Diplomacy and Commerce 17 by Diplomacy&Commerce magazine

Diplomacy&Commerce www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

July 2017 | ISSUE No. 17 | Price 350 RSD

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MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLOSER COOPERATION

H.E. ABDELHAMID CHEBCHOUB Algerian Ambassador to Serbia

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TODAY IS A NORM

th 06 THE 4 OF JULY

JUL

page 42

CELEBRATION IN BELGRADE

Huge Investments Will Pay Off VELIMIR MIJUŠKOVIĆ

President Chamber of Economy of Montenegro

East Europe Lives in the pre-French Revolution times

BRANISLAVA SIMANIĆ Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at SCC

ALEKSANDAR IN WONDERLAND

TEOFIL PANČIĆ Journalist

Montenegro

British

NATIO NAL DAY

ALEKSANDAR SAŠA ILIĆ Ballet dancer, choreographer and poet

DRAGICA SEKULIĆ Economy Minister in the Montenegrin Government

H.E. DENIS KEEFE

Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Serbia

ED ITO RI AL

Trouble in Paradise

CO N T E N T S

Dear readers, We considered that if there is paradise on Earth, combined with existing religious and ethnic practises, it could be in the central Middle East. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman. Okay, Saudi Arabia has been very strict on religious affairs, but the aforementioned countries were as tolerant as possible. Many foreigners hit the road and found homes there. With massive buildings and architectural miracles, in the middle of the desert, representing beautiful cities of the future, they are strongly juxtaposed to their ruined neighbouring countries like Yemen, Iraq, Syria or Somalia. And then, all of a sudden, a cold shower: sanctions, diplomatic quarrels, military intervention in Yemen, threats against Iran. We didn’t know that there are three types of Muslims: Sunni, Shia and Wahabbi; roughly corresponding to Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians. And it seems that now all the ancient quarrels have re-surfaced. And, to make things even more complicated, Trump has sold arms to both the Saudis and Qataris, while Turkey is reinforcing its military base there, Qatar is accused of financing terrorism (very bad) and melting the ice in relations with Iran (quite good, actually). The peaceful Dubai is aligning with Saudis and the royal line there has changed, and so on… An inexhaustible puzzle. With the imminent fall of the so-called Islamic State in Raqqa and Mosul, the final battle between different Shia and Sunni visions of Islam is approaching. We hope it won’t be an armed battle, but the scary vision of WWIII starting in an unusual place – the Central Middle East – looms large. All the major players, like Russia, China, the UK and America, have their interests. However, it seems like this region is full of people who achieved everything through oil revenue and are now trying to get political. Now is not the time to be maximalist. It never has been.

Bans on “abnormal” beards and even the name “Muhammad”

Not-so-cool Britannia

THE EXTRAORDINARY WAYS IN WHICH CHINA HUMILIATES MUSLIMS

MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLOSER COOPERATION

H.E. ABDELHAMID CHEBCHOUB Algerian Ambassador to Serbia

REVOLUTION(S) AHOY Young voters for old candidates and vice versa

Editor-in-Chief

TEOFIL PANČIĆ Journalist

Diplomacy&Commerce www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor in Chief

zikica.milosevic@color.rs

TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editorial manager

tanja.bankovic@color.rs

VANJA KOVAČEV

PR&Event support Nord Communications vanja.communications @gmail.com

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ILIJA PETROVIĆ ”INDIGOCHILD”

Advertising manager

ilija.petrovic@color.rs

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ

Art director

JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

jovana.markovic@color.rs

natasa.nesic@color.rs

Advertising manager dragana.radovic@color.rs

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ Magazine director

ruza.ristanovic@color.rs

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

robert.coban@color.rs

Photos

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

Marked in Serbia -17th June 2017

INTERRACIAL MARRIAGES ARE RISING IN AMERICA The Supreme Court struck down antimiscegenation laws 50 years ago

FIREWORKS OF GOOD MUSIC ON SUMMER STAGES

In preparation of for the year 2021, when Novi Sad officially becomes the European culture capital,

FIRE’S NEVER WRONG, AS WE KNOW IT

MIGRANT CRISIS ...Inner Migrant Crisis

DUŠAN STRAJNIĆ DUKAT Frontman of Stray Dogg

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TODAY IS A NORM BRANISLAVA SIMANIĆ

Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at SCC

3RD INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA (IDY)

EAST EUROPE LIVES IN THE PRE-FRENCH REVOLUTION TIMES

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

BRITAIN’S POLITICAL OUTLOOK SEEMS TOXIC TO INVESTORS

113 YEARS OF ST. REGIS HOTEL Jagger, Hitchcock and Dali at 200 yards from church door

Translation and lecturer

MRP EDITORIAL Translation

SNEŽANA RAKIĆ

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T H E BU L L IE S O F U RU M Q I

The Extraordinary Ways in Which China Humiliates Muslims Bans on “abnormal” beards and even the name “Muhammad”

Chinese officials describe the far western province of Xinjiang as a “core area” in the vast swathe of territory covered by the country’s grandiose “Belt and Road Initiative” to boost economic ties with Central Asia and regions beyond. They hope that wealth generated by the scheme will help to make Xinjiang more stable—for years it has been plagued by separatist violence which China says is being fed by global jihadism. But the authorities are not waiting. In recent months they have intensified their efforts to stifle the Islamic identity of Xinjiang’s ethnic Uighurs, fearful that any public display of their religious belief could morph into militancy. Xinjiang’s 10m Uighurs (nearly half of its population) have long been used to heavy-handed curbs: a ban on unauthorised pilgrimages to Mecca, orders to students not to fast during Ramadan, tough restrictions on Islamic garb (women with face-covering veils are sometimes not allowed on buses), no entry to many mosques for people under 18, and so on. But since he took over last August as Xinjiang’s Communist Party chief, Chen Quanguo

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has launched even harsher measures—pleased, apparently, by his crushing of dissent in Tibet where he previously served as leader. As in Tibet, many Xinjiang residents have been told to hand their passports to police and seek per-

A LEAKED LIST OF BANNED NAMES INCLUDES MUHAMMAD, MECCA AND SADDAM mission to travel abroad. In one part of Xinjiang all vehicles have been ordered to install satellite tracking-devices. There have been several shows of what officials call “thunderous power”, involving thousands of paramilitary troops parading through streets. Last month, new rules came into effect that banned “abnormal” beards (such as the one worn by the man pictured in front of the main mosque in Kashgar in south-western Xinjiang). They also called on transport workers to report women wearing face veils or full-body coverings to the police, and prohibited “naming of children to exaggerate religious fervour”.

A leaked list of banned names includes Muhammad, Mecca and Saddam. Parents may not be able to obtain vital household-registration papers for children with unapproved names, meaning they could be denied free schooling and health care. Residents have also been asked to spy on each other. In Urumqi, the region’s capital, locals can report security threats via a new mobile app. People living in Altay in northern Xinjiang have been promised rewards of up to 5m yuan ($720,000) for tip-offs that help capture militants—over 200 times the local income per person. Across Xinjiang residents have been asked to inform the authorities of any religious activities, including weddings and circumcisions. The government is also testing its own people’s loyalty. In March an official in Hotan in southern Xinjiang was demoted for “timidity” in “fighting against religious extremism” because he chose not to smoke in front of a group of mullahs. Mr Chen is widely rumoured to be a contender for a seat in the ruling Politburo in a reshuffle due late this year. Displays of toughness may help to ingratiate him with China’s president, Xi Jinping, who has called for “a great wall of iron” to safeguard Xinjiang. Spending on security in Xinjiang was nearly 20% higher in 2016 than the year before. Adverts for security-related jobs there increased more than threefold last year, reckon James Leibold of La Trobe University and Adrian Zenz of the European School of Culture and Theology at Korntal, Germany. Uighurs have been blamed for several recent attacks in Xinjiang. In one of them in February, in the southern prefecture of Hotan, three knife-wielding men killed five people and injured several others before being shot dead by police (local reports suggested the violence occurred after a Uighur family was punished for holding a prayer session at home). Officials may be congratulating themselves on the success of their tactics; reported large-scale attacks by Uighurs inside and outside Xinjiang have abated in the past 18 months. Yet as in Tibet, intrusive surveillance and curbs on cultural expression have fuelled people’s desperation. “A community is like a fruit,” says a Uighur driver from Kashgar. “Squash it too hard and it will burst.” From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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I NTERVIEW

Many Opportunities for Closer Cooperation

H.E. ABDELHAMID CHEBCHOUB Algerian Ambassador to Serbia

Algeria and Serbia have very good bilateral relations, which have been boosted of late by a significant surge in economic cooperation, albeit from a modest base. Furthermore, sustained political dialogue on international issues of common interest further invigorates the long-standing friendship forged 55 years ago

The friendship between the then Yugoslavia and Algeria was forged 55 years ago, but of late it has been strengthened in terms of political dialogue, economic cooperation and the exploration of new avenues of collaboration, such as agriculture, the energy sector and tourism. Furthermore, thanks to the President of the Republic of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Serbian companies have gained the opportunity to position themselves on the Algerian market and managed to win several important contracts for the realisation of major projects. We spoke with H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Ambassador of Algeria, about the prospects of even better relations between two countries, as well as some geopolitical issues like terrorism and expertise in fighting terrorism, for which Algeria has been widely recognised.

War led by the Algerian people, who found multidimensional support for their cause in the former Yugoslavia. Today, as we celebrate the 55th anniversary of an independence gained on 5th July 1962, at the price of heavy sacrifices, I should pay tribute to President Tito and all the peoples of the former Yugoslavia for their solidarity and support for the struggle waged by the Algerians against colonialism, but also for their contribution to the developmental efforts undertaken by Algeria since the very first years of its independence. Economic cooperation between Algeria and Serbia in several fields, as well as a sustained po-

— Trade between our countries is currently below the quality of our political relations, on the one hand, and their real potential, on the other. It is true that the political and economic transitions experienced by both countries during the 1990s, as well as the periods of turmoil they faced at that time, led to the stagnation of our external trade compared to the volume and diversity of Algeria’s relations with the former Yugoslavia. Since 2000, however, positive trends in external trade have been observed again. It has tripled in the past three years, increasing from around $20 million in 2013 to almost $60 million in 2016.

TODAY, AS WE CELEBRATE THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE, I SHOULD PAY TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT TITO AND ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO ALGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT SINCE ITS INDEPENDENCE The bilateral agreements that have been signed in several fields in the meantime have paved the way for the resumption of activities. Large development projects launched by President Bouteflika were an opportunity for Serbian companies to position themselves on the Algerian market and to win several important contracts for the realisation of major projects.

How would you rate relations between Serbia and Algeria?

litical dialogue on international issues of common interest, has been built on the basis of that friendship, which our countries have managed to preserve throughout all these years. The visit of Tomislav Nikolić, then President of the Republic of Serbia, to Algeria in May 2016, as the first visit since the establishing of the Republic of Serbia, confirmed the dynamics of the strengthening of this relationship, which was decided by the highest authorities of our two countries.

— Relations between Algeria and Serbia are based on the friendship woven between the two peoples during the National Liberation

How developed are external trade relations between Serbia and Algeria?

— Looking at the geographical locations of our countries, their economic potential and development

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In your opinion, which areas of cooperation can be explored by economic operators from the two countries?

policies, we can identify several areas of cooperation to be further explored by economic operators. In the first place is agriculture: Serbia has knowhow in intensive farming that Algeria, which embarked on large agricultural projects recently, could benefit from, particularly in the field of water resources and the organisation of export chains. We can also explore opportunities for cooperation in the energy field, where Algeria has extensive expertise – not only with its gas and oil resources, but also in the field of renewable energy. Tourism is another promising area. Algeria has launched an extensive programme to develop this sector, which Serbian operators are welcome to contribute to. There is genuine potential to develop the flow of tourists between the two countries. Other sectors to be mentioned are sports and culture. Moreover, both countries have potential enabling them either to develop trade or establish partnerships and look to broadening their horizons through Algeria, the door to the Mediterranean, Africa and the Arab world.

there is international awareness of the criminal nature of terrorism and the need for international cooperation to deal with it. The latest terror attacks have once again confirmed the relevance of Algerian analysis and positions. Counter terrorism solidarity needs to be materialised through exchanges of information, the implementation of effective measures to drain terrorist groups’ sources of funding and to limit their movements across territories. It must also be effective in fighting arms and drug trafficking. All these actions must be accompanied by framing religious discourse and promoting values of peace, tolerance and understanding between the religions and cultures that comprise humanity.

Military cooperation between Algeria and Serbia has an important place in relations between the two countries. Are you satisfied with the dynamics of this cooperation?

It is this vision and expertise in fighting terrorism, which Algeria has been widely acknowledged for today, that we wish to share with Serbia and all other countries. In this context, several cooperation agreements in the field of fighting organised crime and terrorism, as well as in the judicial field, have been drafted and are in the process of being finalised, and we hope to materialise them in the near future.

