Diplomacy and Commerce 26 by Diplomacy&Commerce magazine

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April 2018 | ISSUE No. 26 | Price 350 RSD

9772466380002

IT IS TIME TO FOCUS ON BUSINESS

H.E. ANDERS CHRISTIAN HOUGÅRD

Ambassador Of Denmark To Serbia

COMPLICATED PROCEDURES ARE PUSHING COMPANIES INTO SHADOW ECONOMY

22 SECOND BIRTHDAY MAR page 40

OF DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE MAGAZINE

WORKING TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABLE AND FASTER GROWTH DANIEL BERG

EBRD director for Serbia

ALEKSANDAR RUŽEVIĆ

Chairman of NALED’s Managing Board and General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Serbia

DEMOLISHING SMOKE SCREENS

FOCUS ON 'UNHEALTHY' PART OF ECONOMY BRANKO RUŽIĆ

Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government in the Serbian government FO C US

GREY ECONOMY MINJA MILETIĆ

N1 producer/anchor

S P E CIA L S U P P L E ME N T

Austria

H.E. NIKOLAUS LUTTEROTTI

Austrian Ambassador to Serbia

ED ITO RI AL

CO N T E N T S

There Can be Only One Dear readers, As someone said once, it is a disgrace that we even have to say or write something about it, but we obviously have to. This is maybe because the people go particularly crazy in March, as if they are on cocaine - some are politely crazy and want to walk in the sunshine, smile without a reason, and fall in love leaving the brain out of it. Others are starting wars and becoming dangerously belligerent. It was in March when it the motto “Better War that Treaty” was used in 1941, it was the spring of 1991 when the war started in Croatia, the spring of 1992 when it started in Bosnia, March of 1999 when Yugoslavia was bombed, the spring of 2003 when Iraq war started and it was March when Djindjic was assassinated. The list goes on and on. Another particularly strange thing was the irrational fight over “The Skripal Case”, culminating with Boris Johnson's infamous exclamation that “Putin is going to use it (the 2018 World Cup) in the way Hitler used the 1936 Olympics”. This is not the first time, however. In Beijing 2008, we heard the same being said about China. But there is a problem with using the Hitler parable and it is the following - there's only one Hitler. No-one else is Hitler! You can joke about the “grammar Nazis” but no-one else is a Nazi. Except the Nazis! Especially not the country that beat the Nazis, while being accused by the other that suffered pretty much the same. It all reminds me of very irrational things like Vesna Rakić – Vodinelić “adjusting” Siniša Mali's photo, making him look Hitleresque. It was an election suicide, just like the mentioned Bo-Jo's move. Instead of rightful criticism, the focus is on the critic, making him preposterous and ridiculous. Don't forget - there can be only one. Only one Hitler! Claiming otherwise is tantamout to shooting yourself in the leg. ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor-in-Chief

WORKING TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABLE AND FASTER GROWTH EBRD director for Serbia

THERE’S SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT BRITAIN’S BREXIT TRANSITION DEAL The Brexit negotiations

IT IS TIME TO FOCUS ON BUSINESS

Editor in Chief

zikica.milosevic@color.rs

TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editorial manager

tanja.bankovic@color.rs

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

NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD

Advertising manager

indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ

Art director

JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

jovana.markovic@color.rs

natasa.nesic@color.rs

Advertising manager

dragana.radovic@color.rs

ruza.ristanovic@color.rs

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

robert.coban@color.rs

NOURI CHAHID

General Manager at YUTON

TWO GIANT ENGINEERING PROJECTS WILL ALTER THE EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE The Malmo-Palermo express

DEMOLISHING SMOKE SCREENS

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Magazine director

EXCITING TIMES ARE AHEAD OF US

H.E. ANDERS CHRISTIAN HOUGÅRD

The Finnish Way

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ

FREDERIC BAVASTRO

Owner of multiple AR/VR companies, one of pioneers to involve AR/VR in education and charity work

HOW TO WESTERNISE SERBIA?

VANJA KOVAČEV

AR/VR – HYPE OR SERIOUS BUSINESS?

DANIEL BERG

Ambassador Of Denmark To Serbia

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

WINNERS OF THE ”DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE AWARDS 2018“

MINJA MILETIĆ

N1 producer/anchor

WE ARE OPENING THE DOOR TO A NEW ERA IN MOBILITY VUK GUBERINIĆ CEO of CAR:GO

Photos

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES Translation and lecturer

MRP EDITORIAL Translation

SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

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CIP - Katalogizacija u publikaciji Biblioteke Matice Srpske, Novi Sad 33 Diplomacy & Commerce / glavni i odgovorni urednik Žikica Milošević, 2016, br. 1 (mart)-.Novi Sad: Color Media Communications, 2016 - , -33cm Mesečno. ISSN 2466-3808 = Diplomacy & Commerce COBISS.SR-ID 303269895

T H E BRE X IT N E G O T IAT IO N S

There’s Something Fishy About Britain’s Brexit Transition Deal The biggest worry about the planned transitional period is that it is too short

AGAINST a backdrop displaying the text of Britain’s draft withdrawal agreement, colour-coded to show areas agreed and yet to be tackled, Michel Barnier, the European Union’s Brexit negotiator, and David Davis, Britain’s Brexit secretary, announced a transition deal on March 19th. It was hard even for the ebullient Mr Davis to hide the fact that Britain had agreed to a “status quo” transition period, in which it will maintain most obligations to the EU while losing its voting rights. At least business was pleased that there will be no cliff-edge exit next March—assuming, that is, the two sides are able to reach some kind of Brexit deal. What was striking was the acquiescence of most pro-Brexit Tory MPs. Jacob Rees-Mogg, who once likened a status-quo transition to being a vassal state, said Britain had rolled over without even getting its tummy tickled. But he and his allies still gave Theresa May’s government the benefit of the doubt. In effect, they value the prize of Brexit next March so highly that they will accept almost any terms for it. This should reduce their influence on Mrs May in the remaining negotiations. One awkward concession concerned fish. Many Brexiteers say they were promised that

Britain would take back full control of fisheries next March. Even Michael Gove, the minister in charge, admitted to being disappointed that this has proved impossible. Britain will now stay in the EU’s common fisheries policy until the start of 2021. Scottish Tories are especially upset. Several said they could not sell such a betrayal to their constituents, and 14 MPs wrote to Mrs May urging her to reject the transition and threatening to vote against a Brexit deal later this year if she does not.

