacy&Commerce magazine celebrated its first anniversary at Mikser House and on tat ocassion the magazine gave out its awards to individuals, companies and organizations that had distin-

guished themselves in humanitarian work, CSR activities, fusing business and education, culture, sport, contribution to improving conditions for doing business, bilateral cooperation, civil society and advancing economic environment in Serbia. The jury com-

prised of the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Marko Čadež, a member of the Serbian Fiscal Council Vladimir Vučković, the president of Color Press Group Robert Čoban, and Director of Diplomacy&Commerce magazine Ruža Ristanović.

AWARD FOR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY FOR THE PROJECT

“SERBIAN VISIONS”

MARTIN KNAPP

Director of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

As representatives of the German-Serbian business community in Serbia, we are very pleased that many companies and organizations are able, beside corporate responsibility in the frame of their own business, to recognize the importance of social responsibility of national interest.

In the matter of social significance, the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce provides a special event, the multi-con-

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Diplomacy&Commerce

gress „Serbian Visions“, where we give a chance and free space for NGO-s and other institutions to represent and communicate their projects and campaigns of social significance to a wide audience. For those who haven’t visited Serbian Visions so fare, I would like to explain that Serbian Visions is a kind of a festival of civil society. On a weekend, 60 NGOs, as well as institutes, media and companies meet in a hotel.

Each of these organizations gets a ballroom for two hours in order to organize an event inviting all its partners and friends. In this way, we organize a two days lasting meeting of thousands of people sharing one goal: they want to improve life in Serbia by their private commitment in some area. I brought this idea and this format from Athens, where I have previously worked as the managing director of the German-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. I’m very proud that the Board of AHK Serbia gladly supported this proposal. Today, Serbian Visions has become something like an institution. I would like to thank D&C for this award.

We have asked the award recipients, both companies and individuals, to tell as what does this award mean to them and their plans for 2017?

AWARD FOR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMY, GIVEN BY THE MAGAZINE’S EDITORS

MARKO ČADEŽ

President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

I think that we can all see that things have really changed for better in the last two to three years, and that, when policies are devised in a clear manner, good results are inevitable. We can see that in growth, in companies that are now exporting much more than before, and in certain economic segments which have recorded a double-digit growth. If we set clear goals, results will not disappoint. We are also aware today that politics and political decision makers are cooperating much more and want to hear what businesses think of the economy. After all, it is these businesses that „live“ in the economy every day.

AWARD FOR ADVANCING BILATERAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

THE GERMAN-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RONALD SEELIGER

President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO ADVANCEMENT OF BUSINESS CONDITIONS

SERBIAN ASSOCIATION OF MANAGERS (SAM)

JELENA BULATOVIĆ

Executive Director of Serbian Association of Managers (SAM)

This is the first award that we got as an association, and it really means a lot to us because we have always played the other role, namely the role of promoting and giving award to the best individuals and companies. We are glad that the jury has recognized our efforts on improving the business environment and building managerial capacities. We think that it is equally important to dedicate attention to development of people who are running companies and improvement of business environment because there are no strong companies without strong managers. The Serbian Association of Managers has great plans for 2017.

Since 10th February, we have had a new president and a new managing board that numbers 25 successful and accomplished managers. We have been working a lot with our members, organizing educational, networking and promotional events, as well as having many other activities that contribute to development of managers, and promotion of leadership, best companies, best business practices and responsible and sustainable business. Our role is to share and transfer best practices, the know-how and experience of our members not only to other managers but also to young people who represent future generations.

AWARD FOR THE BEST SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CAMPAIGN

HEINEKEN SRBIJA FOR THE “GUYS, WHO DRIVES HOME?” CAMPAIGN BILJANA BOBIĆ SUBIN

Corporate Relations Manager at Heineken Srbija

German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce is very pleased to receive both of the awards. One for the innovation and establishment of bilateral commerce, which is truly (let’s say) our mission (in our meaning).

As you probably know, we have over 300 member companies, we employ over 30 000 people, we are exporting and importing a lot of goods and I think this is just a recognition of more investors to come.

The other one is for the part that we are doing on the side, that is actually not on the side. It’s social work, it’s non-governmental support, because we truly believe that strengthening the Serbian society will do good for the country, so we are very pleased and honored to receive both of them tonight. The association is merely oriented to promote Serbia to companies in foreign countries, like Germany, so they can come here, work and establish companies. For this year especially, we are focusing on dual education, because we truly believe that German model of dual education makes a difference. It would be led (driven) by entrepreneurs and companies, because that’s the way it works quiet well in Germany.

AWARD FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION AND INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

I&F MCCANN GROUP FOR SUCCESSFUL EXPANSION TO NORDIC COUNTRIES

TIJANA ŠKORIĆ TOMIĆ

Executive Director I&F McCann Group

We are happy and honoured that this honourable jury has recognized our expansion into Norway, Swededn, Finland and Denmark as an important and innovative business move in the year when we celebrate 20 years of successful operations of I&F McCann Group. The award for business innovation is a recognition of our effort, courage and vision to step into the Nordic region and connect south and north of Europe thus making Belgrade the hub of creativity. I&F McCann Group has around 600 employees and, with this investment, it has consolidated its operations in 12 countries in Southeast Europe and Nordic region which combined have the population of 58 million. In regard

to our plans for the future, we are definitely going to consider expanding to other markets too. Our business strategy has always been based on pushing the limits in terms of services we provide and markets on which we are expanding to, as well as in terms of constantly being a „breeding ground“ for talented people. I am proud of the fact that we have been gathering curious, creative and educated young people, and inspirational and successful partners with whom we have been developing long and successful cooperation. The strength of our company is based on all people that we have been working on for the past 20 years hence our motto – „The Power of People“.

For the fourth consecutive year, Heineken launched and led the socially responsible campaign called “Guys, who drives home?”. This award means a lot to us, because it proves that we are heading in the right direction. I am also glad to see that Diplomacy&Commerce has recognised the importance of the campaign. Our idea was to promote responsible consumption of alcohol in an interesting and innovative way, and to offer young people attending major music festivals a safe ride home.

We are doing the same again this year. So, just relax and enjoy yourself responsibly, because Heineken Serbia is driving you home.

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AWARD BUSINESS & SPORT

KNJAZ MILOŠ, PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AQUA VIVA AND THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CAMPAIGN „LET'S GET OUR CHILDREN MOVING“

SVETLANA GLUMAC

Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director at the Moji Brendovi Company

After the training sessions conducted in February and March, at which each elementary school in Serbia was represented by one of their teachers, we have continued with training in school premises. The project authors have prepared an excellent and very instructive manual which will help with effortlessly devising exercises together with pupils. No special equipment, time or premises are needed to do these exercises since all of them can be done in classrooms. Because the weather is improving, the teachers will now have more opportunities to do the suggested exercises in school yards and on sports grounds.

The exercises shown in the manual are perfect for small breaks between classes, as well as for physical education classes. Pupils are quite enjoying in being training

instructors to their peers.

A special benefit of this project comes from the fact that teachers can pick and choose exercises and equipment depending on the pupils they are working with, the premises in which they are exercising, and the overall school resources. In May 2017, the education advisors from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development will be monitoring the project in 5% of elementary schools with the view of collecting data about the initial results. Generally speaking, we think that everyday lives of pupils and schools are going to greatly benefit from this project This campaign is an incentive for all other companies to get involved in numerous projects that the Ministry is about to launch. We have many projects in the pipeline like

It is my great pleasure and honour to find out that the Knjaz Miloš Company is the recipient of this prestigious award for the „Let's Get our Children Moving“ campaign. The Moji Brendovi Company is recognized for as a socially responsible company which has Knjaz Miloš, Bambi and Imlek under its umbrella.

After many years of trying, we have finally succeed in getting physical education back to our schools as it was before with the help of the Ministry of Education and the Alliance of Physical Education Teachers. Thanks to the Knjaz Miloš Company, the pupils of the first four grades at 1,206 elementary schools in Serbia are now going to exercise 15 minutes a day, on top of having regular PE classes. The Moji Brendovi Company is continuing with its

socially responsible activities in other subsidiaries. Imlek is a very socially responsible company that has been focusing on small children while Bambi is more geared towards high school students. We are closely listening to market and community needs and we will always jump in when our help is needed in emergency situations.

We are not going to sit still. This is also a great opportunity to invite other companies to acknowledge this need and join in socially responsible activities. With our example, we have demonstrated that good things are happening and that something is shifting in Serbia for better. Our company brands have been an integral part of growing up for many generations and we are going to continue investing in our youngsters and their development.

MLADEN ŠARČEVIĆ

Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development

the PISA testing and PISA teams, the TIMS testing and the TIMS Council, financial literacy, regular sporting activities for older students, robotics and IT, entrepreneurship, e-education and other. Certain companies

have already expressed interest in participating in these projects. Once we decide on the details, we are going to inform the public about the companies that are going to be our partners in all of these projects.

AWARD - BUSINESS & EDUCATION

DIRECT MEDIA FOR THE „EXPERIENCE TESLA“ PROJECT

MILICA MARKOVIĆ

Corporate Communications Director at Direct Media

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Diplomacy&Commerce

This award comes at a very special moment for us because it coincides with the project that we are implementing in the year when we are celebrating 15th anniversary of Direct Media. This is also a special moment for Color Press Group which is marking the first anniversary of its Diplomacy&Commerce magazine. In addition to the Nikola Tesla Museum, the first VR exhibition about Nikola Tesla can be seen via a mobile phone application, both in the English and Serbian language.

This exhibition is all about Tesla’s vision where spatial and time distances are irrelevant. With this project we wanted to share a unique experience of interacting with the great scientist with his admirers all over the world who cannot visit the museum. We would like to thank the jury that acknowledged our effort to make some of Tesla’s doctrines available to wider audiences through modern technology.

Social responsibility is an important part of Direct Media’s operations, and business is meaningful only if it gives back to the community and the market. This is what has marked our 15-year-long existence in various ways, and is one of the values of our system which we have been constantly developing.