— Military cooperation indeed occupies a significant place in our relations. It is evolving continuously and in a satisfactory manner. It covers a range of domains, from the military industry to training and the exchange of experience. It is subject to periodic evaluations by a Joint Military Commission, which reviews the state of affairs and the implementation modalities, with a view to strengthening and diversifying it further. How important today are the issues of terrorism, security and cooperation in security, in the bilateral context?

— Algeria, which has suffered from this scourge and fought it singlehandedly, while the rest of the world has showed nothing but indifference, has never stopped raising awareness among the international community about the criminal and cross-border nature of this phenomenon, and the need for the joint mobilisation of all countries to fight it. Algeria has pioneered action in this field. And we can say that we have succeeded, because today

peace and stability of the region. As regards to Mali, at the request of the authorities of that country, President Bouteflika initiated a crisis settlement process, known as the Algiers Process, which resulted in the signing of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation on 25th May 2015, which was welcomed by the whole international community. Regarding Libya, Algeria is continuing its efforts to convince its Libyan brothers to adhere to a process of resolving the crisis through dialogue between all parties that accept the principles of a peaceful settlement and reject violence, respect the territorial integrity of Libya and are opposed to foreign intervention.

TOURISM WILL BRING OUR TWO PEOPLES CLOSER TOGETHER AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRESERVATION OF A FRIENDSHIP FORGED MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS AGO. IT IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE YOUTH OF OUR COUNTRIES TO MEET AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER

What role does Algeria play in the context of the tension that is affecting your region?

— Algeria, as a central country of the Maghreb, with historical ties with the countries in its immediate neighbourhood, embedded in its Arab and African affiliations, enjoys the trust and respect of the international community and has always mobilised its diplomacy in the service of maintaining the

How would you assess the situation in Syria and the Middle East generally, and their geopolitical consequences?

— As I have said, Algeria always pleads for a peaceful settlement of crises by means of negotiations and inclusive dialogue between all the actors without any foreign interference. This has been Algeria’s position as well since the outset of the crisis in Syria in 2011. Algeria was member of the ministerial committee of the Arab League tasked to find a solution to the crisis in Syria together with Qatar, Sudan, Egypt and Oman. Algeria has spared no effort to search for a peaceful solution to this crisis. It has consistently advocated in favour of dialogue, the cessation of violence and reconciliation among Syrians, who must freely decide on the future of their country and the shape of its institutions.

SAHARAWI PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION How do you comment of the issue of Western Sahara? — Relating to the Western Sahara, in our view, which is also shared by the international community, the Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory, listed as such by the United Nations, and it is therefore up to the United Nations to implement its doctrine and principles pertinent to this issue, and to enforce the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence in accordance with international law.

The relevance of the Algerian position and the accuracy of our approach were subsequently acknowledged by the international community, which attempted to promote dialogue within the framework of Geneva discussions. We remain hopeful that Syrians will come together around the negotiating table to find a solution to the war that has resulted in so many victims and so much destruction. Just like we remain convinced that the inclusive dialogue, while respecting the sovereignty of States and the principles of international law, is the only way to resolve crises. Given that you have been living in Serbia for two years now, do you think Algeria is well known among the Serbian people, or is your country still a big unknown here?

— In order to answer this question I think one needs to differentiate between two generations of Serbian people: the one which was born or grew up during the time of the former Yugoslavia, which got to know Algeria through the privileged relationship that President Tito had with Algeria from the time of the National Liberation War. This generation is very well acquainted with Algeria and continues to demonstrate strong friendship and deep respect for the country. The second generation, especially the youngest ones, does not have the same perception. They have limited knowledge of our country, but are very interested in discovering and visiting it. We have witnessed this interest at exhibitions and/or cultural events organised by the Embassy. The human component of the Association of Friends of Algeria, comprising predominantly young Serbs, is proof of that. I use this opportunity to praise their commitment to strengthening relations between our two countries. I would also like to take the opportunity provided by Diplomacy & Commerce to once again call on operators in the field of travel and tourism, as well as those in charge of the tourism sector in both countries, to explore this avenue, thus enabling the youth of our countries to meet and get to know each other. The development of tourism will certainly bring our two peoples closer together and contribute to the preservation of a friendship forged more than sixty years ago.

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PO LI TI C S Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

SOCIALISM STRIKES BACK

Revolution(s) Ahoy Young voters for old candidates and vice versa Somehow, all the people of Europe are awaiting some revolutions these days. And in North America too. The Economist magazine is convinced that Emmanuel Macron will save Europe, since he is quite an Anglo-Saxon liberal type. And the French are crazy for their handsome and young president. But there are some other revolutions ahead. LIBERAL REVOLUTIONS

The two liberal revolutionaries praised by The Economist are the aforemention Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau, another young and handsome charmer, this one also French by origins, but from Canada. Macron did not hesitate to form his own political party, win the elections, dismiss the two old leading parties and form

around centrism as an idea. He was proud to show his much older wife off to the world and say: well, in times when nobody thinks it is bad to have a much younger wife, like Trump (or many others), or to have a same-sex spouse, should I

always influence the lives of ordinary people. So Macron's rule has to be judged on how the situation has improved for the working classes, and not on the overall figures. Terrorism. The despair of the banlieus. The integration of

SO THE YOUNG PEOPLE USE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO CLEARLY HELP THE OLD SCHOOL SOCIALISTS GAIN MOMENTUM, WHICH IS QUITE AMAZING. AND TO SEE BRITAIN WITH A STRONG WELFARE STATE ONCE AGAIN? THAT WOULD BE EVEN MORE AMAZING feel guilty for having my choice of love? Of course not. And there was a social revolution, for that matter, which Macron also started. But, let us first do a bit of worrying. No society has been run properly by the power of the market. The world's leading banks and capital

minorities. The ecology, which Trudeau somehow forgot when he talked about dirty oil extraction. We wait for some results to judge before we call anyone the saviour of Europe or North America. It is nice to be charming, but it is nicer to be effective.

THE RIGHT HOLDS POSITION Many people thought Trump would be a strange populist, but now he is doing the same-old, same-old American stuff, supporting key allies in the Middle East (Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), even after contradictory remarks and the fact they hate each other. And Theresa May might be shaken and stirred, but she is not out yet. Brexit is beginning, and Conservatives around the world might be happy. Some might say that the real revolution is desired among the conservative population in the Anglo-Saxon giants. Theresa might meet Macron in a humble position, as a near-loser meeting the shiny winner, but it will fade away soon. When problems have to be confronted and solved, we will judge them according to their deeds. UKIP failed and fell apart, while Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders did not make it. The traditional right is still the strongest at the right part of the political spectrum.

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Well, this is not Soviet socialism, nor Tito's socialism, but Scandinavian socialism is back, and is growing even more as an idea in countries that were either totally opposed to it (the U.S.) or were on the threshold but abandoned it during the Thatcherism era (UK), or in places where they were strong but lost ground (France). And the three prominent fugures pushing it are Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn and Jean-Luc Melenchon. In one of the episodes of the satirical Family Guy cartoon, the mean little baby, Stewie, said something like: “So, who is the person that young people love so much? Oh, yes, Morgan Freeman”. Indeed, he is a cult figure among the youth. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that the most popular people among the youth that did not vote for ages (or have never voted before) are old geezers like Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn. And they have archetypal nemeses: Hilary Clinton and Theresa May, both polished upper-class women distant from the ordinary people. No wonder Theresa May lost her almost landslide victory after three terrorist attacks and is losing points after the recent catastrophic building blaze. Simply, the old guys from the left are something that the disenfranchised youngsters can relate to, and they show compassion and seem to really care. And don't be surprised if Corbyn and Sanders, if they gain enough strength, form the next governments in the two Anglo-Saxon giants. As for Melenchon, his constant 20% of the vote is a good sign that France might be in love with a Catholic Thatcherite for a while (Fillon) and now with a liberal (Macron), but the essential problems of French society cannot be solved by money. Social dialogue is lacking in every society nowadays. So the young people use social networks to clearly help the old school Socialists gain momentum, which is quite amazing. And to see Britain with a strong welfare state once again? That would be even more amazing.

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NATIONAL DAYS

ARRI VALS & D EPAR T UR E S

in July & August

JULY

KRISTINA JOHANSSON

New CEO of METRO in Serbia

Kristina Johansson was appointed as the new general manager of METRO Cash & Carry Serbia, starting July 1, 2017. After years of professional experience gained in the field of strategic development of global companies, Ms. Kristina Johansson joined the METRO team in October 2016. She built a successful career by working as a consultant in the field of management for Accenture, and after that she worked for almost 15 years in IKEA, in several markets, in various managerial positions, the last being the Executive

Director of IKEA Netherlands. "It is my great pleasure to take over the position and responsibilities of the General Director of METRO in Serbia and start a new phase in professional career. Here I see great business potential, and it is also a real challenge and a pleasure to contribute to the further development and business success that the company sees In this country. We will continue to focus strongly on our primary goal in order to provide the best conditions for buyers and employees" said Ms. Johansson.

BELGIUM National Day

EGYPT

Revolution Day

PERU

Independence Day

MOROCCO

Independence Day

AUGUST

SWITZERLAND

MILA MARČETA

lliance against the Holy A Roman Empire

New Director and GM of its Serbian operations TeleSign

"TeleSign, a communications platform as a service (CPaaS) company, appointed Ms. Mila Marčeta as Director and GM of its Serbian operations. Ms. Marčeta comes to TeleSign from Euronet USA, where she served as Director of Customer Support EMEA. Additionally, Ms. Marčeta served four years on Frost & Sullivan’s Advisory Board for Customer Contact Europe, Executive Mindxchange. Her 20 years of management experience and background in operations, project management, product development

management and technical delivery are expected to raise TeleSign’s industry leadership position locally and globally. Since 2005, TeleSign has been a trusted partner to 20 of the 25 largest brands in the world, helping them build real-time communications and fraud prevention into websites and mobile apps. The Company announced in April it has agreed to be acquired by BICS for $230M USD. TeleSign’s Serbian office employs 160 highly educated IT, sales and marketing professionals. www.telesign.com".

MACEDONIA Ilinden

JAMAICA

Independence Day

ECUADOR

Independence Day

PAKISTAN

Independence Day

INDIA

ANDREJ JOVANOVIĆ

Independence Day

Recipient of the European Manager of the Year in Southeast and Central Europe Award

CEO of the Moji Brendovi Company (My Brands Company), Andrej Jovanović is the recipient of the award for the European Manager and Company of the Year given by the regional independent agency from Bosnia and Herzegovina that awards the best managers from Southeast and Central Europe. A total of 2,000 nominees and companies competed for this prestigious award at the biggest regional event of this kind with CEO of the Serbian company, under which Imlek, Bambi, Knjaz Miloš, the Bilmilk Dairy from Macedonia, Mlijekoprodukt from the Republic of Srpska, and the dairies from Subotica and Niš

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operate, chosen as the best manager. The jury, comprised of the renowned managers and scientists, says that the Moji Brendovi Company is the winner in the categories and branches segment for its exceptional results in product development, product quality, export and overall successful operations. Mr. Andrej Jovanović received the award as the best European Manager for his personal contribution to the development of the company. The President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Marko Čadež also attended the award ceremony in support of the Serbian businesses and their investments in the region.

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I NTERVIEW Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

East Europe Lives in the Pre-French Revolution Times We can be auto-racists and say we are primitive Balkanites. But so are Bulgarians, yet they managed not to commit genocide against the Turks and to avoid a civil war. They changed governments and entered the EU. Here we voted for the people who used the prevailing sentiment to wage wars, here in Serbia and Bosnia and Croatia. That is the main difference. It is always convenient to hate your neighbour

TEOFIL PANČIĆ Journalist

Teofil Pančić has long been one of the journalist superstars of Serbia and the region, thanks to his sharp, witty tongue, and his ability to remain steady under any circumstances. His columns are always a good sign of the times. Here we speak with him about the current situation in our ever-turbulent region and around the world. One columnist from Croatia said that the ideal for modern European society in Croatia, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, was Francoismo - Francisco Franco’s variety of society, but with no

anti-Semitism, a humane version of Nation-State-Religion-Family society, conservative to the bone. Do you think it is true, as a new idea counterbalancing Western liberalism?