THE REAL CONCERN ABOUT THE TRANSITIONAL DEAL IS NOT ABOUT VASSALDOM OR FISH. IT IS THE TRANSITION’S SHORT DURATION For all their protests, including sending a fishing boat up the Thames to Parliament, Mrs May is bound to accept the transition at the EU summit that was meeting as we went to press. She has no choice. Fishing is too small an industry to jeopardise a future Brexit deal. Just as in 1973, when Britain first joined the club, it is likely to be sacrificed for the greater good,

however loudly trawlermen howl. The real concern about the transitional deal is not about vassaldom or fish. It is the transition’s short duration. Mrs May had asked for a deal lasting “around two years”; some ministers openly hoped for longer. Yet Mr Barnier is offering just 21 months, to the end of 2020. Trade experts doubt that a comprehensive trade deal of the sort that Mrs May wants can be negotiated, let alone ratified, that quickly. And the text of the transitional deal leaves it unclear whether an extension will be legally possible, let alone politically so. A big problem is that Mrs May has wasted so much time since triggering the Article 50 withdrawal process last March, not least by holding a general election last June. A majority of the Commons Brexit committee is calling for an extension of Article 50’s two-year deadline. The home affairs committee similarly says more time is needed to ensure continuing co-operation on justice and domestic security. Time, or rather the lack of it, has become one of Brexit’s most pressing concerns. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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I NTERVIEW

Working Together for Sustainable and Faster Growth Serbian growth has been volatile and not as high as desired. Therefore our just completed new Country Strategy focuses on removing Serbia’s obstacles to growth. It promotes better governance of state enterprises and state administration, more inclusive policies toward youth, and women and green growth

DANIEL BERG EBRD director for Serbia

One of the key challenges Serbia has to address is a problem known as the „middle income trap“. We spoke with Mr. Daniel Berg, EBRD director for Serbia about the newly promoted EBRD Country Strategy which hast to help Serbia to overcome this challenge and achieve higher growth. Serbia must accelerate its growth trajectory but in a sustainable way and then the country will proceed in convergence with Europe. Are you one of those people who are eagerly waiting for Serbia to sign a new arrangement with the IMF, or do you think that the government has been pursuing a

disciplined economic policy?

— I believe that Serbia should remain engaged with the IMF after successfully completing the previous 3-year Stand-By Arrangement. This is not for the sake of having funds available, but more for the guidance and policy support which the IMF can provide. International markets consider the positive

is Serbia is achieving a much faster economic growth than the current one. What would be the key steps towards accomplishing this goal?

— We have just completed our new Country Strategy for Serbia which is designed to address Serbia’s transition gaps and obstacles to growth. Growth has been volatile and not

BY TAKING MAJOR STEPS IN USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES, AND EXPERIENCES FROM ABROAD, TO CATCH AND EXCEED OTHER COUNTRIES, SERBIA HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FASTER WITH ITS CONVERGENCE relationship with the IMF as an anchor for stability and promoter of reform policies. Other IFIs, such as EBRD, can work cooperatively on projects which are highlighted in the IMF programme. One of the most discussed topics

as high as desired, in order to put Serbia on a convergence trajectory with the rest of Europe. Some of the measures and investments foreseen in our Country Strategy would help Serbia to achieve higher growth and to escape the so called „middle income trap“.

This includes better governance of state enterprises and state administration, where EBRD is providing policy support. This also includes more inclusive policies to ensure youth, women and disadvantaged groups are fully engaged in the economy. Our women in business credit lines have proven successful in raising access to finance for women entrepreneurs. Our Strategy also focuses on green growth and making the economy more resource efficient and resilient to climate change. Last year, for example, we financed our first large scale renewable energy projects. The EBRD Transition Report for 2017-2018, which you presented at the Kopaonik Business Forum, says that there is a huge transition gap between Serbia and other countries. What does this pole position mean in terms of convergence, which is instrumental in Serbia catching up to

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other EU countries?

State-owned companies can perform effectively but need managers who are given sufficient room to act commercially.

— At KBF, I was trying to stress that with strong commitment to reforms, Serbia has an opportunity to move faster with its convergence. In other words, having a gap can be seen as a disadvantage or an advantage. The country can take major steps by using new technologies, and experiences from abroad, to catch and exceed other countries. Improving governance again will be key to successful implemetnation of such a strategy. Recently, at a gathering dedicated to the Balkans, it was said that as long as the countries, like Serbia, remained poor, they would not be able to generate enough strength to establish the rule of law and create a healthy environment for doing business. What is your opinion on poverty and underdevelopment as obstacles to the creation of a functioning market economy?

— There are definitely examples of lower income countries taking the right steps and achieving above average growth and therefore convergence. Georgia is one example where the government focused on improving governance and fighting corruption and this led to improvements in growth performance. As noted above, inclusive policies – for example, ensuring youth are fully engaged with appropriate education and on the job training – can make a big impact on development. On the back of that, you adopted a new five-year strategy for Serbia. What are the key novelties in the strategy and how do they correspond to the new economic realities in Serbia?

— The Strategy is not novel, but rather presents a balanced Bank

Does it make sense to view digitalization as the key economic driver if certain tasks, like the public enterprise reform, have not been carried out as yet?

I HAVE GREAT MEMORIES OF MY YEARS IN BELGRADE AND FULLY EXPECT SERBIA TO CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER IN THE REGION AND EVENTUALLY IN GREATER EUROPE approach to the areas where we believe our involvement can be most effective and where we support investments which can make the most change and also where alternative sources of financing and support are not available. We try to leverage our funds with grants, co-financing and co-investment from other financing sources. Our policy and financing support will be focused on the three priorities noted above, governance, inclusion and green growth. How much agility did domestic companies demonstrate in using the opportunities you had given them to increase their capacity for innovation, as well as the capacities in the field of environmental protection and, for instance, in agriculture?

— EBRD investments almost always include innovative aspects. This can include better efficiency,

new technologies and inclusion policies, for example. If a company is not looking to its future and to make change in the way it does business then it is likely not a target of EBRD financing. If you review the portfolio of private sector EBRD investments, many of them are amongst leaders in both corporate and technological change. You also have been cooperating with the public sector a lot, which is often accused of being insufficiently prepared for managing large-scale projects. What is your experience?

— This is a key problem which Serbia must address. Our recent diagnostics of the region indicated that Serbia has a high level of state-owned assets while the return on those assets is among the lowest. Governance of state-owned companies is greatly impacted by political influence and objectives.

— Implementing electronic governance and reforms will support any reform programme. This will improve efficiency and help eliminate subjective, non-transparent decision-making. However, digitalisation should not simply put old policies and procedures on new technology systems. It important of course to improve policies and then use technology to bring the benefits to the wider public. What is your assessment of the young workforce pool in Serbia that is supposed to be the executor of this technological jump?

— Obviously, Serbians are technically very proficient. You have some of the best programmers and mathematicians in the world – love for Tesla runs deep in the Serbian psyche. It is important to harness this talent and enthusiasm through training and by removing obstacles for youth to succeed. Government should not try to plan each step and create special programmes for every prospective. But, rather create the environment where business and education institutions find ways to cooperate and create opportunities, such as apprenticeships, mentoring and on the job training. It is also important that Serbia continue to strengthen linkages with other countries – cross border opportunities (in both directions) should be facilitated.

SERBIA - A GREAT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE What is your personal impression about Serbia, Serbian way of doing business and "doing life"? — I have had a wonderful time in Serbia as there is a balance of work, leisure, sports and culture activities. I greatly enjoy the convergence of two rivers and telling relatives about the importance of this location as a locus of European history. Serbians are very international and welcoming of foreigners. I have never felt out of place amongst Serbs with the exception of their strange addiction to smoking. I have great memories of my three years and fully expect Serbia to continue to be a leader in the region and eventually in greater Europe. What is your favourite Serbian dish and drink? (or favourite place in Serbia) and, is that after work lifestyle something that is typical in Belgrade, or you

can find it in other places? — I definitely like life along the river. This is the first city in 15+ years which really revolves around water. Along the river - the bike and walking paths, the music, the people watching, the splavs, the boats and bridges, the beauty of nature and city being so close together. Of course Belgrade is best in Spring to Fall as Winter can get a bit gloomy and the bars get smoky. In fact, sometimes Belgrade reminds me of New York City. A multicultural city with lots of water around. The people can sometimes be direct and pessimistic but they have great pride in the beautiful city and beautiful country. I should say that I've visited many of the main cities and they all have special cultures and vibe. In fact my first trip to Novi Sad was for exit Festival and since then I always think about cultural opportunity around the country.