AWARD FOR THE BIGGEST CHARITY CONTRIBUTION

This award means a lot and it’s a recognition of our Food donation project „Feed the ones in need“ which provides meals for more than 10.000 beneficiaries in Serbia. At this moment in project are involved 165 Maxi, Tempo and Shop&Go stores, which provide fresh food for 60 charities. All of our 12 thousand associates have been contributing and were involved every day for two years now. We showed in practice what solidarity and humaneness are, and ask of everyone to be more responsible with excess food. We are inviting other companies to join us in making the world around us better.

We have to be responsible and together we can do great things. Delhaize Serbia is the biggest food donor in Serbia and our plan is to be even better neighbor to our community. Last year we recycled 10.000 t of waste, donated more than 1.000 tones of food and we have offered to our customers healthy kid’s meal „SupeRučak“.

DELHAIZE SERBIA FOR THE “HELPING THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE TO HAVE” PROJECT

QUENTIN ROYER

COO Delhaize Serbia

AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY

TELEKOM SERBIA

AWARD FOR THE BEST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE COMPANY

COCA COLA

PREDRAG ĆULIBRK

CEO of Telekom Serbia

This prestigious award gives us a boost and a task to continue with promoting social responsible activities. This year, Telekom Serbia celebrates its 20th anniversary and we are proud of the fact that, for two decades, we have been operating in the spirit of a responsible corporate citizen and host who has been fostering good relations with its employees, customers and business partners, as well as with the community in which it operates. As a company that is present in every part of Serbia and which has a strong regional presence, we are always implementing projects with many participants which influence affects many social spheres. Our socially responsible campaigns

like “When driving, park your phone!”, “Choose how to Communicate”, and “Tesla’s Time Machine” all show that we like to push the envelope in socially responsible business, that we are not afraid of opening topics that nobody has dealt with before, and that we always put the wellbeing of our citizens ahead of company’s profit. Furthermore, Telekom Serbia has always recognized the importance of supporting young people and education. Our programme MTS StartUp SpeedUp and MTS App Competition through which we provide both financial and mentorship support and promote entrepreneurial thinking in young people are both good examples of that.

AWARD FOR CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE

PORTO MONTENEGRO

KRISTINA ŠKANATA

PR Coordinator at Porto Montenegro

TANJA PETROVIĆ

Marketing Director of Coca Cola

We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary next year, and this award encourages us to continue along the same path that has brought us this far. We cannot be successful and operate well if we don't help with the development of the community in which we operate. Coca Cola has many brands and products, as well as many programmes covering various segments. One of the programmes we have been working on and have taken the first steps in is increasing the employability of young people, as unemployment is a major problem in Serbia. We are implementing a project called “High Five Future”, which pro-

vides opportunities for young people to improve their skills. Over 200 high schoolers participated in this year’s programme, which we are continuing to implement. On the other hand, through our Rosa Water brand, we have been working to help increase the birth rate in Serbia, as well as improving the living conditions of future parents. We are also planning to open a parenthood school in Serbia, thereby providing our contribution to improving the lives of future parents here. The third project, which is probably one of the most important, is Coca Cola’s establishing of 45 socalled active zones all over Serbia.

As representatives of one of the major private investors, I would like to underline that we see Tivat as the town of the future. Over 2.5 million EUR has been invested in the local community through various donations and sponsorships.

We are going to strongly focus on affirming and supporting education, as the biggest capital and potential in any society. The success of this project should not be measured by the amount of money that we are donating, which did amount to over 100,000 EUR in this segment last year alone. This project also demonstrates our satisfaction with investing in formal and informal education.

The „Together for Community“ project has been particularly well received in public. The project entails the employees of Porto Montenegro being given a day off in order to participate in charities that the company is funding. This year, we are going to roll up our sleeves, take up some tools and renovate classrooms, sports grounds, parks and playgrounds.

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BUSINESS & ART AWARD

VOJVOĐANSKA BANK AND MATICA SRPSKA'S GALLERY FOR THE PROJECT „BE RESPONSIBLE IN CULTURE“

MARINOS VATHIS

Chairman of Vojvođanska Bank a.d. Novi Sad's Executive Board

This award is very important for us because it eliminates the prejudice that art and culture, on one side, and business, on the other, don't go hand in hand. We have provedn here that a good partnership is possible between one of the oldest cultural institutions and one of the oldest banks in Vojvodina. We have helped them with handling their art collection and presenting at the highest standards, while they have helped us in what is still our biggest challenge – modernizing the building that houses the Gallery of Matica Srpska, adapt the building front and make it accessible to everyone wanting to see the Gallery. We will continue cooperating with Vojvođanska Bank because we want to exhibit their paintings collection in Belgrade, under the auspices of the project called „The Caravan of Paintings“, and show Serbia some of the Bank's most important art pieces. In 2018, we plan to publish this collection in the shape of a monograph and thus permanently nurture the artistic values that are kept at Vojvođanska Bank.

BUSINESS & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AWARD

GRAND MOTORS AND VOLVO BRAND

For us, CSR is a very important function of our bank. We believe strongly in returning back to society as much as we can, beacuse we live and exist because of society. For me, there is only one winner of this award, not whoever goes up to receive the reward, but the society. Society is the winner, always. There are three pillars of CSR (We have three pillars that we follow in CSR). One has to do with helping children without parental care to go out in a real world and start working and start living with all the tools poenta that we can give them. Second is the athletics, through our support to Serbian Olympic Committee and third is art and culture, which we believe is the vehicle which transfers culture to the younger.

TIJANA PALKOVLJEVIĆ

Head of Matica Srpska's Gallery

AWARD FOR BEST FOUNDATION

TELENOR FOUNDATION

MILAN ARSIĆ

Sales Director at Volvo

“This is a very important award for the Grand Motors Company, and especially for the Volvo brand which we represent in Serbia, because Volvos are known for being diplomatic cars. By winning this award, the new Volvo S90 has yet again proven itself as one of the best and safest cars. Although it has been less than a year since its launch, Volvo S90 already occupies an exceptional position in the premium sedan segment in European and numerous other global markets thanks to its modern exterior, the generously equipped interior, the top-notch safety equipment, the famous Swedish manufacturing quality, and a wide range of powerful, energy-saving and very environmentally friendly engines.

On top of all the technological and safety innovations, by incorporating

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powerful and fuel-efficient engines and sophisticated systems for the containment of greenhouse gases, there has been a huge improvement in driving dynamics, performance and driving pleasure. To illustrate the safety technology in this model, we would just like to mention that Volvo, with its S90 sedan, is steadily moving towards fulfilling its promise that, by 2020, all new Volvo vehicles will be so safe that nobody would lose their lives or become seriously injured while driving them. In addition to its other brands, the Grand Motors Company plans to expand its capacity this year and to open a new dealership, new showroom and new service outlet for Volvo cars that would be representative of European quality.

All of this will happen very soon.”

Diplomacy&Commerce

MARIJA VUJANIĆ

Communications and Sustainable Development Director

This year, the Telenor Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Serbia. Over the last decade, we have implemented over 300 projects with more than 150 partners. Hence, the awards like this one are important to us because they show us that the community in which we operate values what we do.

At the same time, we are glad that the Foundation has been recognized as an initiator of topics which serve to overcome challenges in various social development segments with the help of digital solutions.

Ever since we have arrived to this market, we have been trying to operate in a responsible and

reliable manner. We know that everything we do impacts our employees, customers, partners and environment in the widest possible meaning of that word.

Being are aware of potential dangers and negative aspects of the Internet, in 2017, we are going to continue focusing on online education and protection, especially when it comes to children. We are also goiong to continue with our education-related activities, inclusion of socially vulnerable groups, culture and environmental protection. Our success is creating a connected society in which we can create equal opportunities for everybody.

M EDI C I N E O R P O I S O N ?

Amending Obamacare Could Break Parts of the Health-insurance Market It is far from clear that the Republican plan will work

For such an important bill, it has an unusually simple name. On March 6th Republicans in the House unveiled—and President Donald Trump endorsed—the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The bill would overhaul Obamacare, which Republicans have decried since its passage in 2010. Its nickname is “Ryancare” after Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House.

Obamacare had two main ingredients: an expansion of Medicaid (health insurance for the poor); and a reform of the so-called “individual” health-insurance market, which serves those who are not covered through an employer. Republicans say both bits are failing. Their proposed fixes may not fare much better.

First, Medicaid. In compliant states, Obamacare expanded eligibility for the programme to all those earning less than 138% of the federal poverty line, or $16,400 for an individual in 2017.

So far, this has boosted Medicaid’s rolls by 12m, which accounts for nearly three-fifths of the improvement in health-insurance coverage since 2010. (Then, 16% of Americans went uninsured; today, only 8.8% do.)

The new bill would, in stages, remove federal funding for Medicaid’s expansion after 2020. At the same time, it would change how the federal government funds health care for those left in the programme. Currently, Washington helps pick up the tab for the medical expenses of those enrolled, chipping in a little more than half the total bill. The AHCA would instead give states a fixed payment for each person, and link it to medical inflation. States could choose how to spend the money.

Republicans say these changes are necessary because Medicaid is inefficient and provides nearly worthless coverage. States have little incentive to control costs. Amazingly, several studies have found that Medicaid does not improve the health of those enrolled in it. Republi-

cans also reckon that letting states decide how to run the programme will unleash innovation and experimentation, and hence better coverage.

Critics scoff at that. In most states that did not go along with the Obamacare expansion, Medicaid is a bare-bones programme. In only one, Wisconsin, are childless adults eligible, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a think-tank. In Texas and Alabama parents cease to qualify at just 18% of the poverty line (an annual income of about $3,600 for a family of three). The left worries that states like these have no interest in experimenting with the best ways to help the poor.

In any case, states that did expand Medicaid would gradually lose the extra cash Obamacare gives them. This will alienate some Republican governors. House Republicans probably hoped the slow pace of change would ease worries.

But on March 7th John Kasich, governor of Ohio, called the plan “counter-productive”.

Medicaid reform, then, is stoking internal opposition among moderates in the party.

Proposed changes to the individual market are causing ire on the right.