— You cannot ignore this constant imbalance between the dominant feeling in Western Europe, which is predominantly liberal-leftist, and

tity. You don’t have people here who have voted for Tories or Labour for generations, or Christian Democrats or Social Democrats etc. There the people know what is left and right. Here you had ideological monism. When it fell apart, the only alternative identity was national. If you are not a Communist, what are you? Serb, Croat. And the national identi-

EVEN RELIGIOUS TABOOS ARE THE SAME. FASCISM, NATIONALISM, FRANCOISM, THEY ALL SEEK ENEMY WHO IS NEAR. IT IS EASY TO BE A FRIEND WITH SOMEONE WHO IS NOT YOUR NEIGHBOUR conservative Eastern Europe. This is all a consequence of what came prior to that, with many decades of so-called Communism. We spent that time in relaxed and permissive Communism, but others didn’t. People here don’t have a political identity, but rather a national iden-

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ty produced, as a consequence, the corresponding political identity. If I am a Serb, Russian, Albanian... it means that I am that politically... Religious and national identities led to political identities. That is what our colleague called “the inclination towards franquismo”;

an ideologically empty field, tabula rasa. After 1989 we missed the opportunity to be something that is neither communist nor nationalist – perhaps a couple of exceptions were Czechia or Slovenia. But if you had war induced disintegration, it got even worse. But Poland is pretty conservative, although they had no wars. What is your opinion?

— Poland has its extreme Catholicism, which marks their identity. Just compare Czechia and Poland. Czechs are the most liberal and non-religious, they have the highest amount of agnostics and atheists, and Poland, though it is very similar in every aspect and has a tremendous culture, is very religious. Their clerical establishment is among the most conservative in the world, and thus their right wing is very conservative. They support European values, but

not modern ones. They are values from the 19th century.

had before. Where is the connection between welfare and ideas?

But are these values really European? If the so-called European values are not pan-European at all, as they were defined in 1989 or 1995 or 2001 in Western Europe, could they be applied easily to Eastern EU-members? Should we re-negotiate the European values, as a consensus and the least common denominator for all European countries?

Like the graffiti in Budapest, “Sorry Europe, we don’t like you, but we still like your money.” I have an idea that the East wanted to get back to the Western values left behind in 1946, and not the values from 2017; to go to church again and be socially conservative.

— It is a long story, what European values are? You have utopian and idealist versions of it. It is like thinking that Belgrade and Babušnica can equally create the dominant narrative of the EU. France and Belarus, Italy and Estonia, will never be equal in that matter. The EU was something created in the West. The Eastern countries joined them, not vice versa. It is not that Western countries are joining the Warsaw Pact or SEV. It is perfectly normal to respect a club’s rules if you want to become a member. And if you don’t want to accept the rules, you are entitled to not accept them, but then don’t be a member. It is pathological patriotism. It is like “I’m not gonna accept these values, since I don’t like them”. That’s not going to work. Some values are simply good or bad, no matter where they originated from. Beer, electricity or the internet are not from here, but we use them. And that includes the Estonian or Russian nationalists who use the internet to say that they dislike some values. It is like nationalists who want to drive Western cars and not Zhiguli. There is perpetual moaning about how bad we live. But there are far more people moving from Serbia to Belgium than vice versa. It means something, not just material. If the people get accustomed to Western European or North American society, it is because their citizens’ freedoms are far wider than those left behind at home. Some might say, I don’t care for these freedoms. That’s okay. You are free to say that you don’t care for freedoms. It is only in a dictatorship that you cannot say that. You cannot say in a theocracy that you don’t care about religion. I understand that as an Eastern European. I hate the culture-racism towards Easterners, but I think there are far more culture-racist prejudices in the East against the West. We would like their money, to drive Audis or Mercedes, and to have the same mental concept we

— Yes, but the Western values of 1946 or 1926 or 1886 were different. In 1789 there was a French revolution. With all possible regressions, Western Europe went forward, towards the liberalisation of lifestyle, sexual freedoms. But Eastern Europe is stuck in pre-French Revolution times. It is not about the October Revolution, it is all about the French Revolution in the East. Can we accept the results of that?

Is anti-Islamism the new anti-Semitism? There are few Jews left here and Muslims are growing in number, and nationalists are full of rage against the immigrants?

— It is a far more complex topic. But let me point out that until recently immigrants from colonies were not as numerous even in Britain. There were few until the ‘60s. The first high profile case was the Brixton riots in London. Here we have an all-White society where you have problems saying “kruh” or “hleb” (bread) or “belo” or “bijelo” (white). In Vojvodina, especially in the ‘90s, you could have problems for speaking Hungarian, but that didn’t happen in the ‘80s. Our micro-racisms are provincial. How will someone react to our licence plates? Our anti-Islamism is not about Pakistanis or Arabs. We are

BULGARIANS MANAGED NOT TO COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST THE TURKS AND TO AVOID A CIVIL WAR. THEY CHANGED GOVERNMENTS AND ENTERED THE EU. HERE WE VOTED FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WAGED WARS There is a big difference between the countries that had colonies and those which did not. Maybe they did atrocities there and used them economically, but it transformed their societies. Are you sure that it is the root of all differences?

— The enemy has to be visible. For a Serb nationalist, there is no chance that the Blacks could be enemies. Simply they are not here, they are invisible. And we are set against an available enemy: neighbouring nations, religions. Croats, Albanians, Bosniaks. Here you have a situation where you silence your voice in the city bus if you don’t speak with the accent of the majority.

bothered by Bosniaks or Albanians. In Bosnia you have three nations and religions with 95% the same language and customs, yet they can easily hate each other. You mean that you have Muhamed Filipović, Ante Filipović and Stojan Filipović, and they kill each other even if they had the same great- great-grandfather?

— Exactly! 300 years ago they were from the same family. The only things that differentiate them are religious, even though they are not religious at all sometimes. A Pakistani in England has a different face, language, habits, food. Here – no. Like in Vojvodina, Hun-

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE We, as children of the ‘90s protests, have awoken. The idea was to make a paradigm shift after Milošević, not turbofolk, but Britpop and rock. And that did not change: the turbo-culture is stronger than ever. Is that the greatest failure? There are Kardashians and Geordie Shore, but it seems we have lost it? — As a teenager in Zagreb, during the new wave, I was frowned upon because of my looks. We were always in the minority, though maybe not like today. It was not Pericles’ times. Not everyone was listening to Pankrti. The Police mistreated me. The majority of people were listening to proto-folk. We had no illusions that we could change that. The rural paradigm was always here, the urban paradigm was always weak here. We can be auto-racists and say we are primitive Balkanites. But so are Bulgarians, yet they managed not to commit genocide against the Turks and to avoid a civil war. They changed governments and entered the EU. Here we voted for the people who used the prevailing sentiment to wage wars, here in Serbia and Bosnia and Croatia. That is the main difference.

garians, Bunjevac, Croats, Serbs, Slovaks – all eating the same food etc. Even religious taboos are the same. Fascism, nationalism, Francoism, they all seek an enemy who is near. It is easy to befriend someone who is not your neighbour, like the myth of Serbian-Greek friendship, Hungarian-Polish friendship – yeah right, but Slovakia and Czechia are in between. They don’t get along quite well. We and Russians are cool, since they are far away and they did not get us in 1948, so it is easy to be romantic. But with neighbours that is not the case. You know that the longest surviving alliance is between England and Portugal, England had fierce wars with France, the Netherlands and Spain also. Romania has “two good neighbours: Serbia and the Black Sea”, as the proverb goes?

— Yes, like in this song. You just be far enough. And the focus shifts. In the 19th century Serbs were kissing and hugging with Croats, it was romantic Yugoslavism, and the main enemy was Bulgaria. Now Bulgaria is almost unnoticed, who cares? And the enemy was also Hungarians. Now we have Croats and Albanians as the new enemies. Ana Brnabić is the new Prime Minister. Do you think it is a nice façade to have a lesbian Croat woman as PM, and the changes will be... which?

— She cannot be more liberal at first sight, but the government members directly contradict that. You have Aleksandar Vulin in the Ministry of Defence. That says it all: a man with such a political profile. The message clearly contradicts the liberal image of Ms Brnabić. And the new cabinet member is Nenad Popović, a man who doesn’t even hide that he is pro-Russian. SPS is stronger in the new government. It is a hardliner government, fiercer than the last one. The Minister of Culture is fierce in promoting Cyrillic to the point of punishing opponents. It is a kind of “liberal whitewash”: the façade is painted. That is all. Ana Brnabić is absolutely non-independent. We cannot fool ourselves that she is independent, but even her speeches don’t hide that fact. She will be the transmitter of President Vučić on all important issues. She wants a mentorship. Can you imagine any PM saying that? Theresa May saying that David Cameron should be her mentor? No way!

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PO LITIC S Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Migrant Crisis ...Inner Migrant Crisis

Yes, in a James Bond manner. When we mention the migrant crisis we all think about the painful scenes of Middle East, Afhgan, Pakistani or African migrants heading to Europe in inhuman conditions. But we forget another migrant crisis. The flood of (predominantly) young people from the Eastern Europe (including the Eastern EU) to the Western EU, the UK, Iceland and Norway. The flood of 20 million and counting. And the scariest part is that these people are not coming from the devastated countries or failed states but from the fresh EU member. And they have no intention of coming back home. Of course, there are Spaniards in Poland too, but the number of Poles and Lithuanians in the UK and elsewhere is so high that it supposedly play one of the roles in Brexit decision. The trouble is also that the brain drain affected severely the economic growth in the Eastern EU, as well as demographical structure. It was a great benefit for the west, but it was disastrous for the East. Unless we count the “drop of unemployment rate” which is something many governments brag with. To stop it, we need the Pan-European initiative from Brussels. My invention? No. It is the report from the IMF. After 2004 and the “Eastern explotion” the prospects were jolly, but professor Aaron Clauset from

the University of Colorado estimated that the 10 Eastern EU members would have been better off in they stayed out of the EU! Which is something that many in Hungary, Poland or especially Slovenia are well aware of, but the firm proWest ideas prevail. FACTS AND FIGURES

And now facts and figures. From the West to East, from 2004, only 0.5% of economic migrants went to Poland, Czechia, Slova-

second-hand member, fuelling the rage of Romanians” / said Calin Popescu, the President of Romanian Senat to the EC. And with the Europe in multiple gears, or whatever it might be called, it is highly unlikely that the European Union would be unified any time soon. Let us examine some scary facts. Bulgaria's population declined from a peak of 9,009,018 in 1989 (this was a bad Socialism, right?) and since 2001, has lost yet another 600,000 people, according

THERE IS A JOKE: TWO SERBIAN DOCTORS MEET IN THE STREET. THE FIRST SAYS: GUTEN TAG! THE OTHER REPLIES: GUTEN TAG! kia, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Tha vast majority of 70% of the people went to Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The fact is that one of 30 Lithuanians, one of 60 Poles and one of 200 Hungarians live in the UK. “It is time for Romania to become a full member of the EU, and to a

to 2011 census preliminary figures to no more than 7.3 million, further down to 7,245,000. This represents a 24.3% decrease in total population since the peak, and a -0.82% annual rate in the last 10 years. Bulgaria and Latvia are the only countries in the world to have a smaller population today than 1950. When Latvia split from the

Soviet Union, it had a population of 2,666,567, which was close to its peak population. The latest census recorded a population of 2,067,887 in 2011, while the state statistics reported an estimate of 1,986,086 for 2015. This represents a 25.5% decline. Lithuania experience Ta 23.8% decline since the peak census figure in 1989, and some 13.7% since 2001. Georgia, in the last Soviet census of 1989, had a population of 5,400,841 and the state statistics reported an estimate of 4,010,000 for 2014 Census, which includes estimated numbers for quasi-independent Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This represents a 25.7% decline since the peak census figure, but nevertheless somewhat higher than the 1950 population. Ukraine is some 20% below the population of 1993, etc. And who was doing better off? Funnily enough, Belarus, Serbia, Hungary with “only” 7% decrease, Croatian with 8% and Russia with only 4% decrease, and it is the only country in East Europe which reversed its population decline.

BENEFTITS FOR SOME, DISASTER FOR OTHERS We know that many people are not among us any more. The West is benefitting from the “new blood”, and we are certainly not. Even the infamously insensitive IMF noted that. And it will continue, now perhaps not towards the UK, but somewhere else for sure. Germany, perhaps. Everybody is talking about moving to Germany in the streets these days. There is a joke: two Serbian doctors meet in the street. The first says: Guten Tag! The other replies: Guten Tag!

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What good it can be for the millions of young Ukrainians, who got the opportunity for a visa-free travel? Or Georgians or Serbs, Macedonians? Well, in Serbia the people are emmigrating more than ever. One day the only working force would really be the ones for assembling electic parts for 200 euro salaries. But the unemployment rate figures will be quite low. Because there would be no people. Like in Bulgaria or Latvia. This time for real.

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I NTERVIEW

Female Entrepreneurship Today is a Norm The Entrepreneurship Sector at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC) provides strong support to entrepreneurship, and in particular women's entrepreneurship BRANISLAVA SIMANIĆ Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at SCC

The Entrepreneurship Sector at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC) maintains regular contact with women who either want to start their own business, or already have a business and want to improve it – says Branislava Simanić, director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at the SCC. How many female entrepreneurs are gathered in the Entrepreneurship Community at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce?