NATIONAL DAYS

ARRI VALS & D E PA R T UR E S

in April & May

APRIL

H.E. NIKOLAUS LUTTEROTTI New Ambassador of Austria

Austria has a new ambassador and his name is Nikolaus LUTTEROTTI. He holds a Law degree (University of Innsbruck, Austria) and M.A. in International Economics and International Relations (Johns Hopkins University, SAIS), speaks German, English, French, Italian. He was born on 22 September 1972, and is married, having one daughter. Prior to being Austrian Ambassador to the Republic of

Serbia, he was working in Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austrian Embassy in Beijing, Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations, as a Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of the UN General Assembly, as Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry for European and International Affairs, and Foreign Policy Advisor for various ministers and PMs in Austrian Government including Sebastian Kurz.

National Day

NETHERLANDS

National Day (King’s Day)

MAY

POLAND

ational Day N (Constitution Day)

I nternational Red Cross Day

New Italian ambassador to Serbia

his diplomatic career in 2005 at the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, where he served as the first advisor. In 2008, he served as the Italian Ambassador to Maputo, accredited in Mbabane (Swaziland). In 2012, Mr. Lo Cascio returned to work for a government ministry in Rome as an associate of the Director General for Globalization, where he also became the coordinator for the EU-Sub-Saharan Africa relations. In 2013, he served as head of the Department for Balkan Countries at the Central European Initiative (CEI) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (SAI). In 2014, Mr. Lo Cascio was appointed the Deputy Director General for the European Union and the Central Director for

09 EU

ational Day N (Schuman Day)

ISRAEL

Independence Day

ALEKSANDAR MARKOVIĆ New Director General of Metalac

European Countries, and the year later, the first Deputy Director General for the European Union. Ambassador Carlo Lo Cascio is the recipient of the Order of Knighthood of the Republic of Italy in 2007.

ROBERTO MANCUSO Director of METRO Cash & Carry Serbia

Roberto Mancuso has been appointed General Manager of METRO Cash & Carry Serbia, while retaining the existing position of Director General METRO Cash & Carry Croatia. In an expanded function, Roberto Mancuso, together with teams, will continue to develop innovative solutions for entrepreneurs in the sectors of catering and trade of both countries, adapting them to specific market needs. Roberto Mancuso started his career in METRO in 2001 in Italy and subsequently worked in five countries in various positions, including for more than four years as the Director General of METRO Serbia,

SYRIA

ICRC,IFRC

H.E. CARLO LO CASCIO

Mr. Lo Cascio was born on 3rd September, 1963 in Palermo where he graduated law in 1988. He started his diplomatic career in 1990 in the Directorate General for Cooperation and Development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. His first function abroad was as the Second Secretary of Trade, followed by the First Secretary of Trade in Bonn in 1994. In 1997, he was appointed the First Secretary of Trade in the Italian Embassy in Sarajevo, after which he was promoted to the position of an advisor in 2001. After returning to Rome in 2001, he worked for the Directorate General for Multilateral Political Affairs and Human Rights. He continued

before being appointed in July 2017 as General Director of METRO Croatia. While managing the Serbian METRO, Roberto Mancuso successfully managed the transformation of METRO from traditional cash & carry to the current model with multiple sales channels. Delivery of goods intended for professionals (B2B customers), with five delivery platforms located in METRO facilities, is available to thousands of customers. It includes a wide range of services that meet the demands of the Serbian growing market, and set the basis for the future development of the company in Serbia.

Following the proposal of the company's chairman, on 30th March, the Supervisory Board decided to appoint Aleksandar Marković as the new Director General of Metalac from Gornji Milanovac. The company’s press release reads that Marković has 25 years of professional and managerial experience in various positions in Metalac, with 12 years spent as Director of Metalac Posudje, prior to his appointment as the Director General. At the signing of his new job contract, Marković was given three envelopes by the company’s President Dragoljub Vukadinović, in the presence of Metalac's top managers. This is a symbolic gesture as Marković was instructed to open these envelopes only in the case of a great emergency which Vukadinović hoped would never happen. Only the content of the last envelope was revealed. It’s a note that says: “Write notes for three new envelopes and hand them over to the new Director General”. Metalac’s Supervisory Board also appointed members of the Executive Board for a two-year term - Aleksandar Marković, Radmila Trifunović, Vojin Vukadinović, Goran Mijatović and Stojan Slović. On the same day, the company celebrated its 59th anniversary.

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I NTERVIEW

It is Time to Focus on Business My main priority as Ambassador of Denmark will be to support Danish exporters and investors coming to Serbia. An increase in trade and investments is to the benefit of all in our two countries. Another ambition of mine is to follow up on last year’s 100-year celebrations with even more activities in culture and public diplomacy H.E. ANDERS CHRISTIAN HOUGÅRD Ambassador Of Denmark To Serbia

One of the main ambitions of H.E. Anders Christian Hougård, Ambassador of Denmark to Serbia is to increase trade relations between Serbia and Denmark. Why are the trade figures modest today?

— I consider it a good sign when bilateral assistance yields way to trade: it means the economy is recovering so foreign missions and organizations can redirect their attention to support its development. Denmark has had a range of development programs in Serbia – from Fruits and Berries agro project to Media freedom initiative. Now is the time to focus on the development of the business sector and, especially SMEs. According to our data for 2016, Denmark’s exports of goods to Serbia was worth around 122 million Euro, while we imported Serbian goods in the value of around 52 million Euro. Danish economy is specific and very SME-driven. We all know of course the big Danish companies, such as Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk, Grundfos, but in Denmark SMEs employ around 2/3 of the working population! As they can rarely compete with big players, they tend to find their

niches – usually high-tech or innovative ones, and their solutions are not applicable in all the markets. With the development of the Serbian economy, we see that those niche solutions are more and more relevant here as well, so I expect an increase in trade figures in the years to come. Also, more and more Serbian companies will have their own innovative solutions to offer in a single EU market, including also Denmark. By trading with the EU, your country has a big advantage of accessing the single market, but it will also encourage it and the local companies to innovate constantly and become more competitive. How many Danish companies currently do business in Serbia and which sectors do they occupy?

ment. We really have an array of companies present here, and they are all here to stay! And according to our trade colleagues, more are interested to join their Danish colleagues here, so the signs are encouraging. Just like in Denmark, the Danish companies in Serbia represent many sectors and I believe that is a sign of a healthy economy! From machinery and heavy equipment, through to pharmaceuticals and healthcare all the way to IT and creative industries – we have it all and we are happy to share it with Serbia. Which features of the Serbian economy do you consider as the

APPROXIMATELY 40 DANISH COMPANIES DO BUSINESS IN SERBIA AND THEY SEEM TO BE VERY HAPPY HERE — Approximately 40 Danish companies do business in Serbia, and they vary in size. They seem to be very happy here – some are expanding production facilities, like Ergomade or Grundfos. Some are expanding the teams they are hiring, like NIRAS and COWI. Some have been here for more than 20 years, like Velux, Danfoss, Novo Nordisk. Many present top companies in their field, like Carlsberg or DSV Logistics and Ship-

most attractive for the prospective Danish investors?