Obamacare established exchanges, government-run marketplaces where people can buy insurance. Those earning less than 400% of the poverty line, or $47,550 in 2017 for an individual, get tax credits to help pay the premiums. These are more generous at lower incomes. They are also pegged to the cost of insurance, which varies widely by age and place. To stop insurers designing plans so as to attract only healthy people, a thicket of regulations guarantees min-

SUBSIDING United States, health insurance tax credits, $'000 By income level for a single non-smoker Age, years 45

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Obamacare, 2017* American Health Care Act, 2018 10 8 6 4 2 0

16.4

30

40 50

60

70

80

90 100

115

Income level, $'000 Sources: House Committee in Ways and Means; kaiser Family Foundation

*National average Economist.com

imum standards. To ensure healthy people buy the pricier plans that result, the “individual mandate” fines all those who do not buy insurance.

Republicans have spent years promising to tear down most of this edifice. But without 60 votes in the Senate, they can get at only bits of it.

The AHCA would change the tax credits so that they vary with age, but not income or geography (although they would taper out at high incomes—see chart). Previously, Republicans had argued that insurance would remain affordable because deregulation would bring down costs.

But under the AHCA, most of Obamacare’s rules would remain.

In many places, the funding cuts would be dramatic. In Alaska the average tax credit

REPUBLICANS THINK THEIR SHORT, SIMPLE-SOUNDING BILL IS CLEARING UP A MESS. BUT IN INSURANCE MARKETS, EVEN THE SMALLEST CHANGES CAN HAVE HUGE EFFECTS would fall by over 70%, according to Kaiser.

The bill’s right-wing critics, however, want to abolish the subsidies entirely. Campaign groups like the Club for Growth have joined the House “freedom caucus” and Senator Rand Paul in slamming a “new entitlement programme”.

The bill does scrap one crucial regulation: the individual mandate. In its stead, anyone who goes without insurance would have to pay 30% more in premiums, for one year, if they change their mind. Some worry this is not a sharp enough stick to keep healthy people in the market. Mario Molina, chief executive of one insurer, told the Wall Street Journal that premiums could rise by 30% next year as a result. Because the tax credits do not rise along with premiums, big price increases would force people out of the market, increasing the risk of a so-called “death spiral”.

The AHCA’s total likely effect on coverage, and on the budget, is uncertain. Analysts have not yet scored the proposal (other than its $594bn in tax cuts over a decade). Republicans think their short, simple-sounding bill is clearing up a mess. But in insurance markets, even the smallest changes can have huge effects.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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PEOPLE & EV ENTS

Tanju Bilgiç, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Serbia and H. E. Goran Aleksić, Acting Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Department for Bilateral Cooperation, MFA of the Republic of Serbia

34 YEARS SINCE THE MURDER OF THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR 9th March

In Belgrade the commemoration of the anniversary of the murder of the Turkish ambassador. H E Ambassador Galip Balkar was killed by Armenian terrorist organisation ASALA on March 9, 1983, in Resavska street in his official car as he stood on the traffic light. Not far from the

assassination place, a Serbian student Željko Milivojević was also killed, trying to catch terrorists. Embassy of the Republic of Turkey organised this commemoration to remind the public of this tragic event and emphasise that terrorism is a global threat that no one is spared.

225 MILLION EUROS OF ADDED VALUE FROM COCA-COLA SYSTEM 14th March

Every employee of the Coca-Cola system supports 11 additional jobs in the economy, which accounts for 0.6% of the workforce.

Coca-Cola system generates 225 million of added value in the national economy, or 0.7% of GDP, while each position in the company supports 11 additional jobs in the economy. For every euro that the system created, the first seven euros of added value for the Serbian economy enter in the form of workers' wages, company profits and taxes from the Coca-Cola system and companies that cooperate with it. That is the results of the latest study "Socio-economic impact of the Coca-Cola system in Serbia" presented in cooperation with the Serbian chamber of Commerce.

H.E. Christine Moro, French Ambassador with her husband and Igor Mirović, President of Vojvodinian Government

Ivan Vujačić, regular Professor at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, Marko Čadež, President of PKS, Aleksandar Ružević, General Director of Coca-Cola HBC Srbija, Dušan Vujović, Finance Minister and Kyle Randolph Scott, US Ambassador

FRANCOPHONIE IN NOVI SAD

17th March

Novi Sad Mayor Miloš Vučević received the Ambassador of France H E Christine Moro with whom he talked about several topics, among which stand out those related to the European Capital of culture and cooperation with cultural institutions and the Embassy of France. This was the third time that the French ambassador was in Novi Sad, said Vučević pointing out that this most eloquently testifies to the continuous dialogue.

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NLB GROUP PROFIT 20% BIGGER THAN IN 2016

21th March

NLB Group continued its profitable growth from the previous period and the business year 2016 ended with a profit of 110 million euros, 20 percent more than in the previous year. Slovenian Ambassador in Belgrade H E Vladimir Gasparič called on clients of NLB Banka Beograd to get in connection with entrepreneurs from Slovenia, which is one of the largest trading partners, but also one of the largest investors in Serbia. Branko Greganović, CEO of NLB Banka Beograd said: "Serbia is a strategic market for the NLB Group. Last year, we approved loans totaling over 150 million euros and thus support its clients in the realization of personal and business plans." "This is another confirmation of our business strategy and our ability to do business in a sustainable way" said in his addressing the President of the Management Board of the NLB Group, Blaž Brodnjak.

H.E. Philip Pinnington, Ambassador of Canada with his wife and H.E.Gordan Markotić, Croatian ambassador with his wife

Blaž Brodnjak, President of the Management Board of the NLB Group

Branko Greganović, President of the Executive Board of the NLB Bank Belgrade Mrs. Alma Hado, Aja Jung and Mrs. Erica Robin Pinnington

BDF OPENING COCKTAIL AT THE CANADIAN EMBASSY

23th March

Since this year's edition of the Belgrade Dance Festival started with with a performance by the famous British Columbia Ballet from Vancouver, which presented itself to the Belgrade audience with two choreographic pieces signed by Chrystal Pite and Sharon Eyal, the Embassy of the Dominion of Canada organised a cocktail for the esteemed guests and the personalities from cultural, business and diplomatic life in Serbia.

H.E. Syed Adil Gilani, Ambassador Designate with his wife

The cake cutting

NATIONAL DAY OF PAKISTAN CELEBRATED

23th March

National Day of Pakistan was celebrated at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Belgrade. Modasar Chodri, greeted the guests with the speech: “Welcome to the National Day reception of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Today we commemorate the Lahore Resolution which envisioned an independent state

for the Muslims of South Asia, where they could live their lives according to the teachings of Islam and according to the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Doctor Muhammad Iqbal. New Ambassador-designate Mr. Syed Adil Gilani cut the ceremonial cake.

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PEOPLE & EV ENTS BDF OPENING

24th March

Fourteenth Belgrade Dance Festival, which is held this year under the slogan “The Great Play”, was officially opened at the Sava Centre. This year’s festival began with a performance by the famous British Columbia Ballet from Vancouver. The performance was for the first time aired on the big screen and seen by the crowd at the Republic Square, thanks to the City of Belgrade and Vip mobile company which through its fast 4G networks made the live broadcast of the event. The BDF was opened by Dejan Turk from Vip, Aja Jung and a ballet dancer Giuseppe Piccone who all addressed the audience.

Beatris Grozdanić and H.E. Isabela Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert, Brazilian Ambassador to Serbia

H.E.Elias Eliadis, Greek Ambassador to Serbia and head of UNICEF Serbia Michel Saint-Lot

Dejan Turk, Giuseppe Piccone, Aja Jung and Branislav Henselman

NATIONAL DAY OF GREECE

24th March

H.E. Axel Dittmann, German Ambassador to Serbia with his wife Mrs. Ruth Nathalie Dr. Ebert

On the occasion of the National Day of Greece, the country's embassy in Serbia organised a reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Belgrade. The reception was attended by numerous personalities from the cultural, political and public life of Serbia, among them the Greek princess Katarina Karađorđević and HRH Aleksandar Karađorđević. This date is important anniversary that underlines the commitment of the Greek national independence, freedom, democracy and respect for international law.

H.E. Christine Moro, French Ambassador with her husband and H.E. Philippe Gérald Guex, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia

THE DAYS OF FRANCOPHONIE

29th March

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In the French Embassy H E Christine Moro organised a traditional reception on the occasion of the Days of Francophonie. The reception was attended by numerous guests from the world of diplomacy, culture, science and education who contributed to the development of the

Diplomacy&Commerce

H.E. Michael Davenport and H.E. Philip Pinnington, Ambassador of Canada

Francophonie and its values. H E Christine Moro and Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia Mladen Šarčević delivered welcome speeches. The Embassies of Switzerland and Canada as well as the TV5 Monde from France gave their support.

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B USINESS NEWS Embassy of Finland in Belgrade

British International School

BIS - LEADING THE WAY

PLANTING TREES FOR FINNISH INDEPENDENCE

Within the programme of marking the centenary of Finland’s independence, the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade donated twenty cherry trees to the Municipality of Savski Venac. Finnish Ambassador H.E. Pertti Ikonen planted the first tree in the Bencion Buli forest-park, together with Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali, City Greenery Director Slobodan Stanojević and Savski Venac Municipal President Irena Vujović, in the park next to Šekspirova Street. Finland’s centenary will be celebrated in Serbia with a series of events presenting Finnish culture, art, business and lifestyle. One of the projects is to plant 100 trees in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia, aimed at promoting environmentally friendly

behaviour. The Embassy has already donated and planted trees in Kragujevac and Niš. “This year Finland celebrates 100 years of independence, which provides a great occasion to talk about nature conservation, one of the core values of our society. Finland is among the world’s cleanest and greenest countries, and we want Serbia to be the same,” said Ambassador Ikonen.