— The Entrepreneurship Sector at the SCC provides strong support to entrepreneurship and assembles a number of female entrepreneurs with whom it works on boosting women's entrepreneurship in Serbia, improving the environment for doing business, facilitating access to financing sources, reducing overall costs of running a business, and a myriad of other issues that are important for advancing female entrepreneurship. Do you think that female entrepreneurship is a matter of choice, or a result of the fact that

women face many obstacles in finding employment?

— An increasing number of women are deciding to start their own business. Gender equality and economic empowerment of women are some of the key prerequisites for the stable economic growth. Back in the day, women started their own businesses because that was the only chance for them of finding a job and had nothing better on offer. Today, the situation is completely different. Thanks to the state measures for facilitating female entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in general, women's entrepreneurship is mostly a matter of choice. This entrepreneurship is today initiated by women who have innovative ideas, and the female entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk and

the private sector, and especially of the female entrepreneurship?

— The SCC provides strong support to entrepreneurs in Serbia, and by this, female entrepreneurs too, through a series of services it renders. Expediting the digitalization process in the country

THE SCC SUPPORTS FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH HOLDING VARIOUS TRAINING SESSIONS, PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS AND HELPING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS TO BECOME A PART OF SUPPLY CHAINS find creative solutions with the view of generating profit. Today, female entrepreneurs are individuals who own companies and manage them as their executive directors. In which way does the SCC contribute to the empowerment of

is something that the Serbian Chamber of Commerce sees as a strategic goal, while a set of 18 new e-services will simplify and reduce the costs of running a business for both male and female entrepreneurs. The aformentioned e-services include four service

groups – issuing of seven certificates and official opinions for doing business in Serbia, issuing of seven export-import certificates and verifying import-export documents, issuing certificates such as Excellent SME, the certificate on controlling private security services and complete customs tariff now in electronic form. This new IT system at the SCC enables business community to have a direct electronic access to the data contained within the customs tariff including the tariff number, the custom clearance rate, the tax rate and similar. In addition to these services, the SCC can provide entrepreneurs an array of other services like organizing B2B meetings, assisting with drafting business plans, providing help in breaking into foreign markets or attending trade fairs, providing information about the CE mark, and many other services.

BETTER ACCESS TO LOANS Do you think that female entrepreneurs today have an equal status to their male counterparts in terms of obtaining loans and having access to various services for entrepreneurial support? — The Serbian government declared 2016 as the Year of Entrepreneurship, and this decade as the Decade of the Entrepreneurship. What this means in practice is that state authorities are now focusing on entrepreneurship and the concrete measures through various programmes of financial support. Female entrepreneurship is a great resource in terms of creation of new jobs, and, in order to fully utilize this, it needs financial support, an easier access to funding sources, a long loan repayment period and favourable loans. Having access to

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funding sources, especially those provided by banks, is an additional challenge for women due to the issues related to ownership of real estate and assets. In the next period, and with the view of boosting the support to women's entrepreneurship, we need to work on facilitating financing sources, expediting the process of legally regulating microfunding, and passing of the Law on Microfunding. On the other hand, the state authorities need to have measures in place that support the development of women's entrepreneurship through various programmes of financial support where no mortgage is required as a collateral, unlike in the banking sector, which, in turn, facilitates a much easier access to funding sources for female entrepreneurs.

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N O T- S O - CO O L BRITA N N IA

Britain’s Political Outlook Seems Toxic to Investors The combination of a weak Conservative prime minister and the potential for a Corbyn government does not look attractive

Suddenly Britain looks a lot less attractive as a home for international investors. The Conservative party under Theresa May gambled on a snap election to deliver a "mandate for Brexit". It unveiled a muddled manifesto that alienated voters and was out-campaigned by the veteran left-winger Jeremy Corbyn. The party lost its overall majority and will now be propped up by the very odd ducks in Ulster's Democratic Unionist party. The markets reacted less severely than might have been expected. That seems to be based on the view that a "soft Brexit" looks more likely. But it is far from clear that this is the case. David Davis, Britain's Brexit minister, seems to be ploughing ahead with plans to leave the single market and the Labour leadership is unlikely to oppose this. Moody's, the credit rating agency, outlined the two forces pulling markets in different directions: “Overall, we believe that the election outcome will hamper Brexit negotiations and increase fiscal risks, and therefore be negative for the UK's credit profile. However, the Conservative Party's reduced share of the vote may indicate a higher likelihood that a 'softer' form of Brexit might now be pursued, involving compromises with the EU that Ms May would not have countenanced previously, and which would be positive.” It will take time for the pattern to become clear. While Mrs May is incredibly weakened, the Conservative party does not want to face another election, which it might lose; changing prime ministers in the middle of the Brexit negotiations (while the clock is ticking) also looks destabilising. The result is that investors face the choice between a weak and wobbly Tory government and a Labour administration which plans to raise taxes on corporate profits, executive pay, and financial transactions (the IFS described it as the biggest-ever peacetime tax hike), as well as nationalise key industries. All this at a time when the UK economy is slowing under the impact of a squeeze on real wages caused by the fall in the pound (which weakened in the aftermath of the Bexit vote). A loss of business confidence is the last thing it needs. But a survey by the Institute of Directors found a remarkable negative swing of 34 percentage points in business confidence in the

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wake of the election result (pessimists outnumber optimists by 37 points) while the head of the Confederation of British Industry said there was a risk that business could cut back on investment. An economist for S&P, another rating agency, said that “In terms of the outlook for growth, it's clear that things are not going in the right direction. This latest bit of instability can only weaken the business environment and consumer confidence”.

THE COOL BRITANNIA THAT WELCOMED FOREIGN VISITORS AND CAPITAL UNDER TONY BLAIR MAY NOT EXIST ANY MORE If the economy weakens further, that will undermine the government's position. If the government fails to achieve the Brexit voters want (and it promised all the benefits of EU membership with none of the costs), that will also hit its popularity. There is also a hard core of Brexiteers among backbench MPs who will resist any softening of Brexit terms. Perhaps the government will limp on for two years. But there is a real chance Mr Corbyn will be in power by the end of 2019. John-Paul Smith, a strategist at Ecstrat, put things very starkly. The UK election is a seismic

event along the lines of Mrs Thatcher’s victory in 1979, as it represents the polarisation of British politics into nationalist and redistributionist extremes which are likely to prove toxic for the UK economy and sterling over the coming decade. We can anticipate a steady shift away from the Liberal Governance Regime which has reinvigorated the UK economy over the past 38 years, towards a more State-Guided Regime, a scenario diametrically opposite to the one which was intended by the libertarian advocates of Brexit. Over the short term, the comparatively low valuation of sterling and UK equities may provide some stability, but on a longerterm perspective, direct and portfolio investors should factor a much weaker pound into their calculations, along with a fiscal regime which is much less favourable to the holders of capital. The UK with its propensity to run large current account deficits is almost uniquely reliant upon the kindness of strangers among the larger developed economies, so the repercussions of this shift are likely to be very severe indeed. Others are bound to notice the shift. The cool Britannia that welcomed foreign visitors and capital under Tony Blair may not exist any more. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

C O RPO RATE

What Drives You?

The luxury state of mind

Few things feel as good as success. Those who have succeeded know the secret: every little thing counts. What appears to be just another endless meeting might end up changing one’s life and business course forever. What seemed like a dull weekend at first might become an unforgettable seaside adventure. A hot summer day turned into a fresh riverside afternoon. It could be that simple, if you know the right people. Sigma elite rentals is a Belgrade based agency founded in 2017,

dedicated to those who appreciate subtle luxury and expect nothing but the best. This agency is hoping to upgrade the way we perceive luxury, the way we surprise ourselves and those who we live or work with. A ride to the airport and back? That can be so distressing, with all the gates, parking and traffic and luggage and even worse – with an uncomfortable taxi whose driver feels very comfortable talking all the way. Why not use those precious moments before an important business trip to focus, read the paper, meditate and relax. Sigma

offers the smoothest ride to the airport, with a professional chauffeur offering door to door service, so that you can spend your time more wisely. Like you always do. Down by the river. Belgrade can be too hot in summer, the global warming is taking its toe. The weather doesn’t care if you have an important meeting or a private arrangement already scheduled. Now, imagine the possibility of being driven to the river, escorted to a charming and intimate yacht, navigated and equipped with everything you need or might desire. That sound great, but looks even greater – how many people have witnessed the beautiful Belgrade sunset from the river Danube or Sava? Not too many. The immediate strike of freshness and nature will add up to your moment while you do what you do best: negotiate,

seduce, enjoy. Do what drives you. Fly me to the sea – right now! While the interstellar tourism is yet to be established, Sigma elite rentals will sure get you to the nearest stardom. This is one of the most exciting offers – while your reading this, dinner tables are being set somewhere on the Adriatic coast, while the pilot is getting ready for the short and comfortable flight. Speaking of success-driven people and their ways of surprising themselves, this is probably the most accurate behavior mode: I want it all, and I want it now! The weekend has just become incredible: private airplane, amazing Porto Montenegro bay…all of that and much more within hours. Now, that is Carpe diem for real! Find out more at sigmaelite.rs Sigma. Success driven. +381 62 50 30 30

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EMI L FREY AUTO C E N T E R AN D E UR O P C AR

Exclusive Offer of Prestigious Models in EUROPCAR Emil Frey Auto Center, a licensed dealer and service center for Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles, delivered to Europcar company a fleet of 25 vehicles including Mercedes-Benz passenger and commercial program. The offer is enriched with extremely attractive models: • E-Class AMG • V-Class • GLC • GLE Coupe AMG • GLS AMG • Vito EUROPCAR is a company that offers its services in over 150 countries worldwide, and is the leader in the mobility industry in Europe. The EUROPACAR company in Serbia is characterized by extremely attractive offers to its customers as

well as premium Rent a Car services. Long term tailor made offers are made to the specific requirements of the clients. As stated by Nenad Tašić, Procurement Manager at EUROPCAR Serbia: "The EUROPOCAR fleet in Serbia is old on average for 6-8 months. We are always trying to surprise the client with the new vehicle model. Also, you can find the widest range of diesel aggregates, then over 20 automated vehicle models as well as the widest variety of caravans. " More on www.europcar.rs. EUROPCAR as a reliable partner provides services: • Daily and multi-month leases in the country or abroad for both, individuals and companies • Renting a vehicle for a longer period (Operating Leasing)

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• Delivery and takeover of the vehicle, where it is suitable for the cilent on the territory of the entirely Europe • Renting vehicles outside of the borders of Serbia (150 countries in the world), with guarantees only for the company in Serbia The cooperation between Emil Frey Auto Center and EUROPCAR companies represents an exclusive offer of various models in the market of Serbia. With a fleet of 50 vehicle groups, including the latest and most prestigious MercedesBenz models, from business sedans to the „4x4“ terrain vehicles, up to commercial vehicles, EUROPCAR always provides the best solution. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class limousine with its tenth generation, stands out with its style in the form of a striking, inspirational

design and a quality, exclusive interior. The vehicles are equipped with control, information and entertainment systems that provide complete driving experience. The latest technological advancements and efficient drive technology, along with the ultimate driving quality, versatility and robustness typical of SUVs vehicles- all those are elements which characterise the GLC, GLE Coupe and the most exclusive GLS model. Models GLE Coupe and GLS are available in EUROPCAR Serbia with AMG equipment. With its impressive quality and driving dynamics, with exemplary safety and economy and with a high level of versatility and robustness, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and Vito are truly perfect vehicles for long journeys and transfers.

P EO PLE & EVENTS

25 CYPRIOT NIGHT MAY

IN BELGRADE

The Cypriot Embassy organised in Hotel Metropol in Belgrade a gala evening dedicated to the expansion of tourist cooperation between the two countries. Doros Gheorghiades on behalf of the NTO Cyprus expressed the desire to accept more Serbian tourists to Cyprus, and H.E. Constantinos Eliades, Cypriot Ambassador, agreed. Folk Ensemble Karotzeris from Larnaka entertained the guests.

Morten Skovgaard HANSEN, Counsellor Chargé d'Affaires and H.E. Denis Keefe, British Ambassador

Aja Jung (BDF), Leontina Vukomanović , “Čarolija” Children Choir, Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Defence and Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality

H.E. Constantinos Eliades, Cypriot Ambassador

05 SERBIA AND DENMARK MARKED 100 JUN

YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Celebrating 100 years of diplomatic relations that were established between Kingdom of Denmark and then-Kingdom of Serbia, on the occasion of the Danish Constitution Day June 5th, the Head of Mission of the Danish Embassy Mr. Morten Skovgaard Hansen in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia and Minister Zoran Đorđević oirganised a reception at Dom Vojske Srbije.