— I would say Serbia is very attractive for investments and this is how we try to present it to the potential new Danish players in the market. However, we do not paint a pink image. Danish embassies usually have a representative of the Trade Council who is actively working on creating business opportunities for Danish companies. Mind you,

from Belgrade we cover three more countries in addition to Serbia, so it is a lot of work! Luckily, we have excellent honorary consuls in Podgorica, Sarajevo and Skopje so we are well covered there as well. When it comes to attracting Danish companies to Serbia, some of the advantages we mention are hard-working and educated workforce, central government and local authorities support to the investors, proximity to Denmark and the same time zone, similar mentality and business acumen, various free trade agreements. Of course, there is much-discussed labour force ‘price-quality’ ratio, but I would not say this plays the crucial role for an investor. They are all here for the long run, so they have to take all the elements into consideration. We also mention a big bureaucracy and tiresome procedures, but I am pleased to hear that the Government is actively working on reducing those and digitizing its services. Once this is done, the administration will become easier, smoother and more transparent. How visible are the region and Serbia from the perspective of the Danish foreign policy? Where do you see your role if any in the EU accession process of the region?

— Serbia became an EU candidate country under the Danish presi-

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dency in 2012, and Denmark supports Serbia on its path towards the EU. Over the last 10 years Denmark has been engaged in a number of programmes in Serbia with one of the biggest being an agricultural project in southern Serbia. In cooperation with the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment we launched the programme Fruits & Berries where farmers in the region were assisted in developing their production of fruits. The programme has contributed to economic growth and employment in the private sector in Southern Serbia creating more than 800 jobs, most of those women. Furthermore, Denmark has supported judicial reforms, media freedom and the resettlement of refugees in Serbia. This includes capacity building of the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary with particular focus on the areas covered by the EU negotiating chapters 23 and 24, as well as support of the Government of Serbia and local self-governments in the realization of Local Action Plans on migration management and in the improvement of refugees’ access to information, protection mechanisms and needed reception assistance. Additionally, the Danish embassy supported Slavko Ćuruvija Fondacija’s (SCF) “Advancing Media Freedom in Serbia” project – independent, strong and responsible media are a pillar of every democratic society! These prospects for membership in 2025 are very much debated in the Serbian society. How do you see the probability of new members entering Europe?

— The debate around the membership is a good sign, it means people care to be part of the EU. I believe that the fact there is a Western Balkans Strategy means the EU is open to new members. There is absolutely no doubt whether the countries of the Western Balkans belong to the European family. Another question is harmonization with the EU acquis and all the procedures and policies the membership bears with it. So, in terms of mentality, history and culture, Serbia is no doubt part of Europe. In terms of societal and economic reforms, much is to be done but you have our full support. We are carefully monitoring progress in chapters like 23 and 24 (both linked to judiciary), chapter 27 (environment), chapter 15 (energy) but all chapters are very horizontal, so there is no progress in one chapter without progress in another. That

WE EXPECT FROM SERBIA PROGRESS IN THE AREAS OF JUDICIARY, CORRUPTION FREE ADMINISTRATION AND FREE MEDIA NOT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF EU MEMBERSHIP, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF ITS CITIZENS is both good and bad, as it means all the state apparatus needs to put big efforts to align behind a mutual cause and pull to bring results. So, it will take the necessary time, but Serbia has always been an obvious candidate and real membership prospect is already there. I firmly believe that true regional stability and a positive trend in the economy will create a strong foundation for Serbia, the momentum is already there. Joining the EU also means building and maintaining viable institutions and “checks and balances”. An independent judiciary, a trust-based administration free from corruption and, last but not least, the value of having free media are indispensable pillars. All of these are real challenges for all the countries in transition, so we expect from Serbia progress in those areas – not just for the sake of EU membership, but for the sake of its citizens. A final note - in Denmark we have strong institu-

tions, this is one of the reasons the Danes are happy and pay their taxes gladly, but the state works constantly on keeping the institutions strong. So in a way, the work never stops and the challenges are always there for all of us. It is often believed that the EU doesn’t want new members which may endanger fragile stability. How in that context do you see the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade?

— The EU member states have worked long and hard to create a certain environment and they put in a log of effort to maintain it, so it is understandable they are protective of it. I consider it patriotic in a way – you build your country and you want to protect its stability, its nature, the standard of living and citizens’ safety, that is perfectly understandable. From that perspective, the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will not only solve political and

BALKAN IS SECURE REGION Prior to arriving in Belgrade you have served in Teheran and Zagreb and before that elsewhere in the Middle East. From today’s perspective how do you see the security situation in the Balkans? — The Balkans is seen as a rather secure region, I would say. There is always a chance of a crisis, but I would say this is an exception, rather than a rule.

practical matters, but also show everyone’s willingness to discuss and compromise – once you are a member, that is the future of your relations with the EU. And not just in the EU, but all global organizations are like that – a lot of discussion and compromise. We have followed the recent events with concern, so we hope everything will be solved. What are your major bilateral priorities apart from economics?

— My main priority as Ambassador of Denmark will be to support Danish exporters and investors coming to Serbia. An increase in trade and investments is to the benefit of all in our two countries. Another ambition of mine is to follow up on last year’s 100-year celebrations with even more activities in culture and public diplomacy. Our common celebrations of a century of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Denmark in 2017 have highlighted and renewed our strong ties. The Embassy experiences a growing interest in Danish culture as well as the Danish way of life. Information about Denmark has been provided through various outreach activities including by showing the exhibition Copenhagen Solutions in Novi Sad and Belgrade. Furthermore, during recent years there has been Danish participation in Belgrade Dance Festival, Belgrade Jazz Festival, Belgrade Book Fair and different film festivals. It is my intention to keep up this exchange of cultures between Serbia and Denmark through programmes like these.

GEO PO LITIC S

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

How to Westernise Serbia? The Finnish Way WHAT ABOUT US?

I can see that many people in the West are trying to figure out the way to bring Serbia closer to the West, since it is drifting slowly away from it. The solution is easy! There is a way to do it and it has already been done in Finland, but certain solutions will have to change, both in Europe and in Serbia (clearly in the USA too). EVERYTHING IS DOUBLE IN SUOMI-FINLAND

When Finland became an independent republic, during the 19171920 process, it was at a difficult starting point - not only there was a civil war between the Reds and the Whites, but there was also a rift between the monarchists and the republicans. Finland had three tricky issues to deal with. First, the country had 90% Finnish-speaking and 10% Swedish-speaking population (we are using rough estimates here for the sake of the argument). The additional difficulty was that the Swedish was, for centuries, the official language of state and in culture, even for the Finnish. The solution was to establish a bilingual state, with both Finnish and Swedish being official languages, hence the name SUOMI – FINLAND. The other „problem“ was that the country was 90% Lutheran and 10% Orthodox (again, a rough estimate), so it was decided

that it would have two official religions - Lutheran Protestantism and Orthodoxy. ÅLAND IS THE LAND

The issue of the Åland Islands was the most difficult part. The Swedes living there wanted to secede and form their own country or, preferrably, join Sweden,