Nestlé

NESTLÉ ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM PLANS TO 2020

In accordance with long-term goals committed to supporting the UN plan for sustainable development by 2030, Nestlé will reduce the sugar content of its confectionery products by 5% by the end of 2020, which means that at least 18,000 tonnes of sugar will be removed from products in Europe alone. Salt in products will be reduced by 10%, as well as all artificial colours. The company will add at least 750 million portions

of vegetables, 300 million portions of nutrient-rich ingredients, such as cereals and legumes, as well as more nuts and seeds. This is summarised in the 2016 report on the company’s social policy: “Nestlé in Society: Creating shared values and the realisation of our commitments, 2016". Within the report, there are 42 Nestlé social obligations to be achieved by 2020, the progress the company has so far achieved, as well as future plans, which are all items that see Nestlé ranked at the top of the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index (DJSI World), which measures global companies in terms of impact in the field of sustainable development.

In this the 20th anniversary of the British International School (BIS) in Belgrade, we are proud of the exciting learning culture that has been developed here BIS prides itself on the quality of teaching that takes place in the school. Following the British curriculum, students from ages 4 to 18 can learn to the best of their ability.

Whether they are learning their first few words or taking A Levels to get into university, our highly-qualified teachers focus on the needs of each student.

With formal, externally marked examinations at the end of Primary School (Year 6), in Year 9, and the IGCSEs and A Levels, our results demonstrate that our students are capable of achieving high scores equivalent to the best in the UK. We are proud to say that all students leaving BIS enter universities of their choice.

However, at BIS we also focus on other areas of student’s development. From taking them to museums when they are 5, through to taking them mountaineering when they are 18, there are many opportunities for students to take part in other extracurricular events, both during and after school hours. With regular visitors to our weekly assemblies from embassies, at BIS students get a feel of the world beyond. Students themselves regularly take part in assemblies, thus developing their own self-esteem and abilities to perform within and to a group. With a family-feel to the school, students are more than welcoming to new students. Come along and see why so many students from all over the world enjoy the education on offer at BIS.

Uniqa

21 MEDALS AT THE SPECIAL WINTER OLYMPICS

BMW Auto Group

BMW DONATES CAR TO MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE

The BMW Auto Group donated a BMW 6 Series model 650i convertible vehicle to Belgrade University’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on 13th March for the purposes of testing and training of students, which will serve as a teaching tool. The donation represents the BMW Group’s aspirations to allow students to study and learn about the latest technological innovations in the automotive industry. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has been cooperating with the BMW Group since October 2015, when Delta Motors donated the BMW N55 EURO6 unit teaching tool to the Faculty of Mechani-

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Diplomacy&Commerce

cal Engineering. Delta Motors and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering are also linked through long-term cooperation in terms of staff training, with the aim of enabling students to gain professional work placement practise within the company, thereby helping them secure future employment.

The Special Winter Olympics in Austria, under the patronage of the UNIQA Insurance Group, saw the Serbian team win 21 medals: 6 golds, 9 silvers and 6 bronze medals. The Serbian national team comprised 21 athletes, who competed in alpine and Nordic skiing. During the past seven days, these courageous athletes have made Serbia very proud. UNIQA insurance group was the general sponsor of this prestigious sporting event, while UNIQA Insurance Serbia supported Serbia’s local Special Olympians.

Slovenian Business Club

SPK ORGANISES WORKING MEETING

The Slovenian Business Club (SPK) in Belgrade held a working meeting at the Faculty of Organisational Sciences with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Vladimir Popović, and Ministerial Advisor for Dual Education, Gabriela Grujić. The guest speakers, SPK members and a large number of professors of this faculty discussed the topic of the link between science and the economy, as well as the introduction of dual education to the Republic of Serbia. SPK President Danijela Fišakov thanked State Secretary Popović and Ms Grujić for participating in the working meeting, before noting that dual education is of great importance for the development of the economy and the future of young people. The working meeting culminated with a cocktail reception during which all participants further exchanged opinions.

DM drogerie

DM PART OF DUAL EDUCATION SERBIA

DM drogerie markt, in cooperation with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Austrian Development Agency and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, and with the support of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, has developed a concept for the application of the dual education model in Serbia. By signing this contract, dm drogerie markt has become an official participant in the project.

“Dual education offers young people the opportunity to acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, and to apply that in everyday life,” said dm drogerie markt director Alexandra Olivera Korichi, who received a commendation from the deputy director of the Austrian Chamber of Com-

merce, Martin Schulz. Austria is the country that is providing the model for the implementation of the dual education project in Serbia. The ceremony was also attended

by Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Marko Čadež. Practical training on the basis of the dual model begins with school pupils undergoing work experience placements in the retail block of company dm drogerie markt.

Vojvođanska Banka

LOWER INTEREST RATE ON MORTGAGES

Hemofarm

THE MOST IMPORTANT CALL OF MY LIFE An even lower interest rate of 2.95% + 6M Euribor (EIR 2.71%), as well as one of the lowest monthly instalment rates on the market, are the characteristics of the mortgage loan of Vojvođanska Banka that has been created for those who want the best conditions for buying a flat or a house. “With

a desire to provide as many citizens as possible with an opportunity to solve one of life’s most important questions, i.e. housing, we have further lowered our interest rate,” said Nebojša Pantelić, director of network management functions at Vojvođanska Banka.

Loans are granted in the amount of 200,000 euros, with a repayment period of up to 30 years, while citizens with personal incomes exceeding 200 euros have the right to apply.

These mortgages are also available to Serbian citizens living and working abroad, as well as foreigners who live and work in Serbia.

Telekom Serbia German Ambassador to Serbia H E Axel Dittmann and participants of the Belgrade Dance Festival, signed donor cards at the ceremony which was a continuation of the campaign T " he most important call of my life" organised by Hemofarm Foundation. The event was attended by the ministers of the Government of Serbia, Zlatibor Lončar and Ana Brnabić, actors of Atelier 212, and US Ambassador Kyle Randolph Scott, who is himself the owner of a donor card. The host, CEO of Hemofarm, Ronald Seeliger owns two donor cards, both in Germany and Serbia. The adoption of the Law on Transplantation which will be a confirmation of all the efforts of the initiators of the campaign. A symbolic support by signing a donor card was given by the Ambassador of Germany to Serbia, H E Axel Dittmann. O " rgan donation performed under appropriate conditions is a beautiful expression of solidarity. That is why I am today signing a donor card and I encourage you to do the same" Dittmann said.

PRIZES FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Ballooner, AddTag and Cactomain start-ups were awarded cash prizes for the further development of business ideas under the first mts start-up acceleration programme of support to entrepreneurial teams worth a total of 20,000 euros. The three-member panel of judges awarded the team Ballooner, for cheaper balloon flights into space and exploring the stratosphere, the service team of Cactomain, for simplified registration and management of internet domains, as well as the AddTag team, which facilitates communication between brands and visitors at festivals and other events.

These are most likely to develop sustainable products and achieve success on the global market. Ballooner, AddTag and Cactomain were all participants in the fifth generation of the Start-up Academy, the educational platform for the development of technological entrepreneurship under the organisation Startit, which is also Telekom Srbija’s partner in the implementation of mts start-up acceleration programmes.

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B USINESS NEWS Creative Educational Centre

VISIT TO KEC

The Creative Educational Centre (KEC) for people with mental disabilities was visited on 8th March by esteemed guests H.E. Alona E. Fisher-Kamm, Ambassador of Israel to Serbia, former Israeli ambassador Arthur Kol and his wife Jeanette, as well Belgrade Philharmonic director Ivan Tasovac. KEC received space to use at 4 Kraljevića Marka Street in 2012 from the Belgrade City Assembly, after which that location was renovated by the U.S. Embassy, with support from the Embassy of Israel. Following a warm welcome from the host, the guests were familiarised with the work of the centre and the results achieved. KEC users thrilled guests with their spontaneous songs and dances, while the guests spent a long time in pleasant conversation with parents and experts.

Adacta

A GLOBAL SOLUTION IDEALLY SUITED FOR SERBIAN ECONOMY

The company Adacta presented the results of its operations in the past year, further plans for development of the group, as well as a software suite of business tools in the c" loud" - Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Sales Director at Adacta Belgrade, Ivan Đolić stressed that the most important characteristics of business in the c" loud" are reliability, security and availability, and the biggest advantage is the price (1-3 thousand euros per month instead of 100-200 thousand euros initially), scalability and speed of implementation, and therefore it represents the ideal solution for the Serbian economy.

The company, which now employs over 430

Philip Morris

IQOS IN SERBIA

Triglav Osiguranje

THE NEW MOBILE APP DRAJV

Triglav insurance introduced a new portable App DRAJV that records info about safe driving and rewards one with discounts for insurance services. The App uses telematics to monitor speeding, hard braking and fast acceleration as well as energetic handling of the car in curves. To receive discount codes, drivers should always keep their driving grade above 90 points.

In order to get discounts, the drivers who use DRAJV should record 10 trips/each 3 km long, in the first month, to cover at least 300 km in total trips and to have an average of more than 90 points. If the driver meets those requirements, he or she receives 10% discount on Casco policy, road assistance or travel insurance. In order to receive additional 2% monthly, in the following five months, the drivers should cover 200 km and keep the average score above 90 points. At the end of the six months’ period, if all the above requirements are met, the diver can choose one of the following discounts: 20% on Casco insurance policy, or 30% on road assistance, or 30% on travel insurance. The DRAJV app is the first of this kind in Serbia. It was launched on Belgrade Car Show 2017. The app is free of charge and can be used by both Triglav insurance clients and those who are not. More info on drajv.triglav.rs.

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people in 7 countries and has authored more than 400 completed projects in the field of enterprise resource management (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and business analytics (BI) in 2016 has made over 25 million euros of turnover. The Belgrade office has received 20 new colleagues and completed 20 major projects (Generali, NLB, AXA Insurance, Emmezeta, N Sport, Al Pack, Steelworks Smederevo...) achieving revenue growth of 20%.