Ambassadors: H.E Tanju Bilgiç, Turkey, Ilir Boçka, Albania and H.E. Giuseppe Manzo, Italy,

08 SOMMERFEST JUN

PARTY

Zorana Mihajlović, Dubravka Nègre (EIB) and H.E. Axel Dittmann

On the 8th of June, the traditional Sommerfest Party (Summer Fest Party) was held in the Residence of German Embassy in Belgrade. Attended by many dignitaries, politicians and business people, the Fest was opened by H E Axel Dittmann, German Ambassador to Serbia. The guests were entertained with great food and drinks, and among them were members of diplomatic, economical, cultural and political life in Serbia.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

06 SWEDEN AND SERBIA JUN CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

H. E. Philippe Gérald Guex, ambassador of Switzerland, H.E. Dae Jong Yoo, Ambassador of Republic of Korea and H.E. Hossein MOLLA ABDOLLAHI, Ambassador of Iraq

H.E. Mr Jan Lundin, Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia with RTS Children’s Choir Kolibri

Milica Milanović, Stela Markotić, H.E. Gordan Markotić, Robert Čoban and Dubravka Negre

14 RUSSIA DAY JUN

CELEBRATED

On the occasion of the anniversary of 100 years of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Serbia the Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Mr Jan Lundin organised a celebration of the National Day of Sweden. During the celebration, RTS Children’s Choir Kolibri performed H.E. Mr Jan Lundin, Ambassador of Sweden delivered a speech, after which there was a festive cocktail. Many members of diplomatic community, economic, cultural and political life od Serbia were present.

H.E. Giusepe Manzo with his spouse Saša Janković with his spouse

HRH Aleksandar Karadjordjević and H.E. Leo Vincent M. D'Aes, Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia

Russian Ambassador to Belgrade H E Alexander Chepurin organised a reception at the embassy of Russia on the occasion of the national holiday - the Russia Day. The ceremony was attended by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, as well as numerous guests, representatives of the diplomatic corps, Patriarch Irinej and other personalities from public and cultural life of the country. The Ambassador welcomed the guests in the garden of the embassy. - The Russian state has turned 1,155 years old, and the Russian Federation 27 years - reminded Chepurin, adding that Russia is supports unified, prosperous Serbia and peaceful Balkans.

Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, H.E. Marco H.E. Radko Todorov Vlaykov, Bulgarian Ambassador, H.E.Tanju Bilgiç, Ambassador of Antonio Garcia Blanco, Ambassador of Mexico, Andrey N. Hripunov, Trade Representative of Turkey, Beatris Grozdanić, H.E. Mr. Syed Adil Gilani, Ambassador of Pakistan and the Russian Federation in Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić and H.E. Alexander Chepurin H.E. (U) Myo Aye, Ambassador of Myanmar

Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia and H.E. Alexander Chepurin with his spouse

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27 LAUNCH OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JUN

Dr. Ronald Seeliger, President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

PROJECT “GLAC”

In lieu of the Australian National Day, the Australian Ambassador, H.E. Mrs Julia Feeney and Belgrade City Manager, Mr Goran Vesic organised the Launch of the Archaeological Project “Glac” at Belgrade City Hall. The “Glac” project presentation was followed by a cocktail reception and music performance by Jovan Maljoković Balkan Salsa Band. The archaeological project Glac is a multi-year SerbianAustralian undertaking that will engage a team from the Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade and the University of Sydney. The team will undertake a five-year programme, commencing end of June 2017, of archaeological excavations, research, publication and conservation on the Roman site Glac near Sremska Mitrovica.

Stefan pop Lazić, archaeologist, HRH Princess Katarina Karađorđević, HRH Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, Richard Miles, archaeologist for Sydney University, Goran Vesić, Belgrade City Manager, H.E. Julia Alice Patricia Feeney, Ambassador of Australia and Vladan Vukosavljević, Minister of Culture in the Government of Serbia

15 AHK SOMMERFEST JUN

- SUMMER PARTY

The traditional AHK Sommerfest was held in the pleasant ambience of the restaurant Kalemegdanska Terasa. The guests present, representatives of member companies, diplomatic corps and friends of the chamber were greeted by the President of the GermanSerbian Chamber of Commerce Dr. Ronald Seeliger who pointed out that AHK Serbia organized 30 events in the first half of the year, which is the record so far and he thanked members for their support. The president announced that preparations are being made for the upcoming AHK Oktoberfest and the multicongress of Serbian Visions, and then he invited the guests to spend the rest of the evening enjoying a relaxed atmosphere and socializing with the Beatles tribute band - The Bestbeat group.

Marija Tasić, managing partner at Tasić Stanka Pejanović, SAM President, Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia & Partner's law office and H.E. Leo Vincent M. D'Aes, Belgian Ambassador and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Jelena Bulatović, SAM Executive Director

15 TRADITIONAL JUN

11TH SAM MEETING

The traditional June meeting of the SAM manager this year was held at the MP's Club in the presence of the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia, Ivica Dačić. Like every year, this event brought together about 200 officials, top managers and businessmen, representatives of state institutions, diplomatic corps, international institutions and numerous media. In addition to the traditional gathering, this year's topic of the June Meeting was ethical business, the development of professional staff for successful management of companies, as well as cooperation with government institutions on issues of importance for regional cooperation and improvement of Serbia's competitiveness.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

21 CROATIAN JUN

STATEHOOD DAY CELEBRATED

The Statehood Day and the Croatian Armed Forces Day were jointly marked by the Embassy of Croatia in Belgrade. The reception on the occasion of the national holiday was organised at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Belgrade, His Excellency Gordan Markotić and his wife Stela received numerous guests from the public, political and cultural life of Serbia, thus confirming strong relations of the two neighbours.

H.E. Giuseppe Manzo, ambassador of Italy with his wife Alma Hado, Mrs. Stela Markotić, Sarah Pavelson Kirby, the wife of the former US ambassador H.E. Julia Alice Patricia Feeney, Ambassador of to Serbia, Michael Kirby and H.E. Gordan Markotić Australia and H .E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US ambassador

H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, Ambassador of Mexico to Serbia with his spouse and H.E. Gordan Markotić with his spouse

26 SLOVENIAN JUN

STATEHOOD DAY MARKED

On the occasion of the celebration of the Statehood Day and the Day of the Army of the Republic of Slovenia, the Embassy of Slovenia in Belgrade held a reception at the Metropol Hotel. A number of officials were welcomed by Slovenian Ambassador H. E. Vladimir Gasparič in Slovenian national costume, Military Attaché Damjana Jurkovič and representatives of the Slovenian Embassy and Army. The reception was attended by prominent figures of Serbian political, cultural and busines life.

H.E. Vladimir Gasparič, Ambassador of Slovenia to Serbia

H.E. Sheikh Mubarak Fahad J.M. Al-Thani, Ambassador of Qatar and H.E. Mrs. Isabela Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert, Ambassador of Brazil

H. E. Philippe Gérald Guex, ambassador of Switzerland and H.E. Oleksandr Aleksandrovych, Ambassador of Ukraine

Diplomacy&Commerce

Morten Skovgaard Hansen, Counselor Chargé d'Affaires Danish Embassy,H.E. Hendrik Van Den Dool, Ambassador of the Netherlands,Dubravka Negre (EIB) and H.E. Augusto José Pestana Saraiva Peixoto, Ambassador of Portugal

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29 EXHIBITION OF MAJDA ZORKO IN NLB JUN

BANK OPENED ART ARTIST GALLERY

The exhibition of the Slovenian painter Majda Zorko, entitled "Flower Power", was opened in the hall of the NLB Bank Belgrade. The opening of the exhibition was attended by Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Serbia, H. E. Yoo Dae Jong, Ambassador of Indonesia H. E. Harry James Richard Kandou and his spouse, Slovenian Ambassador H. E. Vladimir Gasparič, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Slovenia Rajko Marić, Ambassadors of Morocco, Iran and Algeria, numerous artists, businessmen and representatives of public life.

Mrs. Alma Hado, H.E. Philip Pinnington, Mrs. Erica Robin Pinnington and H.E. Giuseppe Manzo, ambassador of Italy

H.E. Ambassador of Indonesia, Harry Richard James Kandou, Khoudjia Chebchoub, Safae Sijilmassi Idrssi, Miabella Suga Kandou, Majda Zorko and H.E. Narinder Chauhan, Ambassador of India

29 CANADA CELEBRATED JUN

Branko Greganović, CEO NLB banka Beograd, H.E. Vladimir Gasparič, Ambassador of Slovenia and H.E. Dae Jong Yoo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea

H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Ambassador of Algeria

Ambassador of Canada to Serbia H E Philip Pinnington and his wife Erica organised a reception at their residence on the occasion of the Canada Dat thus marking the 150th anniversary of the country's existence. Today we create a vast and diverse country, borered by the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. For Canadians, this day is always especially exciting and joyful - said the ambassador in his address to the officials.

Zoran Djordjević, Minister, H.E. Mohamed Khalil Nabhan, H.E. Tajouri Sh. Tajouri, H.E. Marko Jelić, President of the Association of Friends Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Jadranka Jovanović, Marko Jelić, H.E. Sheikh Mubarak Fahad of Algeria and Zoran Djordjević, Minister of Labour, J.M. Al-Thani, Almamy Kobélé Keita, Miroslav Šestović and Dr Paul-Emile Tshinga Ahuka Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs

th 05 55 ANNIVERSARY OF

JUL

ITS 150th BIRTHDAY

THE INDEPENDENCE OF ALGERIA

The Embassy of Algeria in Belgrade has organized a ceremony at Medija Centar “Odbrana” of the Ministry of Defense of Serbia, which was attended by Mr. Zoran Djordjevic, Minister of Work, Employment, Social Affairs and Veterans, members of the military and political figures, members of the diplomatic corps, and many friends of Algeria. In his speech, the Ambassador of Algeria recalled the symbolic of this day which marks the resurrection of the Algerian State and the recognition of its sovereignty after years of resistance of the Algerian people to the oppression, and injustice and after a national liberation struggle that has marked the history of the 20th century and the end of the colonial system.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S st 06 241 BIRTHDAY OF THE

JUL

LAND OF THE FREE

US Ambassador to Belgrade H E Kyle Scott made a reception on the occasion of the US Independence Day, which was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, members of the Government, representatives of public life and diplomatic corps. Ambassador Scott said on the 4th of July, the American people celebrated the 241st anniversary of their independence. “Our independence was proclaimed by people who risked their lives in the fight for human dignity, for the right of the people to choose their own authority and for the idea that the government exists to serve the people, not the other way around" Scott said. Celebration of the 4th of July is not formal, but joyful, and people in the USA gather on that day with friends and family in a joint celebration. Scott thanked friends in Serbia who arrived at the US Embassy to mark this important date for the American people. Next to the president Vučić, there were Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Ministers Jadranka Joksimović, Aleksandar Vulin, Nenad Popović, Aleksandar Antić.

Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia and H. E. Kyle Scott with spouse

US Ambassador to Belgrade H. E. Kyle Scott

Ambassador Scott with spouse and H.E. Gordan Markotić with spouse

Aleksandar Antić,Minister of Mining and Energy, H.E. Kyle Scott and Nevena Scott

H.E. Giusepe Manzo with spouse and H.E. Ilir Boçka

H.E. Branislav Mićunović In the company of the US ambassador and his wife

US Ambasador H. E. Kyle Scott, Jadranka Joksimović, Minister for EU integrations and Ambassador Scott's wife

Robert Čoban, Color Press Group, Ruža Ristanović and Zoran Papić

Diplomacy&Commerce

HH Serbian Patriarch Irinej with ambassador and his wife

Maja Gojković, President of the National Assembly of Serbia

H.E. Harry Richard James Kandou, Minister Aleksandar Antić, PM Ana Brnabić, and Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia

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EMB ASSY O F I N D I A, B E L G R AD E

3rd International Day of Yoga (IDY) Marked in Serbia -17th June 2017

The Embassy of India, Belgrade in association with Government of Serbia and United Nations Country Team in Belgrade marked the International Day of Yoga on Saturday, the 17th June at the historic Kalemegdan Fortress by the Victor Statue overlooking the confluence of River Danube and Sava. More than 250 yoga enthusiasts performed yoga as per the Common Yoga Protocol in the presence of local officials & diplomats. The yoga demonstration was followed by workshops & consultations on Yoga, Ayurveda and Homeopathy in the City Hall of Belgrade which was addressed by renowned Serbian traditional medical experts and attended by large number of participants from the medical fraternity and other stakeholders. In the run up to the event, the Embassy organized a quiz on Yoga through its official facebook page. This quiz was based on the history and other factoids related to Yoga. H.E. Mrs. Narinder Chauhan, Ambassador of India awarded the winners during the IDY celebrations on 17th June 2017. To raise awareness about yoga as well as benefits of practicing yoga, the Embassy of India is organizing an Article writing contest on the topics: (a) Benefits of Yoga for Cancer (b) Benefits of Yoga for Antenatal Care (c) Benefits of Yoga for Depression. The contest will close on 30th June, 2017. Apart from Belgrade, IDY Celebrations were also held in other cities/municipalities of Serbia, including in Novi Sad, Sabac, Nis, Krusevac, Indjija, Jagodina, Zrenjanin, Apatin, Subotica, Knjazevac, Sremska Mitrovica, Kula, Aleksinac etc. The Government of Serbia was one among the 177 nations that had co-sponsored Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resolution in the United Nations to declare June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

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B USINESS NEWS SPK

Maxi Alonso

"BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF VOJVODINA" The SPK organised a working meeting on the topic "Business environment of Vojvodina" in Novi Sad, in the hotel Prezident. The guests of the working meeting were the President of the Provincial Government of Novi Sad, Igor Mirović, the President of the Novi Sad Assembly, Zdravko Jelušić and the Director of the Development Agency of Vojvodina Nataša Bajić who presented the business environment and the investment climate of Vojvodina to a large number of members, Slovenian businessmen and officials. The President of the Slovenian Business Club, Danijela Fišakov, pointed out

COLD BEER DEGUSTATION IN MAXI HYPERMARKET

that the SPK is an organisation, which has been supporting the economic cooperation between Serbia and Slovenia for the past fifteen years.