Some might argue that our situation should be dealt with in „the Macedonian way“ or „Zaev way“, but, in fact, the best way to deal with it is the Finnish way. Serbia and Macedonia must (not could, but must) apply the Finnish-style bilingualism in their entire teritorry, that is the Serbian and Albanian language. Yes, even on passports and everywhere else! It is a small price to pay for 16% of the territory and at least a formal re-integration of it. Also, Serbia should agree to allow around 25% of national MPs to be Kosovo Albanians, with the corresponding number of ministers. The ruling coalition, like in the FYRO Macedonia, could comprise of one Albanian party for each Serbian party. In terms of military, neutrality is the way go, regardless of the fact that the Serbs are leaning towards Russia and Albanians towards NATO. As for the EU integrations, a peaceful EU accession is the solution just like

WHY WOULD YOU BE THEN OFFENDED TO SEE „QEVERIA E REPUBLIKËS SË SERBISË” ON THE PLAQUE OF THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING? forseeing a Finnish independent state. Finland retained this claim and brought the issue in front of the League of Nations in 1921 and it ruled that the Åland Islands should remain Finnish. The population continued using Swedish, they had their own constitution, car plates, and even passports with clearly written ÅLAND on them. They were also exempt from serving in the Finnish army. So, de facto, it was a state within a state.

in the case of Finland. Would you be offended to hear MPs speaking Albanian in the Serbian Parliament while other MPs are wearing headphones listening to the translation? Of course, you would. Wait! In the Vojvodinian Parliament, MPs can speak in as much as 6 languages! OK, four, not counting Serbian and Croatian, with the latter not requiring translation. These 4 languages are Rusyn, Hungarian, Romanian and Slovakian. Who is

offended by this? Nobody! If you take a look at the Vojvodinian government buildings, they all have plaques with the inscriptions in 6 languages. Offended? By what? By the fact that the inscription on one of the plates is written in Hungarian too? This is really not detrimental to you, but it does make the Hungarians proud because they feel at home, rather than like foreigners. Why would you be then offended to see „QEVERIA E REPUBLIKËS SË SERBISË” on the plaque of the Serbian government building ? Or on the dinar banknotes? Have you ever really paid attention to what is written in the Nemanjina Street? When you hold euro banknotes, do you really care that they have the words EURO – EВРО – ЕΥРΩ written on them? No, you just use them for payment. Don't over-dramatise this issue! When some politicians claim that „the Kosovar economy is based on drug smuggling and shadow conomy“ or that „there are 2 million „foreign“ people living in Kosovo“, it is blatantly racist. Do you think you are better? Do you think that it is easier to live „next“ to „the smugglers“ rather than „with the smugglers“? What is it that you exactly want? A territory with no people? Or you would like to cut off a Serbian territory because you (openly racist, once again) don't like to live with them? If you like the notion of only Serbs living in Serbia, why not cutting Senta off, or Novi Pazar, or Kovačica, or Preševo? Cut them all off! Make our country Serbs-only! Now you sound like a skinhead, and you know it. So, why not „cutting off“ your own thoughts instead?!

THE GLOBAL VOJVODINA It is not only us who need to change. It is also the countries which support the independent Kosovo. It is the local Albanians living there too! We all have to change! The Finnish way, or the Vojvodinian way, whichever you prefer. Make our country a global Vojvodina, and save our souls, and ourselves along the way. That is the way to westernise Serbia – give it something and it will go. Otherwise it will remain stuck!

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D &C AWARD S 20 8

Winners of the â&#x20AC;&#x17E;Diplomacy & Commerce Awards 2018â&#x20AC;&#x153; Diplomacy & Commerce magazine celebrated its second birthday on Thursday, 22nd March, in the new Bitef Art Cafe

Apart from celebrating its second anniversary, the magazine also gave out the DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE AWARDS at the event to individuals, companies and organizations that distinguished themselves in their humanitarian work, CSR activities, combining business and culture, and contributing to cre-

ating better conditions for doing business, bilateral cooperation, civil society and the economic environment in Serbia. The Diplomacy & Commerce Awards were given out in nine categories to companies and organizations, namely for their contribution to the development of civil society and bolstering the economy.

We have asked the award recipients, both companies and individuals, to tell as what does this award mean to them and their plans for 2018?

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AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT OF ART AND CULTURE GIORGIO MARCHEGIANI Director General of DDOR

DDOR insurance company won the award for its contribution to culture in Serbia, and we are very proud of this because it is one of the ways that we demonstrate our corporate social responsibility. We did this through several initiatives that I believe were quite visible. One of them is sponsoring the Belgrade Dance Festival, as well as Dragan Bjelogrlic and making of his hit TV series „Senke nad Balkanom“ (“Shadows over the Balkans”). There is also our collaboration with Matica Srpska’s Gallery in

Novi Sad. Of course, there are other campaigns that were not that visible. Our CSR activities have a wide reach and scope. DDOR supports culture in Serbia, and we believe that if we have a better society, people will be happier which goes hand in hand with the awareness that safety, which is what we basically sell, is a social good. In a nutshell, we compete every day for a bigger market share, numbers and profits, but we cannot compete so directly in terms of culture which is very important to us. This is something that cannot be really measured, but, in our eyes, it is as important as our company’s market share.

AWARD FOR ADVANCING BILATERAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT MIHAJLO VESOVIĆ Adviser to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

We, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, are very pleased to be recognized as an institution that works hard on improving the business climate in the country, but primarily for working on the international positioning of the Serbian economy. One of the basic and main goals for us is making our economy more export oriented, open and boosting the Serbian export and investments in the country, as well as being recognized as responsible and strong partners through partnerships with international institutions and companies.

AWARD FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION DUŠAN MIHAJLOVIĆ Member of Eurobank’s Executive Board

It is our great pleasure to receive this award. We are pleased that our innovation ability has been recognized and that we have been given the award in the innovation category. Our idea is to better familiarize younger population with banking through channels that are only known to them, which are primarily digital. Furthermore, our goal is to educate our clients, who put the focus on traditional banking, with the help of our redesigned services and show them how innovation can help them in their everyday life.

AWARD FOR THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY VESNA DJUKIĆ Director of Belgrade Open School

The Belgrade Open School (BOS) has been awarded in the civil society development category. We are very pleased and proud of this award which shows that our school and our efforts on developing human resources in this country over the past 25 years, improving public policies, and building the capacities of civil, public and business sectors have been recognized. We are celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2018. All these years, BOS has been working hard on becoming the initiator and active participant in a constructive dialogue

between the civil society organizations, the state and the business sector, believing that this cooperation should be transparent, accountable and continuous, and that it is a prerequisite for creating a better society based on freedom, knowledge and innovation. Therefore, in the forthcoming period, the Belgrade Open School will continue with its extensive educational, research and advocacy activities that will be further directed towards resolving and assisting in resolution of some of the problems in the society that we, as a civil society organization in cooperation with the other two sectors, can change, contribute to, improve and make a better place of all of us.

D &C AWARD S 20 8

AWARD FOR BEST FOUNDATION SUZANA DJORDJEVIĆ Director of the Hemofarm Foundation

We are really proud to have received this award. It is an acknowledgment of our efforts that we have been investing in developing ideas that are important to us in terms of taking care of people’s health and raising the quality of services in healthcare institutions in Serbia. This year, we

are continuing with the implementation of rather big plans. In April, we are launching a campaign that focuses on high blood pressure, and we hope that the people will listen to our advice because it is really important that they go for regular medical checkups, consult their doctors and take care of their health. This is the main message of the Hemofarm Foundation - if you don’t do it, we will do it for you.