The company Philip Morris in Serbia launched IQOS, an electronic device that heats rather than burns specially designed cartridges of real tobacco. In this process it retains the same level of nicotine and a real taste of tobacco, but it eliminates some of the negative effects that result from cigarette smoking, such as smoke, ash, odour and which is very important, the negative impact on the environment. IQOS is the first

of four potentially less harmful products on which the company Philip Morris has been working on it for more than a decade, investing more than $3 billion in research and development. These studies have shown that the level of harmful and potentially harmful substances in the tobacco generated using IQOS times up to 95 percent lower than the combustion of the cigarette. At the opening event staged at Yugoslav Film Archive on the occasion of the launch of a new product, Jelena Pavlović, general manager of the company Philip Morris for Southeast Europe, said that IQOS at the moment was used by 1.5 million people worldwide. A " nd here, after 20 countries, all of which are either much larger or richer than our Serbia, IQOS has just this evening arrived in Belgrade" said Jelena Pavlović.

Telegroup Infosec conference

NEW VIEW OF CYBER SECURITY

The TeleGroup Infosec Conference has been launched with the view of raising the level of information security in the region of the Western Balkans. The conference has become one of the most important IT security conferences in this part of the world. TeleGroup, an IT company operating in the segment of security technology, aims at supporting the efforts invested by the local IT associations in drawing attention of state structures and general public to information security as the most important resource of any country, and the existence of increasingly more sophisticated threats in cyber space that can jeopardize the stability of the regional economy and the society. In cooperation with the most significant global producers of network, data, application, and

Cloud environment protection, TeleGroup organized its first conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011, in Serbia in 2013, and in Montenegro in 2015.

This year, the visitors will be given an opportunity to participate in the 5th Infosec Conference that will take place at the ethno-location Vrdnička Kula in Vrdnik on 25th April. Experts from companies TeleGroup, Cisco, F5, Imperva and Radware will show companies how to reduce security risks, preserve material resources, and even more importantly, protect the reputation of their businesses.

CORPORATE

THE OLDEST FAIR IN THE REGION The International Agricultural Fair has become the main agribusiness event in the region that has the biggest and longest tradition out of all fair events

MSc JELENA MARINKOVIĆ

Executive Director for Integrated Marketing Communications, Novi Sad Fair

The Novi Sad Fair is Novi Sad’s brand.

Looking at the calender of events at the Fair we can see that, during spring alone, this oldest trade fair company in the region held fairs dedicated to energy, literature, art, education, digital communications, fishing and fans of active vacations in nature. The most recognizable fair that the Novi Sad Fair organizes is certainly the upcoming Agricultural Fair that has become the biggest agribusiness event in this part of Europe and which will take place between 13th and 19th May.

of commerce will present their agribusiness offers and results. The one thing that will remain the same compared to last year is the support that we, exhibitors and visitors of the Agricultural Fair get from the Fair’s official host - the City of Novi Sad, as well as the partnership with the Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia. The company Generali Osiguranje Serbia is our general sponsor this year too.

Agricultural Fair is also recognized for its Machinery Exhibition and the National Cattle

Breeders Day, on Thursday, 18th May, is dedicated to the best breeders who are going to be awarded that day for their results. This year’s novelty is the Cattle Exchange at which the domestic farmers will offer their best heads of cattle. We are staging the Machinery Exhibition again in cooperation with the Business Association of Importers and Exporters of Agricultural Machinery. This year, 19 of the Association’s members will exhibit over 1,500 pieces of machinery in the area spanning 22,000 square metres which is 10% more compared to last year. According to their announcements, they are going to display machinery pre-

Could you tell us about the preparations for the fair, and do you already have the information about the number of exhibitors and the countries they are coming from?

— After successfully completed spring fairs, we have stepped up with the preparations for the 84th International Agricultural Fair.

Agribusiness companies from 60 countries all over the world are coming. We expect to have a total of 1,500 exhibitors from Serbia and abroad. The number of foreign exhibitors has been growing in the last few years as evident in the big number of collective exhibitions.

Eleven countries have confirmed their participation and presentation of their national economies so far - Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, China, Hungary, Spain and Turkey. We are also going to play host to companies from Russia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Albania ...

During the fair, we traditionally have the exhibitors from the region, and this year it gives us a great pleasure to announce Bosnia and Herzegovina as our partner country which companies and chambers

THIS YEAR, 19 OF THE ASSOCIATION’S MEMBERS WILL EXHIBIT OVER 1,500 PIECES OF MACHINERY IN THE AREA SPANNING 22,000 SQUARE METRES WHICH IS 10% MORE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR Exhibition. What is in store for visitors this year?

— Allow us to cite some data that we are very proud of. The National Cattle Exhibition, which takes place under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, will be bigger than last year’s in terms of the registered number of heads of cattle and sheep. Also, we are going to exhibit pigs, horses, goats, small aquarium animals, decorative poultry and rabbits. The Cattle

viously exhibited at the Bologna Fair and the recent SIMA Fair in Paris, as well as many novelties. In addition to special discounts, the Association has also announced that they will exhibit affordable machinery for small farms. On top of the outdoor stands, the exhibition will also have Agripoligon (Agrirange) where the exhibitors will demonstrate how the machines work. Domestic and foreign companies that are not Association

members will also demonstrate their machinery.

Agricultural Fair is also the place where conferences, promotions, presentations, and business meetings take place.

Which events do you have in the pipeline?

— First and foremost, I would like to mention the AgroB2B@ NSFair business meetings which will provide additional support to companies in finding partners at the Fair. They will take place on Monday, 15th May. The participation is free and the registration is in progress. You can find more information about this on our website www.sajam.net .

There are plans of conferences that will be organized by Ministry of Agriculture, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Chinese government, the Austrian Agricultural Cluster, ICE – the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade in Belgrade, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the University of Novi Sad’s Faculty of Agriculture, the Food Technology Institue and many companies.

Up until this year, the Fair visitors have had a chance of winning a new tractor.

— It will be the same this year too.

Every vistor that buys a ticket will be given a chance to participate in the prize game which we have organized in collaboration with Agropanonka. The main prize is the Belarus 82.1 tractor, and judging by the interest shown by the exhibitors, there will be other valuable prizes too. The Agricultural Fair is also frequented by families. With their family budget in mind, we have declared Sunday, 14th May, as Family Day. Parents with children under the age of 16 can enter the Fair grounds for the price of just one ticket on that day.

Of course, everybody is welcome, and the Novi Sad Fair will do its utmost to be a good host just like in previous years.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

45

I NTERVI EW Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

NEW FACES IN THE POLITICAL ARENA Elections have cleared up the political scene

ĐORĐE VUKADINOVIĆ

MP, political analyst, NSPM Editor

Đorđe Vukadinović has been a prominent figure in Serbian journalism for many years, with his balanced approach in his Politika columns and “New Serbian Political Thought”. He has been a board member of the Serbian Philosophical Society on several occasions and participated in editing professional journals and publications of national and international importance. His analytical articles have also been published by local and international periodicals.

Apart from Politika, he is also a regular columnist of weekly NIN and a political commentator for RTS and several foreign TV stations. He recently entered politics as an MP. This month we spoke to him about the current “hot” political issues and the landslide victory of the current prime minister in Serbia’s recent presidential election.

who parodied the whole political scene, triggering euphoria among young voters. Others are clear losers. Šešelj lost the political capital he gained from his successful defence and release from The Hague Tribunal, which he enjoyed among part of the public in Serbia, and Vuk Jeremić ended really badly, between the Devil and the deep blue sea: the regime media demonised him, representing him as a NATO candidate (“NATO-Vuk”), traitor, criminal and American man, while liberal, pro-European

I THINK VUČIĆ IS GUILTY OF OVERKILL WITH HIS STRONG GRIP ON THE MEDIA, INSTITUTIONS AND THE ECONOMY, AND THAT COULD REBOUND TO HIT HIM – SUCH DOMINATION IS NOT HEALTHY

How would you comment on the results of the presidential election?

— I think the results are pretty much as expected if we are talking about Aleksandar Vućić being the winner. But the result of former ombudsman Saša Janković (slightly over 16%) will mark his career as the future leader of an anti-Vučić, pro-EU opposition.

I would notice the spectacular “bronze medal” for the phantom candidate on the white horse, Beli,

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voters deemed him too nationalist and right-wing. Disastrous results were also recorded by the DJB and Dveri leaders Saša Radulović and Boško Obradović. Aleksandar Vučić got what we wanted and is now undeniably the central political figure in the country, having strengthened his grip over all axes of power. However, I don't think that is necessarily positive, given that this victory was marred by the unequal media treatment of other candidates and election irregularities.

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How diversified is Serbia’s political scene? This government seems to be stronger, as it has the strong support of both the West (pro-German) and Russia, which neither Milošević nor Tadić ever had.

— The current government is really a lot stronger than its predecessors.

Milošević constantly – bar the brief post-Dayton period – lacked external legitimacy, especially from the West and the United States.

Boris Tadić, on the other hand, like Zoran Đinđić before him, had external recognition and support, but lacked internal legitimacy, with then-radical opposition from Šešelj, Nikolić and Vučić. Aleksandar Vučić now has an easier job for two reasons: a) he signed the Brussels Agreement with Priština and an arrangement with the IMF, subjecting the country to its conditions and thus gaining full Western support; b) he has a strong grip on the media, institutions and the economy, which killed or paralysed almost the entire opposition. But I think it was overkill; he overdid it and that could rebound to hit him – such omnipotent and omnipresent domination is not healthy. The balance between the EU and Russia, with both pro-European and pro-Russian policies, is aligned with the minds and hearts of Serbian voters, but it is not that crucial, not so different from Đinđić, Koštunica or Tadić,

all of whom followed more or less the same path.

Is the 3rd place result of fictitious candidate Beli a warning to systemic parties and politicians?

How much does it coincide with the whole anti-system wave ranging from Brexit and Trump, to Podemos and Syriza or Cinque Stelle, or Živi zid (Living Wall) in Croatia?

— I think Beli's appearance was a breath of fresh air. On the one hand, he seems to be in line with all the aforementioned foreign trends, but he is an original reaction to the domestic political scene and the authoritarian tendencies of the current government. He is a deliberate caricature and therefore far more authentic and joyful than the aforementioned parties.

In general, these (para-)political phenomena don’t usually last long.

They either get shut down and disappear or gradually drown in the political mainstream, like Syriza.