THE BREWERY ASSOCIATION OF SERBIA BEER TASTING

The Serbian Brewery Association hosted yesterday representatives of the media at the Radisson Blu Old Mill Hotel, where, along with stand up comedian Srđan Jovanović, it presented beer as a refreshing drink with a tradition of production in Serbia for three centuries. "The aim of the Association is to create a viable and predictable economic climate for the growth and development of the brewing industry through

continuous cooperation with the state and partners in order to realise their full potential and give even gretaer contribution to the development of the Serbian economy" said Vladimir Novaković, Of the Association of breweries of Serbia. On the occasion of Rebeka Bozović, the executive manager of the Brewery Association of Serbia, said: "A special focus of our activities this year is the campaign on responsible consumption of beer, which will be launched on August 4th on the World Beer Day and will be implemented by the partners by the end of September." In addition to the performances of the stand up comedian Srđan Jovanović, media representatives had the opportunity to taste beer-related food - from salted deacons to beer-based ice cream.

Representatives of the embassies of the countries that are known for the highest quality beers, like Belgium and the Netherlands, the largest producers of Heineken, and Carlsberg and Apatinska Brewery, but also craft breweries Jovanja and Bunt 99, with media representatives enjoyed the different flavours of beer in the supermarket Maxi Alonso. Customers in Maxi supermarkets can choose the beer with tradition, but also to be adventurous and try the first organic beer in Serbia with the tastes of quinoa or how it looks when you combine craft beer making and preservation of the quality of the final product. Attendees participated in a quiz which was designed as a small test of knowledge about beer and entertainment during drinking cold beer flavours.

Pegaso University

PRESENTATION 10 STUDY PROGRAMMES

Eurobank

NEW DONATIONS TO THE "BIG HEART" PROJECT In this year's first action of the "Big Heart" project, about a hundred children from kindergarten "Mila Jevtović" within preschools "Čika Jova Zmaj" in the municipality of Voždovac, Belgrade now has a safer and better conditions for growing up and play. Thanks to the funds collected through the "Big Heart" Eurobank and the "Ana and Vlade Divac" Foundation courtyard and a rubber lining have ben restored, which provides greater safety of children during their everyday activities. The donation amounts to 400,000 dinars. "It is always a great pleasure when together with our customers and users of the humanitarian card" Big Heart" we can delight the youngest." said Željka Ćirić Jakovljević, Director of

Diplomacy&Commerce

Marketing and Corporate Communications at Eurobank. Kindergarten equipment "Mila Jevtović" and rooms within the Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery have been provided by more than 22 thousand clients, "Eurobank" "Big heart" cardholders.

A presentation of Italy's leading on-line University Pegaso was held, and advantages of distance learning were presented. Pegaso University comprises 10 study programmes: undergraduate studies - business economics, economics and management, tourism, education sciences, engineering, construction, master studies pedagogy, sports management, economics, and doctoral studies. The owner and director of the University of Pegaso, Danilo Lervolino said that the figure of 200,000 students said enough about this type of studies, and that they wanted to expand and in Serbia. Pegaso International University is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Italy, which indicates that this education is closely linked with the division of jobs in the company. In the expansion of on line study on the territory of Serbia, the support was provided by Muamer Zukorlić, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society. The presentation was attended by representatives of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Embassy of Italy, Confindustria Serbia and a number of university professors and secondary schools in Serbia.

Tourist Organisation of Germany

GERMANY SIMPLY INSPIRING During the Tourism Fair in Berlin (ITB) German National Tourist Board has started a new campaign. Under the motto "Germany Simply Inspiring", the Tourist Organisation of Germany will, until the end of the year, via social media and all available online channel with high frequency all around the world promote travel tips, events in Germany and tourist characteristics of all 16 provinces. The campaign was launched in close cooperation with regional marketing organisations to give a demand for holidays in Germany an additional impulse. The local event was held in Belgrade where, in a joyful atmosphere, famous Zagreb-based graffiti artist Krešimir Golubić, with a help of creative guests and friends, painted the old Trabant, the symbol of former East Germany, still popular among tourists.

Komercijalna Banka

THE PROFIT OF €29M SO FAR

"Komercijalna banka made a significant profit in the first five months of this year in the amount of around 29 million euros" said the president of the Managing Board of Komercijalna Banka prof. Dr. Vladimir Krulj. He pointed out that this business result showed that Komercijalna Banka had great potential for further growth, both in the banking market of Serbia and in the banking market of the region, but also points to its real value. Dr Vladimir Krulj explained that this profit, significantly higher than planned and significantly higher than the realised operating profit in the same period last year, resulted from the extraordinary commitment of all the employees of Komercijalna Banka who have taken a number of concrete steps aimed at improving

the operations of the largest domestic bank and strengthening its market positions. The president of the Executive Board of Komercijalna Banka, Dr. Alexander Picker, added that the bank's profit amounted to RSD 3.758 million, in the first five months of this year (about EUR 29 million), RSD 1.88 billion higher than the profit planned by the Business Plan for this year.

Delta Motors

INSTALLED E-VEHICLES CHARGER

Ralu Serbia

GOT IFS STANDARD RALU Serbia, within a regional logistical company, RALU Logistics, has certified its business and food safety management system, and got the IFS Logistics standard for transport, storage and distribution. As one of the few companies in Serbia, RALU now has the confirmation of compliance with the strictest food safety criteria and the ability to manage food safety risk management. At the same time, the re-certification of the HACCP and ISO9001: 2015 standards has been successfully implemented, with the aim of putting the focus on excellence as the most important business criterion. The IFS Certificate for 2017 was issued to Ralu for all three activities - transport, storage and distribution - after fully satisfying the required conditions. The prestigious international quality standard was obtained after the audit by the SGS certification company, which evaluated the performance of the performance in all three logistical activities with the highest rating. "By IFS certification, we are determined to confirm to our customers that the transport, storage and distribution of the food they entrusted to us will be done in compliance with the highest standards of health safety." Vladimir Milosavljević, director of RALU Serbia, pointed out.

Delta Motors has set up the first filling station for electric vehicles that will be available to all visitors to the BMW and MINI car showrooms. It is a 2x22kW charger, with a standard EU connector, which allows the BMW i3 model to be charged for a time period of three to four hours. The charger is

intended for all plug-in hybrid and electric cars, regardless of the brand, and in order for users to access the charger, they need to contact the employees at the info desk during the working hours, in order to obtain the necessary instructions for use. At present, there are only a few electric charging stations in the capital, which makes the owners of hybrid and electric vehicles mostly fill their cars with chargers in residential buildings, where the charging time is far longer. For now, chargers have been placed at hotels Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Meriott, and is also planning to place a charger in a garage at the Obilićev Venac.

Vojvođanska Banka

OFFICIAL BANK OF THE OCS FOR TOKYO 2020 After Athens, Beijing, London and Rio, Vojvođanska Bank will be the official bank of our national Olympic team and on its way to the Tokyo 2020 Games. By signing the fifth consecutive sponsorship agreement with the Olympic Committee of Serbia, it has once again confirmed its determination to actively participate in the promotion National Olympic sports and creating better conditions for our athletes. "After many years of successful cooperation, Vojvođanska Bank and the Olympic Committee of Serbia can proudly summarize the results - numerous successes, medals and great reputation of our national sports and athletes on the world stage" said Marinos Vathis, President of the Executive

Board of Vojvođanska Banka. Božidar Maljković, President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, thanked Vojvođanska Bank, as one of the most reliable partners of the national Olympic team, for support and support given to the Olympians for many years.

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B USINESS NEWS MOBY RECOMMENDS SRĐA POPOVIĆ’S BOOK The book "Blueprint for Revolution" by Srđa Popović, a guest lecturer at Harvard, is at the top of the list of the most-read and best-selling manuals for activists of different profiles in the Anglo-Saxon countries. Since the book saw the light of day in the bookstores of the largest European, Asian and Latin American cultural capitals, it has become an indispensable guide for anyone who does not want to sit with the hands crossed, but wants to contribute to changing things that disturb them. The Blueprint for Revolution is a collection of stories about ordinary people who did great deeds by first realizing that things would not change by themselves, and that the job have to do themselves instead. The methods of nonviolent struggle are the most successful in achieving a range of democratic goals in various societies - from the struggle for the rights of the gay population in the US, the action of removing the regime of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia, resistance to North African dictatorships, to democratic movements in Asia.

Eko Serbia

IN CAMPAIGN "DRIVE FRESH" Representatives of EKO SERBIA and representatives of the Transport Safety Agency at a joint press conference held on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, officially announced the continuation of cooperation in the summer campaign for the prevention of traffic accidents called "Drive Fresh”. The goal of the campaign is to highlight the importance of regular breaks during longer journeys and is intended for all travelers during the summer season that are in transit but also on local routes. During this campaign EKO Serbia will be involved through educational leaflets with tips for a safe trip that will be distributed to all drivers across Serbia at EKO petrol stations. Liflets contain practical instructions and rules for safe driving. In

addition to the leaflets, all drivers at the service have a free car check, so-called Pit Stop. Namely, the staff at EKO petrol stations is trained to check key safety points of the car such as tire pressure, light signalling, oil, coolant, and so on. In this way, additional assistance is provided to drivers in preparation for the journey, 24 hours a day.

Banca Intesa

THE BEST BANK IN SERBIA

UniCredit Bank

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION In order to keep pace with the requirements of its customers and adequately ensure that their needs are met, UniCredit Bank Serbia has focused on the digital transformation of its business through the promotion of m banking applications and the introduction of free Wi-Fi networks in all the outlets. In addition to having the m banking application activated in just three steps, by automatically copying the SMS code to the activation field after the downloading of the mobile application and the client entering the username and selecting the PIN, the accounts can only be accessed with the fingerprint. Also, thanks to the Quick Test option, the client can now have an insight into their account balances without logging in to the m banking application. The bank also introduced the Scan and Pay option. In addition, for the iOS operating system users, the Quick menu option is also available, which allows clients to access the account balance without accessing the application, creating a new payment order, and accessing the m token.

Diplomacy&Commerce

Renowned international financial magazine Euromoney granted Banca Intesa the Best Bank in Serbia 2017 award as part of its traditional Awards for Excellence contest. This prominent award is granted based on a series of quantitative and qualitative parameters of operation,

including market shares in total loans and deposits, market capitalization, asset quality, as well as capability to adapt to changes in market conditions and customer expectations. According to the editorial team, Banca Intesa stood out not only in the area of key performance indicators, but also in terms of a pro-active approach to innovation through continuous improvement of digital platforms and the launch of unique products in the Serbian market. “We are very proud that Euromoney has recognized standards of excellence in banking” stated Draginja Đurić, president of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa.

NLB Banka

AWARDS FOR ORGANIC MANUFACTURERS

NLB Bank Belgrade announced the best organic producer projects at the sixth NLB Organic Competition and presented the authors of the award projects in the total amount of millions and six thousand dinars. In addition to three awards, as stipulated by the competition, NLB Banka presented a special recognition for the introduction of modern technologies in organic production. "Our focus on agriculture is being transferred to the field of socially responsible business through NLB Organic competition. Since 2012, when we started NLB Organic, 293 projects took part in the competition, and this year 67 projects were received for the contest, which is a record interest." said Branko Greganović, President of the Executive Board of NLB

Bank Belgrade at the award ceremony. President of the Expert Commission of the NLB Organic Competition, prof. Dr Snežana Oljača said "From Vojvodina there are 23 projects, 10 projects from Central Serbia, 4 from the region of Belgrade, from Western Serbia 8, from Eastern Serbia there are 3 projects, and I am particularly glad that as much as 19 projects have arrived from the southern part of Serbia."