AWARD FOR BEST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE COMPANY INGEBORG ØFSTHUS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telenor Serbia

This award means a lot to us in Telenor and we are very proud of it. The fact that we have received it for the second year in a row proves we are on the right track when it comes to our corporate responsibility initiatives. Today, it goes way beyond pure CSR. It is about development of the market, constant pushing of boundaries, about the way company works with suppliers and partners, setting the standards and, at the same time, demanding their full fulfilling. Telenor cooperates with 5.000 small and large suppliers, meaning that 57.000 people in Serbia operate in accordance with the high standards of Telenor. This year we have celebrated 11th birthday of Telenor Foundation. For more than a decade we have been supporting numerous projects where

technologies and digital solutions are being used to reduce inequalities and connect the society. In the future, our focus will remain making Internet as safe as possible for the young ones. Their safety is our top priority, especially in times of digitalization, when access to Internet is opening huge opportunities, but also threats. This year we want to educate 10,000 children on how to be safe without forgetting parents and teachers, whose role in this process is crucial. To be precise, more than 100, 000 parents and 2,000 teachers have been included in the project Family Safety Net on which we are working together with our dear friends from UNICEF. The topic of child protection on Internet is an important social issue that requires engagement and systemic approach in times of full digitalization of Serbian society. With the support of the society and our partners, which is the wind at our back, I am positive we can do it.

AWARD FOR BEST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CAMPAIGN

AWARD FOR THE BIGGEST CHARITY CONTRIBUTION

ABHAY PARNERKAR

PREDRAG ĆULIBRK

Country Manager at Coca-Cola

Director of Telekom Serbia

This award will help us with starting our long-term commitment to Rosa’s mission to help parents and babies. We plan on providing support to a total of 20 parenting schools and about 5,000 babies across the country of Serbia. Going forward we will continue to invest in this extremely important programme for us, and continue with our mission of helping parents and babies in Serbia.

In a very tough competition, Telekom Serbia is one of the award’s recipients which is something that we are very proud of considering how respectable the jury, who decided on the winners, is. We, in Telekom Serbia, highly value

socially responsible business, and particularly the care that we provide to the most vulnerable categories, i.e. to everyone who needs to be cared for, and there are many such people in Serbia. We are going to continue with our activities in terms of our humanitarian work. I expect that thanks to this award and this ceremony, you are going to encourage others to participate too, especially to get involved in humanitarian work relating to the most vulnerable population categories.

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C O RPO RATE

AR/VR – Hype or Serious Business? Virtual Reality – not a trend but a safe way to improve Global CSR and sustainability

FREDERIC BAVASTRO Owner of multiple AR/VR companies, one of pioneers to involve AR/VR in education and charity work

The story about augmented and virtual realities started as fun and entertainment. Almost all of us, at least once, tried to catch some Pokémon. However, the story of AR/VR goes far beyond fun and gaming… Recently, we had an opportunity to meet in Belgrade Mr. Frederic Bavastro, a visionary and entrepreneur, who conducted a research on how AR/VR affect and contribute to development of global CSR and sustainability.

A growing number of enterprises, even those outside of gaming and other consumer entertainment subsectors, are testing and adopting AR and VR technologies. Last year, the time finally arrived for enterprises to begin experimenting with these tech-

nologies. Many companies have since begun to discover, test and deploy these technologies, and many CEOs and strategists have expressed a strong interest in AR/VR. What is AR/VR according to you – hype or serious business? — I would like to start with interesting statistical data that will give you a straightforward answer - 8 out of 10 top tech companies have already invested billions in AR and VR research and development. These companies include Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, Sony, IBM and many others. Industries have been incorporat-

ing AR and VR into their regular products and services to enhance customer experience, simulated learning, and other forms of demonstration. However, the use and extent of industry-ready applications vary across industries and/or sectors. AR or VR is already applied in education, healthcare, aerospace, automobile industry, real estate, tourism, gaming, sports, media, entertainment, etc. Moreover, these technologies are endlessly emerging in various fields and industries. For example, VR has been in use in healthcare for years. Recently, a doctor in Miami used VR platform to plan for a surgery on a baby who was born with half a heart and only one lung. It helped him see the 3D images of the baby’s heart. Let me give you some other examples. Companies such as furniture retailer Ikea are

to reduce errors and increase productivity. Coca-Cola is also using AR in its production sites in the USA for onboarding education of new employees. Both, AR and VR have a definite future in the enterprise, but AR is currently widespread as technologies are continuously developing.

This looks very promising, but it is only one side of the story. What is the data on users and revenues worldwide?

— Let me refer to the Pokémon phenomena you mentioned at the beginning of our conversation. It all started as a light game and fun, but the explosion of Pokémon Go is a game changer for AR, with 100 million downloads to date, 20 million daily active users and an average of 26 minutes gameplay per day. AR is now in the hands of the masses.

8 OUT OF 10 TOP TECH COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY INVESTED BILLIONS IN AR AND VR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT testing AR solutions so customers can determine whether a desired piece of furniture will fit in their own living room, thus alleviating the need to manually measure the dimensions of the sofa and showcasing the ‘look and feel’ of the new interior design. Logistics company DHL is also testing AR glasses in its warehouses in a bid

LEARNING If you want to visit Serbia, did you consider learning about it through VR before you travel, and then shift up your experience through AR platforms when you actually arrive there? You have endless possibilities on how to discover the whole world; either by travel or from the comfort of your chair.

If we take into account the fact that global population now counts approximately 7.6 bln people out of which more than half are internet users, 2/5 are on social media and 3/5 are mobile users – we came to an enormous target group for AR/ VR. And the population is growing. The predictions are that global population would grow until 2020 by more than 3% while, at the same time, AR/VR revenues would reach up to 150bln $ with significant percentage of VR applications in use!

You conducted an interesting research recently. Could you please elaborate?

— Yes, it was an amazing and interesting research inspired by challenges for further development of global sustainable development, CSR and charity. In an environment that combines two worlds – the real one, still based on old school

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approach to people, and digital one –based on the premise of the Millennials with the “what’s in it for me” attitude – we have to find that best way to put them together and direct them for the benefit of humankind. Our idea was to do so by introducing AR/VR with the view of improving CSR and sustainability. Is there any better way to present some social problem than to enable people feel it from the personal perspective of suffering people or those in need? We find the best solution in AR/VR. Serbia was already hit by severe floods several times. It was basic sympathy to feel sorry and offer support to endangered people, but did you really feel their problems and needs? AR or VR would definitely help you to see their problem from the point of view of “walking in their shoes”. Just imagine facing the consequences of an earthquake or a hurricane as if you were in the middle of these catastrophes. Also, imagine discovering the volumes of melting glaciers in Antarctic, etc. Our research involved several hundred global companies and a few thousand people. It proved the main hypothesis that the use of AR and VR shifts up people’s readiness to support some global issues, problems and challenges but in a way to solve these problems for real or prevent risks and mitigate consequences.

This is very innovative. What were other discoveries in your research?

— I could not give you final data as the research and the whole project are in the closing phase and will be announced soon, but I would like to share with your readers another interesting discovery. The use of AR and especially VR could also provide positive role models for the sustainable values that global society strives towards. In this way, overall sustainability could be improved by informative, educational,

AR/VR ARE THE NEW CHAPTER IN REPOSITIONING EVERYTHING YET AGAIN motivational and participatory use of AR/VR! Both governments and companies could improve peoples’ consciousness on the important aspects of sustainable development and invite them to join various CSR or even CSV platforms. When we could see and feel the environment we stand for, it is much easier to activate and motivate a person to contribute to fulfillment of the SDGs and live in better and more sustainable surroundings.