In short, Ljubiša Preletačević, aka Beli, only damaged the opposition candidates by reducing their results by several percentage points (especially those expected from

Vuk Jeremić), but I think it is good that his activism pushed a significant percentage of the younger, so far mostly passive and apolitical population into participating in political life, waking them up.

Did the EU’s partial recognition of Kosovo's independence essentially kill the euro-integration of Serbia, effectively killing the zeal for it?

Greek, migrant and financial crises expanded and deepened this existing scepticism even further. For the average Serb, the symbols of the EU and sources of its attractiveness for years were Germany, Scandinavia and the Benelux countries. And that magic was almost completely lost when the blue flag with the yellow stars was flown in Zagreb, as well as being raised by Serbia’s poor eastern neighbours in Romania and

THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE EU AND RUSSIA, WITH BOTH PRO-EUROPEAN AND PRO-RUSSIAN POLICIES, IS ALIGNED WITH THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF SERBIAN VOTERS, BUT IT IS NOT THAT CRUCIAL, NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM ĐINĐIĆ, KOŠTUNICA OR TADIĆ, ALL OF WHOM FOLLOWED MORE OR LESS THE SAME PATH — Yes. Essentially, that is the case.

And I say this as an analyst, regardless of my principle eurosceptic orientation. The recognition of Kosovo by the EU’s leading member states, as well as the EU accessions of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, in particular, to the fullest extent “killed” the will for European Integration among the Serbian public. The

Bulgaria. Even those Serbian citizens (less than half) that advocate for the continuation of European integration do so very unenthusiastically and lukewarm, more out of inertia and in the absence of clear and credible alternative.

Could all territorial issues, such as Transnistria, Kosovo, Abkhaz-

ia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the like, be solved at a conference like the Berlin Congress, or will “political correctness” mean that we end up with an eternal status quo?

— Personally, I strongly advocate for such a conference and am confident that they will do it sooner or later, as soon as relations in the Washington-Moscow-Berlin (Brussels) triangle are normalised.

I believe that without that there will be no stability in Europe, nor any solution to the problems in the aforementioned hot spots. “Political correctness' “r political opportunism and inertia should not be an obstacle to seeking such a comprehensive solution. Contrary to popular mantras, the boundaries are actually almost constantly changing, the only question is whether that happens peacefully and amicably or during and after wars.

Where is Serbia going?

— The current government says that Serbia is undergoing economic progress, political stability and regional leadership. I am, however, afraid that everything is exactly the opposite of that.

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47

T HE I S L A M I C EN L I GHTEN MEN T

A Counter-argument to the “Clash of Civilisations” What happened when Islam encountered modernity two centuries ago

Few topics are as bitterly contested today as the nature of Islam.

America has just elected a president who speaks pointedly of “Islamic terrorism”; his predecessor balked at connecting Islam with violence and said those who did, including terrorists, were misreading the faith.

In Western intellectual debates, meanwhile, some maintain that Islam stultifies its followers, either because of its core teachings or because in the 11th century Islamic theology turned its back on emphasising human reason. Others retort indignantly that the Islamic world’s problems are the fault of its Western foes, from crusaders to European colonists, who bruised the collective Muslim psyche.

A new book by Christopher de Bellaigue, a British journalist and historian of the Middle East, hews to the latter side, but with an unusual twist. He describes how Islam’s initial encounter with modernity, two centuries ago, had some benign consequences and he sees that as a basis for hope. Sceptics will inevitably call the book’s title, “The Islamic Enlightenment”, naive or oxymoronic.

Still, having focused for a number of years on Iran and modern Turkey (from where he reported for The Economist), Mr de Bellaigue is well-placed to tease out at least one strand of the debate about Islam: the reaction to European influence as it unfolded over the 19th century in the political and cultural centres of the Muslim world following Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798.

The author succeeds in his main purpose, which is to show that in Cairo, Istanbul and Tehran, prominent figures embraced aspects of Western thought and technology with discernment and gusto while remaining good Muslims.

His heroes are writers, doctors, generals and sultans. They include Abdulrahman al-Jabarti, an Egyptian sheikh who articulated the fascinated shock with which his compatriots greeted the arrival of Napoleon, accompanied by scientists and scholars. Jabarti had grown up believing that his own faith’s superiority should assure success in war. However, his honest, lively mind had to acknowledge both the invaders’ more effective firepower and the intellectual heft which the French were bringing to the study of his homeland.

In Istanbul the sultan, Mahmud II, responded to the rising strength of Western powers by imitating them. He curbed the rapaciousness of

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A NEW BOOK BY CHRISTOPHER DE BELLAIGUE, A BRITISH JOURNALIST AND HISTORIAN OF THE MIDDLE EAST, HEWS TO THE LATTER SIDE, BUT WITH AN UNUSUAL TWIST his civil servants and clerical reactionaries. By removing religious restraints on the study of the body, he ushered modern hygiene and medicine into a region ravaged by plague.

In Persia, meanwhile, Abbas Mirza, a charismatic prince, drew on French and British help to modernise an army run on medieval lines.

Young Persians were sent to train in Britain and proved quick learners. One of them, Mirza Saleh, wrote a remarkable account of his travels and became the country’s first journalist.

Mr de Bellaigue shows that in the Islamic world, just as in the West, efficient forms of transport and communication made it easier for intelligent individuals, including women, to share ideas. This is one example of the rich

detail that his research brings to the stories of these Muslim modernisers and the violent reaction they sometimes triggered.

In the book’s final two chapters, there is an abrupt change of pace as the author speeds through Islam’s dealings with European colonial powers during the late 19th and, above all, in the early 20th century. It is a fairly accomplished gallop through difficult terrain and its purpose is to show, in very broad terms, why relations between Muslims and Westerners would eventually turn so sour. Western policies became greedier and more cynical, especially during and after the first world war, and this triggered a sharp reaction in the Muslim world, enraging humble, pious folk as well as clever elites.

The author empathises with the resentment felt by Muslims over being used as geopolitical pawns and over the arbitrary borders that were drawn by Europeans. That prompts him to write with a degree of understanding about all the popular movements that successively shook Islam’s heartland, including Turkish nationalism, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and even the Iranian uprising of 1979.

He acknowledges that these last two movements amounted to a form of “counter-enlightenment”, reinstating theocracy, but he insists that even the mullahs’ Iran has some modernising features: they educated an unprecedented number of girls.

Mr de Bellaigue is equally adamant that the positive legacy of the period closest to his heart (the early and mid-19th century) is still partially intact. For him, the very fact that there was once an era in which the Islamic world drew, selectively and intelligently, on Western ideas and technology while remaining true to itself, still gives hope. For one thing, it means that Muslims now migrating to the West retain, deep in their collective memories, an intimation that Islam can flourish in an enlightened form. His book thus offers a refreshingly optimistic counterpoint to the idea that Muslim and Western world-views are doomed to clash.

The Islamic Enlightenment: The Modern Struggle Between Faith and Reason. By Christopher de Bellaigue.

Bodley Head; 398 pages; £25. To be published in America

by Liveright in April; $35 From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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CORPORATE NEW MEDIA MARKET

TOP 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT NEM Every year new TV industry trends emerge, and if companies and professionals want to keep up with current trends, they need to start getting ready for the future today.

Held at the inspirational hotel Palace situated in Dubrovnik, New Europe Market is an annual event which addresses changes within the television industry and provides a unique experience for professionals from all over the world to learn, network and explore the most important trends. The four day event features panel discussions, case studies, Q&As, special presentations, screenings, a market and networking opportunities.

If you are still not convinced why you should visit Dubrovnik in June, these are the top 10 reasons why you shouldn't miss NEM this year!

ers such as AMC Networks International's Mike Moriarty, Antenna International's Pete Smith, Viacom International's Bartosz Witak, BBC's Salim Mukaddam and many more influential experts.

3. SEAL THE DEAL

Since NEM is the place where various deals are made, there is a great possibility you will meet buyers that are looking for your kind of content, channels or technological solutions. Be there and sell your product!

4. GET NEW IDEAS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

NEM is all about exchanging ideas, learning new things, getting involved in discussions with some

1. NETWORK

Meet the most distinguished experts from the TV industry and broaden your business relationships, exchange ideas and acquire new contacts. NEM is a place where FTAs, Pay-TV channels, cable operators, satellite operators, IPTV, production, distribution and technology companies come together. Although NEM is focused on the CEE region, the event’s attendees come from all over the globe.

2. DISCUSS FUTURE

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Whether you are an experienced professional or just getting familliar with the industry, there is certainly something for you at New Europe Market 2017. You’ll find panels comprised of teriffic speak-

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of the most distinguished professionals from the industry, finding inspiration and being even more successful in what you do.

5. CELEBRATE NEM'S FIFTH

BIRTHDAY WITH THE MOST FUN CROWD

2017 is NEM's fifth year. This means that NEM is still a child, but we can assure you – a very smart one! If you spend your day thinking and talking all business, make sure to leave some space for fun in the evening. Wish NEM a happy birthday and raise a toast!

6. VISIT BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL DUBROVNIK

There are few cities in Europe that capture the soul of old maritime Europe in the way Dubrovnik does.

The city has been referred to as the Pearl of the Adriatic and has a very rich culture and history. The Old Town is surrounded by city walls that served to protect the city from various threats, and today they are a truly spectacular tourist attraction.

7. COMBINE BUSINESS AND

PLEASURE

NEM is also a very down to earth conference where you can make new acquaintances, have fun and create remarkable memories in a livley atmosphere.

8. KEEP IN STEP WITH THE

DIGITAL REALITY IN MEDIA

Digital technology has evolved and radically transformed the way we live, think and work. Since consumers no longer percieve media in the traditional sense, there is a constant need for television and other media to think proactively and offer something new. Find out what it takes to keep up with new digital trends in the constant struggle to be better, faster and different from others.

9. GET A TASTE OF THE

MEDITERRANEAN

Whether you love the seaside, cosy cafes and restaurants, good wine, cobbled streets or simply have a soft spot for the Mediterranean, NEM is a perfect opportunity to rekindle this love.

10. QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

NEM might not have thousands of participants each year, but those who matter will be there and enrich your experience at the best conference in the CEE region.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

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REPORTS

RENEXPO® WATER & ENERGY

Belgrade hosts sustainable energy and environmental experts!

AUTO FORUM 2017

The regional automobile industry forum #AutoForum2017, organized by Color Media Communications and SAT Media Group, took place at the Radisson Blu Old Mill Hotel in Belgrade on 21st March

Darko Gigić, Sat Media Group, Docent Vladimir Momčilović, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, Bratislav Kocić, Bosch, Zoran Todorović, Mercedes - Benz

RENEXPO® WATER & ENERGY, the biggest international trade fair and conference program in the region dealing with sustainable energy developments, environment protection, water and waste treatment, and e-mobility takes place for the forth time in Belgrade from April 25 to 27. 20% discount for participation at the conferences for registrations prior to April 20.

More than 2,500 experts from Serbia, region and Europe will gather at RENEXPO® WATER & ENERGY trade fair and conference program this year. They will exchange views, knowledge and information on the latest technological developments, innovations and solutions for sustainable development in the field of energy and environment. During the three-day-event several important conferences will be organized with the aim to find solutions to some of the most common problems that investors face.

The participants will also try to identify existing opportunities for new projects and investments, through lectures, analysis and presentations of the leading consultants, representatives of state institutions, local governments and associations, public utility companies and business sector.

The topics that will be in focus of this year’s conferences are water management, waste treatment and electricity production from waste (waste to energy), biomass, biogas, solar and hydropower plans and wind park projects, but also the topic of electric vehicles and development of supporting infrastructure.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is RENEXPO® Water& Energy official partner country this year. It will be represented by 20 companies that will exhibit at the “orange booth”. Their experts will also present the best practices in water management and renewable energy sources utilization. The Embassy of the Netherlands will also organize two free-of-charge workshops.

Numerous companies from Germany, Austria, France, Hungary and other countries will participate at the trade fair and demonstrate their excellence in providing new technologies and development of complex energy and environmental management solutions. Admission to the event is free of charge, but registration is mandatory. Visitors can registrate for the event through the website renexpo-belgrade.com.

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Diplomacy&Commerce

Mladen Alvirović, SAT Media Group, Prof. dr Branko Vasić, Faculty of mechanical engineering, Danijel Kadarjan, Faculty of Management (FAM), Zoran Todorović, Mercedes-Benz, Bratislav Kocić, Bosch

Olivera Stefanović Stanković, PRoglas, Docent Vladimir Momčilović, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, Aleksandra Đurđević, Delta Motors, Aleksandra Graovac, Toyota

#AutoForum2017 assembled relevant experts and automobile brands, and the representatives of educational institutions, the Customs Administration and importers association.

Deputy General Manager of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Mihailo Vesović and the First Secretary and the head of the Economic Section of the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, Matthias Kleva officially opened the Forum.

Some of the topics discussed at the Forum were self-driving and electric vehicles, as well as education in automobile industry.

Aleksandra Đurđević, Delta Motors: “The car that you see exhibited here is one of a kind. So far, BMW has sold 100,000 electric vehicles. What sets this car apart from others is strategy because everything about it is environmentally friendly – from the way it was produced to the way it runs.

The mission of these ‘i’ vehicles is to become fully environmental.”

Zoran Todorović, from Mercedes’ Manager Training Center, talked about Star Import d.o.o. and its contemporary training

centre in Belgrade, the way in which trainers and other staff are educated, the latest trends that are used, and educational process. This case study was a real introduction to educating true professionals at our universities. There was a general consensus among the participants that universities and other educational institutions have to work together and establish solid links with automobile industry.

Bratislav Kocić from Bosch presented a training centre which has been cooperating with other brands by training their employees. “There is at least one person in every town that has gone through our training. In this day and age, when everything depends on speed, we were forced to modify our approach. We had to find a completely different access to knowledge for our trainees. We have already started with a pilot project of VR classroom. You will no longer have to be physically present in our centre but rather you will be able to learn online.”

Bosch, Mercedes Benz, Delta Motors, Lavazza and Mivela were the official partners of the AutoForum2017.

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GENERATION “WHY” Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

WHERE DO WE GO, WHERE DO WE GO NOW (SWEET CHILD O’ MINE)?

Baby-boomers obbeyed ther bosses. Generation X openly rebelled, like Nirvana.

Generation Y simply ignores authories they don't respect They don't want you to teach them and preach to them, they want you to love them and appreciate them. They are a great business opportunity. They want to work and they are ambitious, but highly flexible. Working from home? Great. Working from a Thailand resort? Even better.

Flexible hours, working weekends, free Wednesdays? OK. Anything goes, and nothing is classical now.

Funny thing is that I belong to the Generation X but, since my country was „frozen“ from the end of 1991 to the beginning 2001, I have lost some 10 years in the fog and therefore I feel like s Generation Y member. And we all got „rebooted“ as teenagers when we had to be grown-ups. We had, in former Yugoslavia, especially in UN-sanctioned Serbia, lots of this „Peter Pan syndrome“ in us, but as someone cleverly noticed, we were pioneers in this field. Now everybody in the world has a prolongued teenage and youth, not having any plans to grow mature, or, God forbid, old.

And the people who came after us, were approrpiately called „Generation Y“. Partly because Y comes after X, partly because there is a nice word game included: Generation „Why“. A generation that questions everything. Sometimes they called them „Generation I“ (for putting themselves in front of everything), iGeneration (like iPod) or eGeneration (don't need to mention why „e“), or the Millennials, since they

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became grown-ups in the year 2000. The first of their generation anyway, since the first generation of the Millennials is said to be the one born in 1980, 1981 or 1982. And after them, the Generation Z. Well, they are still mysterious since the oldest ones among them are 15 (the Generation Z starts at the year 2000). But, forget the Z's. This is the story of the „Why's“.

DEPRESSED NARCISSUS AS AN ARCHETYPE

The members of Generation Y are narcissistic more than any other generation before. Maybe Mr Bean invented „selfie“, but the Generation Y made the crucial evolution of it. They are splashed

are rather egocentic, don't stand criticism and they are ready to leave if they face critics, instead of changing themselves. They think, well, like I think most of the time: well, if they don't like me hear, so why bother? If I am not good for this job, there must be a job quite suitable for me, around the corner. It makes them both good and bad employees and bosses.

They are just different. Always ready to move to another place, the Millennials are expected to change from 10 to 14 jobs until they are 38.

Wow! I bet your dad changed two positions at most. But here come the depressing narcissi flowers.

The sort attention spoand and the lack of incentive can lead to

THEY WANT TO WORK AND THEY ARE AMBITIOUS, BUT HIGHLY FLEXIBLE. WORKING FROM HOME? GREAT. WORKING FROM A THAILAND RESORT? EVEN BETTER. FLEXIBLE HOURS, WORKING WEEKENDS, FREE WEDNESDAYS? OK with information. They communicate with short messages, in asynchronous mode, avoiding phone calls. The attention span has dramatically shortened, and the emotional and friendly relations are disruptive and disrupted.

Like every other Narcissus, they are rather depressed. Lots of them don't go out. They think that the hard work is not the way, since every Kardashian can be a star, so why not me? Why wait? Unfortunately, they lack empathy, and they

Diplomacy&Commerce

the fact that many of them still live with their parents, not being financially independent. Sometimes they think that climbing slowly up the ladders of success in career is too slow and futile. So, why should we bother about too much education, culture? I want it all and I want it now. The Generation Y is perfect „dough“ for „baking“ startups. And truly, they are always prone to find a new niche in the ever-changing world of today's economy and start their own jobs.

They remember things quicker but they they tend to forget them more quickly. A paradox? They have difficulties in concentration since from their childhood they were exposed to multiple sources of information.

And yet, it made them good in multitasking.

The Generation Y is known for short concentration and disbelief in many things. If for X's a tattoo was a rebellion, now not having a tattoo could be a rebellion – a tattoo is now mainstream. They are notoriously bad in retaining not only jobs but relationships.

They dislike systemic parties and vote for extreme solutions, even mockery. Trump, Sanders, Brexit, Cinque Stelle. You name it. Ljubiša Preletačević – Beli. It is an ironic generation. And that makes the world falsely optimistic and deeply depressed. They can walk away from everything: ideas, jobs, friends, loved ones. The Generation X was the last generation when women wanted to get married and men tried to escape it saying „well I am young and crazy“.

Now everyone is crazy and forever young. But superficial too, inactive. Active holidays like skiing lost their appeal. The Millennials like lazy sun holidays. In Serbia, Generations X and Y somehow merged. And they say we should be somehow afraid of the „silent“ and introvert Generation Z. But one thing is certain. The world will never be the same as Generation Y rises to the sky.

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DINE & WI NE HUMMUS BAR

SPECIALTIES

Hummus is made by grinding all of these ingredients into a smooth spread.

Falafels are deep-fried balls made out of ground and chunky chickpeas with various spices and herbs.

Shashuka is a strained egg in spicy tomato sauce. It has a pleasant and specific flavor.

THE EXQUISITE FLAVORS OF ISRAELI FOOD Hummus is a popular delicacy which comes to us from the Middle East. It is usually served as a spread, sauce or pasta made out of chickpeas and tahini and usually served with pita bread

Hummus Bar in Belgrade is for all those in love with the exquisite flavors of Israeli food and to those who have yet to fall in love with it once they taste some of our phenomenal delicacies. Hummus Bar is located in the center of Belgrade, around 300m away from Slavija square, 100m away from the Tasmajdan park, across the street from the Law University of Belgrade and in the crossroads between Belgrade street and King Alexander’s boulevard.

Hummus is a popular delicacy

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which comes to us from the Middle East. It is usually served as a spread, sauce or pasta made out of chickpeas and tahini and usually served with pita bread.

It has a texture similar to pea-

FALAFELS ARE DEEP-FRIED BALLS MADE OUT OF GROUND AND CHUNKY CHICKPEAS WITH VARIOUS SPICES AND HERBS

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nut butter. Its popularity comes not only from its delicious flavor, but also high nutritional value, rich with potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zink, copper, manganese, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B6, proteins, dietary fiber, etc. Several additional ingredients can be used to make hummus, but the chickpeas and tahini paste are the staples of it.