DA ILY CH A RT

Interracial Marriages are Rising in America The Supreme Court struck down anti-miscegenation laws 50 years ago

In June 1958 Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving drove north from rural Virginia to Washington, DC to wed. Their honeymoon period, however, was short-lived. About a month after they had returned home, in the early hours of the morning, local police roused them out of bed and arrested them. Their crime was violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act, which banned marriage between blacks and whites. A state court ruled that they could either leave Virginia for 25 years or spend a year in prison. They duly fled the state. It took nine years for America’s Supreme Court to quash their convictions, in a landmark ruling handed down on June 12th, 1967. The decision also revoked anti-miscegenation laws in 17 other states. Since the ruling, which is celebrated annually on "Loving Day", interracial and inter-ethnic marriages have steadily increased in America, from around 5% of all weddings in 1970 to 18% in 2015. But these encouraging overall

INTERRACIAL AND INTER-ETHNIC MARRIAGES HAVE STEADILY INCREASED IN AMERICA, FROM AROUND 5% OF ALL WEDDINGS IN 1970 TO 18% IN 2015 figures mask sharp differences in the rates of interracial marriages between specific groups. Of the roughly 400,000 interracial weddings in 2015, 82% involved a white spouse, even though whites account for just 65% of America’s adult population. Conversely, marriages between members of

different racial minorities, such as those between blacks and Asians who make up just 1.4% of interracial weddings, are disproportionately rare. Moreover, immigrants are responsible for much of the increase in the interracial-marriage rate. For example, women from five south-east Asian

50 YEARS OF LOVING

United States, interracial and inter-ethnic marriages, as % of total 18

Other interracial marriage Non-white Hispanic-white Mixed-race-white Black-white Asian-white White Hispanic-white

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2

1960

2000

Sources: Census; IPUMS USA; The Economist

Economist.com

countries—four-fifths of whom are recent immigrants—account for one in ten of all interracial marriages to white men. But the figures are far lower for other racial groups which suggests that the taboo on interracial couples among those born in America has not yet vanished. The latest numbers on the specific pairing that put the Lovings at risk of going to prison reinforce this finding. To be sure, blacks and whites tie the knot with each other far more than they once did: they made up to 14% of all marriages in 2015, seven times higher than their share in 1979. Nonetheless, these marriages are still under-represented as a proportion of all interracial marriages. The Supreme Court was able to demolish the legal barriers to interracial marriage with a stroke of the chief justice’s pen. But half a century later, the social obstacles are only gradually being worn away. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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SUMMER PART Y

Casablanca Party in Belgrade Inspired by the cult film Casablanca, Diplomacy&Commerce magazine organized summer party at the House of King Peter I in Belgrade, in the beautiful garden whose every corner reminded the guests of the scene from the film

The officials were welcomed by the President of the Color Press Group Robert Čoban: "In November will be exactly 75 years since the premiere of the "Casablanca”. Movie director Michael Curtis came to America as an immigrant from Hungary, most of the actors in the film were migrants, most of the roles in the film is made up of refugees who were then fleeing from Europe to Casablanca, waiting for a ticket to the New World in there. Today, 75 years later, we are witnessing the greatest migrant crisis since World War II. We have all heard of a small painting genius, a boy from Afghanistan who is placed in a migrant camp in

MIlica Ivanović, Boris Popovski and Milena Jakšić, Fondation “Ukljući se”

Diplomacy&Commerce

ena Praizović, Ministry of Trade, Doris Danilović, AHK Serbia, Marija Savić, CCIS, and representatives form companies, diplomatic corps, econmic and culture life in Serbia. Al guests had the opportunity to enjoy the Open Air cinema, hookahs from the bar "Divan", play roulette in the corner of Grand Casino and take pictures in specially exposed vehicles of the brand MINI Delta Motors, the wines of the "Tikveš" Winery, Moroccan snacks served by "Đorđe" restaurant, champagne "Piper Heidsieck", "Remix Knjaz Miloš", and "Somersby Cider" as well as the lottery in which they won prizes given by Grand Casino, MINI and "Stara Planina" resort.

Vik Jensen and Nenad Stanković World boxing champion in versions IBF and WBF

Vesna Savić (UNICEF), Robert Čoban, Diane Tromans Berg and Daniel Berg (EBRD)

Maria Eva Fernández Pavlović and Duško Krsmanović

Krnjača. That's why UNICEF is today and we would like to invite you to join the UNICEF Fellowship Club and together with us, do your best to help our children who need help!", said Mr. Čoban. Mohammed Amin Gazaoui, adviser to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Belgrade, also address the guests. Guests have enjoyed the spirit of Morocco, including H E Kyle Scott, US Ambassador. Konstantinos Eliades, Ambassador of Cyprus, Gordan Markotić, Ambassador of Croatia, H E Oleksandr Aleksandrovich, Ambassador of Ukraine, H E Radko Vlaykov, Ambassador of Bulgaria, H E Hari Kandou, Ambassador of Indonesia, Daniel Berg, EBRD, Nev-

H.E. Gordan Markotić, Croatian Ambassador, H. E. Constantinos ELIADES, Cypriot Ambassador, H.E. Oleksandr Aleksandrovych, Ukrainian Ambassador and H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US Ambassador with their spouses

Eni Diponegoro, Media, Social&Cultural Section, Embassy Mohammed Amin Gazaoui, adviser to the of Indonesia, H.E. Harry Kandou, Ambassador of Indonesia Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in and Habadi Soewedo, Third Secretary, Embassy of Indonesia Belgrade, Robert Čoban and Ruža Ristanović

Fusun Beyazkilic, Embassy of Turkey and Mohammed Amin Gazaoui, adviser to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Belgrade,

Milica Milanović, PR of the Royal Court, Borislav Miljanović, Represent and Mirjana Škrba

Ruža Ristanović and Matthias Claivaz, Embassy of Italy

Ljiljana Perović, Banca Jasmina Kneževic Bel Medic with her husband Intesa and Olivera Obradović

Embassy of Mexico, Eva Pizano Cejka and spouse

Malina Mimica Kovač, Sales and Marketing director at Marcon AG

Doris Danilović, AHK and Marija Savić, CCIS

Lidija Ćulibrk, “Lepota i zdravlje“, Zoran Trninić, Vanja kovačev, Robert Čoban, Vladimir Pištalo, writer, Mina Mladenović and Filip Ćirić

Prof. Slobodan Aćimović and Sandra Rapo, Lukoil

Milena Avramović Bjelica and Tamara Bekčić, Chapter 4

Mrs. Nevena Scott and H.E. Kyle Scott

Marija Savić, Robert Čoban, Tamara Sarić, Doris Danilović and Marija Bašić

Sofija Lazaridou, Head of Greek Tourist Organisation and Vanja Kovačev

Andjela Sorak and Milan Varda

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C U LTU RE Text: MIRJANA PANTOŠ

The SNP Opera Orchestra and Maestro Radu Popa

Fireworks of Good Music on Summer Stages In preparation of for the year 2021, when Novi Sad, along with the Greek town of Elefsina, officially becomes the European culture capital, the Romanian town of Timisoara has invited the Serbian National Theatre (SNP) Opera Orchestra to perform there At the same time when Zubin Mehta and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra musically baptized the new location of the building that will house the Orchestra in Belgrade's Ušće in front of 20,000 people, which speaks volumes about the audiences in Serbia 'craving and being hungry and thirsty for culture' (as the headline in a Belgrade daily read) despite the tackiness that is constantly being thrown at us even from the national television, the Novi Sad Opera's Orchestra held its third consecutive concert in the Romanian border town of Turnu Severin. The musicians from Novi Sad held an outdoor concert in front of the huge new theatre built in the neo-classical style, with a carefully selected and appealing repertoire. The concert started with the Beautiful Blue Danube waltz, and continued with the soundtrack from Charlie Chaplin's films, followed by the soundtrack from the films Pirates of the Caribbean, The Godfather and The Phantom of the Opera. The audience, which included many children (honing on their

music taste early) despite the late hour and the heat, gave the most beautiful reception to our musicians with a long applause and asking them to perform encore. Two nights before that, the musicians from Novi Sad entertained the fans of both classic and rock music in downtown Timisoara, in a spacious square surrounded by the walls of a small fortress built at the time of Maria Theresa's rule (this

though being small in stature, had a boomingly strong voice. Of course, the Romanian opera diva, the very spontaneous Aura Twarowski (who rehearsed while wearing curlers in her hair, and being totally unfazed by the photographers) was exceptionally well received, while our musicians were given a thunderous applause for their rendition of the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss Sr. The performance was accom-

THE MUSICIANS FROM NOVI SAD HELD AN OUTDOOR CONCERT IN FRONT OF THE HUGE NEW THEATRE BUILT IN THE NEO-CLASSICAL STYLE, WITH A CAREFULLY SELECTED AND APPEALING REPERTOIRE was probably a military barrack back in the day that has been transformed into a summer stage for the purpose of an outdoor festival). Seven soloists sang in the night of classical music, all of them having performed at the most renowned operas like the Metropolitan Opera, Milan's La Scala, or the Vienna Opera. The audience was quite taken by a young Korean singer who, al-

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panied by roaring cannons which, especially for this occasion, were positioned on both the left and the right wall of the fortress. There were also fireworks that lasted for good 15 minutes. You really don't need to stretch your imagination that much to picture how this playful orchestra, that is the pride and joy of Novi Sad, would sound on Petrovaradin

Fortress. If Smederevo Fortress has its own theatre festival every year, along with many other cultural events, shouldn't the people of Novi Sad also be given an opportunity to enjoy in two or three concerts of good music on Petrovaradin Fortress each summer?! Members of the Opera's Orchestra are more than willing to do this. Many would be pleasantly surprised at how many people would turn up. After all, Novi Sad was not named the European culture capital for nothing. EXIT Festival is a brand in itself, but we have so much more to brand. First and foremost, there is the excellent orchestra of Novi Sad's Opera and the Vojvodinian Philharmonic Orchestra, which foundation is comprised of the Opera members. The second night of music in Timisoara was reserved for the famous Romanian rock group from the 1970s which music was very much like the music made by the brothers Jelić, the founders of YU Grupa, in our country. The Romanian's band drummer played so well that one of the members of our orchestra commented that it seemed as if he drummed for two people. The best compliments usually come from your peers. The last song of the concert was a premiere of the aria called „Timisoara, My Love“ (the title was not that original considering there is a movie called „Hiroshima, My Love“ and a song by Kemal Monteno „Sarajevo, My Love“), but it was the charismatic Aura Twarowska that performed the song, supported by the professional musicians from the Novi Sad Opera's Orchestra, which sounded divine. „The Serbian National Theatre's Opera Orchestra was given a great opportunity to open the first music festival in Timisoara called 'Sincretic Bastion 2021' on 26th June, which will grow into the regional celebration of classical music. Just like many times in the past, our orchestra did not disappoint and was greeted by ovations from the public and the soloists that it has accompanied. Although, not enough attention or nurture is given to the Novi Sad Opera Orchestra in its own country, in Timisoara, the European culture capital 2032, we were commended by artists who performed all over the world, from New York to Seoul. Novi Sad has world-class artists who are the real ambassadors of their town and their nation's culture“, the Opera's director, Aleksandar Stankov summed up his impressions of the tour.

INTERVI EW Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Fire’s Never Wrong, as We Know it Slowing down, clearing thoughts and emotions

DUŠAN STRAJNIĆ DUKAT Frontman of Stray Dogg

The new millennium’s new wave of Serbian bands has given birth to many names that possess genuine power and integrity. One such band is Belgrade-based Stray Dogg. Usually slow and poetic, their music has conquered audiences in Serbia and around the world. He we talk to Dušan Strajnić Dukat, the band’s frontman, about the vision, origins and future plans of this amazing five-piece band which performs music that cannot be easily defined. How was Stray Dogg formed?

— I started playing guitar very late, when I was 21 or 22 years old, but I almost immediately began composing my own songs, instead of doing covers, as most people would probably do. Very soon I got the chance to play as a support act for Chinawoman at KC Grad, a sold out concert - two days in a row. That’s when I realised I had to form a band, because I couldn’t do a 45-minute gig by myself at that time. Where did the name come from? There was a band Stray Cats, was that the inspiration for the name; and why the two G’s at the end?