Are the companies and people ready for this?

— Were they ready for Uber or AirBnb? It is not a question of being ready but a matter of living now and proactively and responsibly thinking of future (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Some companies are fully capable to lead the way to CSR based on AR/VR while other still ignore the fact that brands mainly depend on their customers and themselves! Surprisingly, as our research unexpectedly shown, there are still companies who misunderstand AR/VR initiatives dedicated to CSR and charity purposes! They still believe their

brand names are more important than the ideas that make these brands popular – maybe they had to learn a difficult lesson from the “.com” pre-digitalization trend when they did not register their “.com” websites on time, which resulted in total confusion of legal registrants and brand awareness. The fourth industrial revolution completely repositioned global economy and trends while digitalization did the same in the communication, marketing, advertising, etc. AR/VR are the new chapter in re-positioning everything yet again. But, there is also the point on how to build new customer intimacy as everything comes after their personal impressions on brands, products, services, the world…

AUGMENTED & VIRTUAL What is augmented and virtual reality? — Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have been around for quite some time, yet many remain unclear about the differences between the two. Virtual reality is a technology that allows a user to perceive and interact with a simulated environment. The environment may be either realistic or fanciful. Augmented reality is a technology that overlays information onto a user’s field of view as they perceive the real world. The information typically advises the user about an object or place which they are looking at. Mixed reality is technically a subset of augmented

reality; this technology enables the perceived merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations in which simulated digital objects and information and real objects can co-exist and interact with one another. Users could experience AR/VR via different types of hardware, including common mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, smart glasses, and head-mounted displays. Mobile-devices and smartphones have nowadays become the most popular tools to consume AR/VR as people increase their need and desire to have better and closer impressions about their favorite brands, products, destinations, etc.

C O RPO RATE

Carlsberg Serbia

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Step by Step Towards “ZERO” The Čelarevo brewery is the first Carlsberg's brewery in the world to introduce a new, energy efficient technology

tion Director at Carlsberg Serbia, who was appointed to this position in March 2016.

JOVO VUJČIĆ Production Director in Carlsberg Serbia

Carlsberg Serbia has recently presented a new biomass-powered boiler room in which the company invested a million euros. Apart from being the first of its kind in Serbia, the new boiler room is also a step forward in Carlsberg Group's operations. It is the Group's brewery in Čelarevo that has been given the opportunity to be the first Carlsberg brewery in the world to bolster its own energy efficiency and reduce negative impact of production on the environment as a result of this technology. The Carlsberg Group is committed to eliminating carbon emissions and halving water usage at its breweries by 2030 as part of its new sustainability programme called 'Together Towards ZERO'. The intermediate steps in the implementation of this programme include the

exclusive use of renewable electricity at its breweries by 2022. 'Together Towards ZERO' is a response to the increasing consumer demand for sustainable products in a time of global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity and public health issues. The programme is an integral part of the Carlsberg Group’s SAIL’22 strategy and consists of four major ambitions – ZERO carbon

Utilization of biomass and renewable energy resources have become very topical lately. Carlsberg is a Danish company that has brought Scandinavian standards here which are reflected in the use of biogas and biomass in the company's energy consumption. Both are considered significant innovations. How much did Carlsberg Serbia do in this segment, and could you tell us something about the results and the methods used? — By introducing this technology, in addition to already having a biogas-powered boiler, the Čelarevo brewery has more than doubled the use of renewable energy resources in its production process, and their share now stands at 39%, which has exceeded our initial forecasts and goals.

SOME OF QUITE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE CURIOUS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS CARLSBERG SERBIA ACTUALLY DOING, BECAUSE WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT WE HAVE NEW, HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS footprint, ZERO water waste, ZERO irresponsible drinking and ZERO accidents culture – each with individual and measurable targets. The new biomass-powered boiler room is an integral part of this process. To that end, Carlsberg Serbia has organized a tour of the new boiler room for journalists and a press conference. The boiler room is one of the topics that we are talking about with Jovo Vujičić, Produc-

Needless to say, we are very satisfied with this and are planning to continue at an even faster pace towards reaching the full 100% in the future. The biomass used in the new boiler room is organic matter of plant origin, that is, the timber harvested by purchasing and grinding waste pallets from the brewery itself. As a renewable energy source, biomass is CO2-neutral, which means that, when combusted, it emits ex-

actly as much carbon dioxide as a plant binds in the process of photosynthesis during its growth. All byproducts that are released as result of combustion process in the boiler room, like ash and smoke gases, comply with the legal regulations of the Republic of Serbia and the European Union, which means that they do not have a detrimental effect on the environment. The remaining 61% of the energy is obtained through combustion of natural gas, but we are trying to reduce this percentage even further.

What are the future projections and how fast are the renewable energy resources going to be used until you reach the "ZERO" in the "Together Towards ZERO" campaign?

— As you know, there are essentially two deadlines to meet - 2023 and 2030. Some of the standards can be fully implemented very quickly. In Sweden, for example, the Carlsberg brewery uses 100% of the needed energy from renewable resources, primarily through electricity, so, this is already feasible. We still do not have an opportunity to do so in Carlsberg Serbia, as Serbia doesn't have a liberalized biofuel market. Everything that Carlsberg Serbia does comes from our own resources. I'm pretty sure that we will not be able to move at the same pace as Sweden, but I am confident that we will go fast enough to meet our corporate plan. It is difficult for me to tell you how many years all of this is going to take, but I can confidently say that 40% of the energy autonomy that we have at the moment is not something that we are satisfied with.

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Carlsberg has quite a market presence in Croatia, Russia and Romania. After the fall of socialism, these countries were hungry for clean technologies, because, at that time, technology they used was far from clean. We definitely need more bioenergy initiatives and more factories that would use it. Slavonia, Banat, Ukraine, Russia are all flat areas, just like Vojvodina. How can your business experience in these countries help with the implementation of technology in Carlsberg Serbia?

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; In terms of Carlsberg Serbia, at a group level, there is a Western Europe and a Southeast Europe division, with technology being easily transferred there. The downside is that the mentioned countries are usually very poorly oriented towards high or medium-high investments. Carlsberg Serbia is still not able to respond in this way in the Serbian market, but what we do here is something that no Carlsberg brewery does at such a high level, and that is using the energy of our people and the will to change things, which is not an exuberant

investment. Frankly put, we can see this happening in some highly developed countries which are quite curious to find out what is Carlsberg Serbia actually doing, because we have demonstrated that we have healthy and realistic solutions that do not always require high investments.