Chickpeas are high in protein and tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds. Additional hummus ingredients can include lemon juice and salt.

Kebab is the traditional sandwich made of 100% beef.

You can find us at 66 Belgrade street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.

Tel: +381 11 244 04 16 Fax: +381 65 855 2 555 E-mail: hummusbarbeograd@gmail.com

DINE & WI NE STARA SOKOLOVA

CARRYING THE LEGACY OF SERBIAN RAKIJA FROM AUSTRALIA TO AMERICA The Stara Sokolova brand celebrates 22 years of worldwide success. It is produced by one of rakija makers with the longest tradition which is also the biggest exporter of premium rakija in the region The noble treasure that is Serbian fruit based on traditional varieties is transformed into premium fruit distillates thanks to modern fermentation technology and traditional distillation process.

After being aged in oak barrels or matured in stainless steel vessels, these distillates become premium fruit brandy (rakija) which can be enjoyed and savoured not only by connoisseurs in Serbia but also in Australia, Russia, the Balkan countries, Germany, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, the United States and Canada. Almost 70% of our products are exported, with our biggest customers being overseas markets and Russia.

The best indicators of our success are our sales results, the constant production growth, the expansion of our product range, the number of customers, and the year-on-year validation of the quality by our customers. The latest recognition is the Belgrade Winner award which we received at the 2016 Rakija Fest for the third consecutive time for the best rakija sold in Serbia.

Stara Sokolova is unique rakija, a successor of the famous rakija produced by Velizar Bogdanovic, the renowned rakija maker from Krivaja near Kostojević. The legend tells of an unusually beautiful valley at the foot of the Spasovik hill near Bajina Bašta where the air was

clean and healing, and orchards brimming with tasty fruit that has never seen any worms. People here were diligent, while neighbours and families liked and respected each other. They used to gather around an old copper rakija still, especially in cold autumn days.

They made rakija and enveloped

in accordance with the global and European standards, with the recommended alcohol content, of certain colour, aroma, taste and visual identity. We only use the fruit grown in domestic orchards which are a cross between old indigenous varieties and new varieties used in high-quality brandies. The brand’s

AS OF THIS SPRING, THE PRODUCT RANGE WILL CONTAIN THE STARA SOKOLOVA DUNJA LUX, A QUINCE BRANDY AGED IN OAK BARRELS in the aroma of roasted potatoes baked in the ashes of the crackling fire heating the pot, told the stories of their ancestors.

STARA SOKOLOVA PRODUCT RANGE

Today, Stara Sokolova produces 100,000 litres of rakija annually

bestseller is certainly šljivovica (plum brandy), but there are many other tastes to enjoy. Our product range includes other types of brandy like Klekovača, Medovina and Travarica, the Soko V.S.O.P. cognac, and white fruit rakija like dunjevača (quince), kajsijevača (apricot) and viljamovka (pear). We round off our

product range with two liqueurs – the Zlatibor bitter and the honey and melon liqueur, Medinja.

Late last year, a limited quantity of the Stara Sokolova rakija, Kajsija LUX, that had been aged in young oak barrels, had its market launch.

As of this spring, the product range will contain the Stara Sokolova Dunja LUX, a quince brandy aged in oak barrels. Dunjevača has been exceptionally popular in Serbia in the last few years, and its popularity is spreading abroad too. Most of the quince brandies on this market have been aged in stainless steel vessels and are colourless. However, the Stara Sokolova Dunja LUX is one of those rare quince brandies that have been aged in oak barrels.

This is an exclusive drink that is made from selected ripe Leskovac quince, the best traditional variety in Serbia, which is picked in late autumn. Dunja LUX is produced based on a traditional recipe. It was aged in oak barrels for several years which gives it harmonious aroma, taste and an enticing amber colour. Dunja LUX is all about joie de vivre, as it attracts love, happiness and satisfaction.

Both of these new tastes have LUX packaging, and each of the elaborate boxes have a story about Serbia and its rakija-making tradition written on the back in an effort to present the allure of our country to consumers.

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CALENDAR & NEWS BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

FOR ADVENTURERS 4 April 7, 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Eiji Oue Soloist: Mirjana Nešković, violin

Eiji Oue

THE PHILHARMONIC THEATRE 3 April 23, 19:00 Kolarac Foundation

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

FOR BEGINNERS 3 April 21-22, 20:00 NOMUS, Novi Sad, Sinagogue

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic Soloist: Stefan Dohr, French horn

Uroš Lajovic

PHILHARMANIA AND FOR LOVERS 5 April 27-28, 20:00 Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Howard Griffiths Soloist: Andrea Lucchesini, piano

Howard Griffiths

KOLARAC

Concert hall

CONCERT PROGRAMME April 2017

Saturday, 1st April at 19.00 Concert Hall

Saturday, 8th at 19.30 Concert Hall

Conductor: Ljiljana Randjelović Dragomir Bartić, piano accompaniment Miloš Milovanović Production: RTS Music

19.30 Exhibition Free Masonry Music Gallery 20.00 Royal Strings of St. George & Chamber Choir Solosits: Ana Stanković, soprano, Dragana Popović, mezzosoprano Ljubomir Popović, tenor, Vasa Stajkić, baritone Conductor: Milica Radivojević Sunday, 9th at 11.00 Concert hall

RTS CHILDREN CHOIR KOLIBRI

Sunday, 2nd April at 11.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Piano duo Tea Dimitrijević & Dejan Subotić Programme: Florent Schmitt, Maurice Moszkowski, Dejan Despić Production: Music Centre Monday, 3rd April at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF MOKRANJAC MUSIC SCHOOL

Admission free

Tuesday, 4th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND STUDENTS OF OPERA STUDIO

Production: Faculty of Music Arts, Belgrade Wednesday, 5th at 18.00 Music Gallery

BIANCA FAULISI, PIANO & LUKA FAULISI, VIOLIN

Programme: J.S. Bach, Clementi, Mozart, Paganini, Chopin, …

Production: Music Centre Admission free Wednesday, 5th at 20.00 Concert Hall

DREAMING AWAKE

GREEK DAYS IN BELGRADE April 2017

Monday, 10th at 20.00 Concert Hall

WORLD POPULAR SONGS

Stanislav Binički Artist Ensemble Slavko Nikolić, tenor, Milica Popović, mezzosoprano Host: Aleksandra Paladin Tuesday, 11th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Saturday, 22nd at 20 Concert Hall

RTS SIMPHONY ORCHESTRA

David Horvat, violin Conductor: Ronald Colman (Belgium) Programme: Shostakovich, Dvorzak Production: RTS Music Production Sunday, 23rd at 11.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER

Love Songs Svetlana Vranić, soprano Ana Jovanović, mezzosprano Marko Živković, tenor Nenad Nenić, baritone Meri Bojić Radojčić, piano Jana Tucović, piano Production: Music Center

CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL SLAVENSKI

Sunday, 23rd at 20.00 Concert Hall

Wednesday, 12th at 18.00 Music Gallery

Production: Rotary Club

Admission free

MUSIC DIRECTION NORTH – SOUTH

Kristina Sočanski, piano, Katarina Popović, violin Rastko Popović, viola Programme: Svendsen, Grieg, Slavenski, Despić, Jevtić Production: Music Centre

THE WIND ORCHESTRA OF THE IDRIJA MINERS

Monday, 24th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: YOUR WORLD OF MUSIC

Freddy Kempf, piano

Tuesday, 25th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL DAVORIN JENKO

Admission free

Choir & Orchestra Conductor: Gerardo Estrada, Venezuela Production: Music Art Project

Thursday, 6th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Thursday, 13th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Wednesday, 26th at 18.00 Music Gallery

Production: RTS Music Production

Student’s Concert Production: Music Centre Admission free

Friday, 7th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Eiji Oue Mirjana Nešković, violin Programme: R. Wagner, P. Stojanović, M. Mussorgsky Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Information 2630-744 BF Box office

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Concert by students of the Department of Chamber Music of the Faculty of Music Programme: Tomasi, Brahms, Borodin, Beethoven, Gavrilin, Ravel Production: Music Centre Admission free

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic Soloist: Stefan Dohr, French horn L. van Beethoven, R. Strauss,G. Bizet Production: Belgrade Philharmonic

Wednesday, 12th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Enseble Rastislav Blagojević & „Gledanice“

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KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Philip Glass/Concert on The Occasion of 80th Birth Anniversary Branka Parlić, Nada Kolundžija, Nataša Penezić Violets 700

“LOOK AT ME, LOOK”

Under the auspices of the Embassy of Greece and the hospitality of the City of Belgrade, a series of cultural events will be organized in Belgrade in the last ten days of April. Greek Days will give the chance to the Serbian audience to attend concerts of music, film and documentary screenings, ballet performances, lectures, exhibitions and gastronomy events. These events will be organized in several venues in Belgrade e.g. at The National Theater, Academy, The venue of Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Ethnographic and Philatelic Museum, Saint Sava Church, Sava Center etc. During the Greek Days in Belgrade, presentations of Greek gastronomy will be organized in Metropol Palace, Hyatt, Excelsior and Inn Hotel. To find out more about Greek Days in Belgrade check Embassy`s web site www.mfa.gr/serbia/presveia/ and Facebook page.

“IN SEARCH OF A LIGHT”

Friday, 21st at 20.00 Concert Hall

RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Wednesday, 19th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: ENCOUNTER WITH AN ARTIST

Marina Trajković Bidževski, soprano Ana Jovanović, mezzosoprano Tatjana Drobni, piano Programme: Dvorzak, Bajić, Jenko, Tchaikovsky Production: Music Centre Admission free

EL SISTEMA – KOLARAC

CYCLE: MUSIC WORKSHOP

Thursday, 27th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Howard Griffiths Andrea Lucchesini, piano Programme: S. Prokofiev, B. Bartók, D. Shostakovich Production: Belgrade Philharmonic

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