— It’s mostly connected to my surname, the Stray part. Dog seemed

like a logical thing to add, because it sounds kind of bluesy I guess. We tried to make a Band-camp page as Stray Dog, but it was already taken, so we added another G. Stray Dogg. That’s all. It’s rare to hear a band in Europe, let alone Serbia, that plays such good Americana music. How come you developed an interest in this kind of music specifically? Who inspired you? You seem to combine everything from REM to Mazzy Star and The Jesus & Mary Chain, but in a new and fresh way, originally mixed.

— I think the term Americana is very much abused in the region. It is actually a very specific genre, and we are just not an Americana band, and not only that - for obvious reasons, I think we could never be one. Just because we have a harmonica and an acoustic guitar, or sing in English (or American), that doesn’t make us an Americana band. We were inspired by many musicians, from folk and country,

ROMANTICISM AS A MAIN INFLUENCE The songs are very lyrical. How does it feel to be a man-poet at the time of machismo? — I really love poetry, especially the romantic period. The singer-songwriters that I listened to a lot, like Nick Drake, Bert Jansch or Jackson C Frank and Neil Young, turned out to be influenced by the same era, and the same poets, from William Blake to Paul Verlaine. That definitely has an impact on my own writing. On the other hand, I see my writing as a way of going out of the world that we are all living in, to slow it down and become clear in my thoughts and emotions, and so my real life persona is actually very different from the one that could be imagined by reading the lyrics I’ve written.

through soul, to grunge, classic rock and finally pop. Everything you listen to defines you in a way, in little details that you use while creating and performing, and then when you have five people in the band, you actually cover probably all genres of modern music as possible influences.

to write in French even though it’s not your native language? Many famous writers wrote in their second language, like Kundera, Kosinski or even Kerouac, so it would be more appropriate to question the quality of the work and not the tool (which language is) with which the work was made.

MY REAL LIFE PERSONA IS ACTUALLY VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE THAT COULD BE

How do you find the strength to make music that corresponds with world trends in a country where a folk-rock joke flourishes, with music and bands that have been recycling old styles for 20+ years?

You sing in English. You have decided that English is the universal way to be accepted worldwide?

— It was mostly due to the music I listened to, and this need to sing in English, since most of the songs I listen to are sung in English. If you would read only books in French, and you spoke French very well, would it be weird if you decided

— Our country was closed from influences for some time, so I think the music didn’t have anywhere to go. It is finally happening a little bit, opening up, and I am happy that we are part of this new wave. How did your videos, which are also very impressive, come to life?

— We have a great team of people around us who help us do that. We decided to give total freedom to the people who do our videos, because I believe we chose those people well, and now we just trust them. What can we expect from you in the period ahead?

— We are travelling around Europe a lot this year, promoting the latest album, and this is very exciting for us, and something new – to get out of the region and try to find an audience in Europe. This autumn we will record our fourth album, and hopefully it will be out by spring next year.

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TRAVELO GU E by ROBERT ČOBAN

113 years of St. Regis Hotel Jagger, Hitchcock and Dali at 200 yards from church door “No woman or child was left on board this ship because Ben Guggenheim was a coward“, said a New York millionaire after he put his best suit on, ordered brandy and cigars for himself and his butler, and sat down in the lobby of the Titanic waiting for the ship to sink. Before that, he gave to one of the ship's officers a note for his wife Florette, who was waiting for him at St. Regis Hotel in New York, that read: „If anything should happen to me, I want you to know that I've done my best in doing my duty." Benjamin's mistress, the French singer Leontine Aubart, who was with him on the Titanic, boarded the lifeboat no. 9 with him watching over and survived. The man who built the St. Regis Hotel eight years prior also ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic

Ocean together with the Titanic on that fateful night in April 1912. One of the wealthiest men of his time, John Jacob Astor IV began building the luxury hotel in 1901 on the corner of the 5th Avenue and 55th Street. As a co-owner of what was then the most prestigious hotel – the Waldorf Astoria, J. J. Astor had a plan to open an even more luxurious and modern one. His great-grandfather, back in 1836, built the first luxury hotel in Lower Manhattan called the Astor House. Pursuaded by his niece, J. J. Astor called his new hotel St. Regis after a lake in the state of New York, while the lake itself was named after the 17th century French missionary who was also known as a patron of travelers. Since day one, the construction of St. Regis was riddled with controversy because the mansions of

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the Vanderbilt family and other wealthy New Yorkers, who did not want an 18th storey hotel blocking their light, were in the close vicinity to the construction site. Soon, the construction stopped because the hotel had a wooden staircase that was not fire resistant which, due to frequent fires at that time, was one of the most controversial issues in New York. The construction resumed after a year, and when the hotel was just about to

be opened, the neighbours again did their best to prevent that. According to then laws, if a hotel or a restaurant had obtained a licence to serve alcohol, they had to be at least 200 feet away from a church. Back then, as it is also today, St. Regis was exactly across the Presbyterian Church on the 5th Avenue. Astor decided to move the entrance to the hotel from the 5th Avenue to the lateral 55th Street, and thus averted the problem.

ACCORDING TO THEN LAWS, IF A HOTEL OR A RESTAURANT HAD OBTAINED A LICENCE TO SERVE ALCOHOL, THEY HAD TO BE AT LEAST 200 FEET AWAY FROM A CHURCH

The legendary King Cole Bar

JAPANESE PRINCE – THE FIRST CELEBRITY GUEST

The hotel was officially opened on 4th November, 1904. However, the attempts to close down the St. Regis persisted. According to the relevant regulation back then, the hotel owner had to have the approval of the tennats of at least 2/3 of the surrounding buildings to serve alcohol. William Rockefeller bought the next door land plot just to stop St. Regis from acquiring the needed 2/3. What Astor did then was to buy

the hotel for $300,000. After he died, the licence to run his hotel was given to various people, and, in 1964, the building housing the hotel was barely saved from demolition because of the plans to build a corporate skyscraper in its place. In 1965, St. Regis was named a New York cultural and historic landmark and, as such, will always be positioned on the map of New York. Next year, the hotel was bought by Sheraton Hotels which promptly changed its name to St. Regis Sheraton. The ho-

Soon after, Starwood Hotels bought the Sheraton hotel chain, and, in 1998, made a decision to establish an ultra-luxurious worldwide hotel chain called St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. In 2006, the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th floor were transformed into St. Regis Residences while the rest of the building still served as a hotel. In 2013, the building was thoroughly renovated again, costing $90 million, with all the rooms and public spaces re-designed, and a restaurant and fitness centre built. In May 2016, it was announced that an investment fund from Qatar offered a billion

Eight years after opening of the St. Regis Hotel, J. J. Astor died on the Titanic

Dior suite

THERE WERE MANY FAMOUS GUESTS AT ST. REGIS. SALVADOR DALI, HIS WIFE GALA AND THEIR PET OPOSSUM STAYED AT THE HOTEL EVERY WINTER FROM 1966 TO 1973. OTHER FAMOUS GUESTS INCLUDED MARLENE DIETRICH, JACQUELINE KENNEDY, JOHN LENNON, ALFRED HITCHCOCK... another house next door and thus managed to keep his alcohol licence. The hotel's good reputation suddenly grew when, in December 1904, it accommodated the Japanese Prince, Fushimi Sadanaru. Soon after, Corinne Robinson, the niece of the then U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt , chose St. Regis for her ball. Finally, St. Regis made history. Eight years later, the hotel owner J. J. Astor died on the Titanic and most of his wealth was inherited by his son from his first marriage, Vincent Astor. On the Titanic, Astor was accompanied by his second wife Madeleine, who was 18 years his junior and pregnant at the time. Their son, J. J. Astor VI was born a couple of months after his father died, and was given the nickname the Titanic Baby. The great prohibition era, after the First World War, hit hard the hotel business of the young Vincent Astor so he turned his father's second hotel – The Knickerbocker – into a business building in 1920. In 1927, St. Regis was acquired by Durham Realty Corporation. In 1934, at the time of the Great Depression, Vincent Astor managed to buy back

The hotel's famous King Cole Bar appeared in many films, and is known for its mural Old King Cole, originally painted by Maxfield Parrish for Astor's other hotel the Knickerbocker which closed down due to the prohibition. In 1932, the mural was transferred to St. Regis where it occupies a central place in King Cole Bar which opened in 1948 as the hotel's trademark. After the prohibition ended in 1934, barman Fernand Petiot concocted the Bloody Mary cocktail here. Back then, it had a much more politically correct name of Red Snapper and was King Cole Bar's trademark. In a James Bond movie Live and Let Live, Bond meets with Felix Leiter in this bar. In the movie Devil Wears Prada, the apprentice Andy enters the bar with an unpublished manuscript of the latest Harry Potter book. As I was sitting in this air-conditioned bar, listening to the soulful voice of Billie Holiday, drinking my Red Snapper and looking at grotesque figures on Parrish's mural, I was thinking that I could easily spend an entire day here. ST.REGIS ARRIVES IN BELGRADE

During my stay at St. Regis, I kept to my New York ritual – a 45-minute-jog in Central Park before breakfast, followed by a shower, and an American breakfast

Salvador Dali with his pet opossum

St. Regis in 1905

dollars for the St. Regis hotels in New York and San Francisco. In the end, only the hotel in San Francisco was sold for $175 million. DALI, GALA AND PET OPOSSUM

His widow learned of his death on the Titanic while she was staying at the St. Regis Hotel: Benjamin Guggenheim

tel closed in 1988 due to renovation, and re-opened in 1991 under the old name – St. Regis. Following the reconstruction, worth $100 million, St. Regis became one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

There were many famous guests at St. Regis. Salvador Dali, his wife Gala and their pet opossum stayed at the hotel every winter from 1966 to 1973. Other famous guests included Marlene Dietrich, Jacqueline Kennedy, John Lennon, Alfred Hitchcock... Also, Mick Jagger had his 30th birthday party here.

which cost a whopping $125. For that kind of money I could have eaten the seven-egg-Titanic-omelette and an entire lobster from Maine. The 24-hour-butler service, the bed in which you fall asleep immediately after your head hits the pillow, and friendly staff everywhere you go are just some of the things that make St. Regis one of the best hotels on the planet, apart from its impressive history. The next St. Regis Hotel will be opened in Belgrade, in the central tower of the Belgrade Watefront development project.

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C ALEND AR & NE W S

INDONESIAN MARKET AT BALI WONDERLAND

NIGERIAN BLUEFUNK LEGEND AGAIN ON KALEMEGDAN! A charismatic singer and guitarist from Nigeria, Keziah Jones (his real name is Olufemi Sanyaolu), returns to Belgrade this summer as he promised. He will perform on July 27 in the Bitefartcafe summer club, located at tennis courts in Kalemegdan. This time, Keziah is accompanied by a new band and we do not expect anything less than a memorable spaectacle. With his unusual playing technique he created a unique style and genre, which he calls "bluefunk". Keziah, lists Fela Kuti, Miles Davis and Jimmy Hendrix as his main influences.

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Belgrade in cooperation with Jungle Travel, on August 26, during the traditional Kalemegdan Summer Festival, will be held "Bali Wonderland" at the Belgrade Fortress. This time, the event will open with an interesting concept named "Indonesian Market" from 19h to 22h, and from 23h will start a party where the world star Dyro will perform! The "Indonesian Market" is designed to present the culture of Indonesia to visitors and give them the opportunity to feel the spirit of Indonesia in the very heart of Belgrade. The organizers announced the arrival of cultural group from the University of Indonesia “KRIDA BUDAYA” as the main event on the stage of the "Indonesian Market", while visitors will be able to enjoy traditional specialties, prize games, promotion of exotic destinations, various workshops, all in a specially designed ambiance! Entrance to the Indonesian market will be free for all visitors, while the party program will be charged from 23 hours. The current ticket price for "Bali Wonderland" is 890 RSD and can be obtained at all Eventim and DD tickets. More info at www.kemlu.go.id/beograd

ISTANBUL SHOPPING FEST 7th Istanbul Shopping Fest (İSF), started with a magnificent ceremony where the mehter team and more than 50 actors and dancers performed in the world’s first shopping center, the Grand Bazaar. During the festival, between July 1-16, shoppers will have a different experience with this year’s brand new concept ‘Design ISF’. Istanbul Shopping Fest which has been organized for 7 years and has been set out to make Istanbul, a center of attraction as a shopping destination, is opening doors to a new journey. During the festival, “Design ISF” areas will be set up at 9 shopping malls. Also, the Grand Bazaar will bring modern and traditional shopping experience together. In addition to the events at Grand Bazaar, the “Design ISF” areas will be set in nine shopping centers from all over the city; Akasya, Capitol, Emaar Square Mall, Forum İstanbul, İstinye Park, Kanyon, Palladium, Venezia and Zorlu Center. These areas will meet visitors with shopping opportunities as well as design and art. ISTANBUL SHOPPING FEST, which provides shopping to the Istanbul experience, will continue until 16 July 2017

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