Since I am an automation engineer, I came up with an idea that we, in Vojvodina, where there is a lot of maize, could start working on generating

timber you use now, are quite slow to grow, but sugar beet, barley, straw, and maize are all fantastic options with a huge potential. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; We were thinking about this topic and we are definitely going to think about it some more. When we started this chapter, one of the things we had to decide was which biomass to use. Anything of organic origin that grows close to us could be used. Our case study was not only based on wooden cuttings

40% OF ENERGY AUTONOMY, THAT WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE SATISFIED WITH! biomass from maize briquettes. The idea to launch a local maize-based biomass facility is a novelty. Carlsberg is known for its innovations. It is the first company in the world to come up with sustainable pale lager, and is expected to be an innovation champion. That's why Carlsberg makes "probably the best beer in the world", and is a Real Madrid among the breweries. The trees, which

because we do operate in a part of the world that has a great biomass potential. However, I cannot reveal to you our ideas and plans. It all remains to be seen in the years to come. Whatever we do, rest assured that it will be innovative. We expect a lot from ourselves. The team I work with is not a kind of team that puts its feet up and reads newspapers as soon as they get to work. Our goal is that, when we get to work,

to do something new, something to improve the existing process, something better. We are open to suggestions and today, when we had journalists here, there were quite a few good suggestions made. There are several topics we can discuss here.

Denmark is flat and windy, just like Vojvodina. Have you given any thought to wind power?

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Denmark has done a great job in that segment. The country has organized its power market so well that there is no longer a need to subsidize wind farms. Rather, subsidies are given to people who use power generated from wind. This gives you a fair indication of the sheer amount of energy that is generated by wind farms. We are open to all suggestions, but our basic idea is to produce beer. We want to produce as much as possible of good beer, and if we, in the process, can also do something to protect the environment and raise standards, that's even better! We are a brewery, first and foremost, but an innovative brewery at that and the one that positively contributes to ecology.

GEO PO LITIC S

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

You Got it All Wrong How to create enemies? (A Manual)

By rewinding all the way to the year 1991, it is amazing to see how the West has managed to create enemies instead of friends out of many global and regional powers, including Iran, Turkey, but foremost, Russia and China. It was a „clear shot“ to make it right in 1991, but nevertheless, the combination of utmost incompetence and a bit of malevolence made it so. Back in 1991, I was a young and naive boy, and it seemed to me that the future could be very bright, no matter where nationalism reared its ugly head. Europe from Iceland to Vladivostok, USSR included as a whole or in parts, democracy and the free market, Maastricht looming in 1992! What could possibly go wrong? Everything! In 2018, the West has alienated the two superpowers, like in Orwell's 1984 (Eurasia and Eastasia), while Oceania is alone. Russia has established itself as a new-old power, while China has proven that the Western multi-party democracy does not necessarily go hand- in-hand with economic liberties and reforms. So, the West has failed in both cases - they thought that Russia would take "the seat by the toilet” (Putin) and that China would peacefully dissolve its Communist Party, Gorbachev-style. Well, ladies and gentlemen (and those who feel in-between, as Brian Molko says), you got it all wrong! RUSSIA AS A POLITICAL POWER

After disastrous Yeltsin, who

lasted 9 years in power, the „EuroRemont“ was over. Who, on earth, would think that after the Russian Empire and USSR, the independent Russia would settle for being a small power? In the case of Turkey, it took a bit longer, some 90 years of Atatürk–driven reforms, but now clearly Turkey is getting back to what it knows best - being (at least a local) superpower. In both cases, it happened only after many years of humiliation. Turkey waited for so long to start the EU accession process, finally lost its nerves and created the

think Russia is in Eurasia, there must be some border between Europe and Eurasia, right? If we assume Europe stretches from Iceland to the ex-Soviet borders with Iran, China, Japan and Korea, then all is clear. But where is the border now? The solution to this problem requires the existence of „battlefield of influence“, stretching from Finland to Greece, over misfortunate no-man's lands like Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova... And if Russia is not in Europe, then alliances with non-European countries like China, Iran or Turkey make sense. Russia was pushed towards Asia and this is continuing. Just look at the infamous Skripal Case. Russia had no motive to do that, and frankly, it was a sloppy job. And, if anything, the KGB (sorry, it's the FSB now) is not known for doing a sloppy job. It all looks like a part of a hybrid war against Russia. Since it was impossible to stop its growing influence, there are now attempts to demonise Putin, blame Russia for

IF THE WEST DOES NOT BOARD THAT THAT TRAIN, IT WILL BE SUPERSEDED BY CHINA VERY SOON, WONDERING WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED AGAIN? neo-Ottoman zone of influence. Initially, it was an economic zone, with Turkish companies operating from Africa to China, and from the Arab Peninsula to Russia and Europe. Russia was not as daring, and after the initial will to become European, it was forcefully pushed towards Eurasia, creating its own zone of influence. If you

meddling in elections, throwing shade at athletes with suspicious doping scandals and WADA and MOC acting terribly with banning the use of Russia's name and flags. It all happened during the Beijing Olympics (the Georgian War), the Olympics in Sochi (Maidan), and now just before the World Cup. It smells like the 1980 spirit

again! Regardless, none of that has harmed Putin, since young people in Russia, called „Puteenagers“ are even more supportive of him than the older population. It is the final stage of alienation of Russia from Europe, and it will be interesting to see how the Maidan Snipers Case will develop after the Ukrainian hero Nadezhda Savchenko stated that it was all Saakashvili and Parubiy's idea, not Yanukovych's (she got immediately arrested afterwards). CHINA AS A WEIMIN, NOT DEMOCRACY

When the Westerners claim that the Chinese need more democracy, the Chinese reply with “we don't actually get the concept“. Maybe you, guys, need more Weimin – which is something like common interest and harmony, not freely expressing individual opinions. China showcased that you could be fully technologically advanced and economically open, yet lacking the Western-style democracy. Xi is possibly a lifelong leader for the future who is incorporated into the doctrine and the Constitution. China is also implementing a new system that is shocking to the West – it has personal scoring systems that are not completely economy-related, but also take into account a person' behaviour. This is not a democracy, it is a Weimin. China has started heavily investing from Eurasia to Africa, and if the West does not board that same train for ideological reasons, it will be superseded by China very soon, while wondering what the hell happened?

WISHFUL THINKING The West thought that Russia would take the backseat (Putin) and that China would peacefully dissolve its Communist Party, Gorbachev-style, and become democratic with a higher living standard. Wishful thinking! And you got it all wrong, guys, all wrong!

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C O RPO RATE Telenor

Education for Making Digital World Safer 10,350 pupils and 1,100 parents and teachers learn about safe Internet use According to UNICEF, children are starting to use the Internet before they turn six years of age. However, considering the almost unlimited possibilities it provides, the Internet is also a dangerous place to be. Almost 90 percent of children spend less than an hour and a half online a day, while a third of them are exposed to some kind of disturbing content. Their parents play an extremely important role in creating a safe digital world for their children. Over 25 percent of parents think they do not have enough knowledge to provide adequate support to their children

in potentially dangerous online situations. According to Telenor's sustainable business report, in 2017, the company was strongly focusing on the safety of children on the Internet. In cooperation with UNICEF and the Tijana JuriÄ&#x2021; Foundation, Telenor has accomplished significant results, and announced more strategic steps to be made in this important segment. Last year, with the help of the Telenor Foundation, the Tijana JuriÄ&#x2021; Foundation held webinars with 10,350 pupils and 1,100 parents and teachers learning about the Internet. The representatives

of the Tijana JuriÄ&#x2021; Foundation, the Serbian Interior Ministry and the Safer Internet Centre from Osijek educated the webinar participants about online recruitment, online predators, cyber dens, human trafficking, and peer and digital violence. In mid-2017, Telenor also signed a contract with UNICEF to officially announce the launch of a two-year project "Safe Internet for the Whole Family", dedicated to the education of young children - ages four to eight, as well as their parents and teachers. The partnership continues under the auspices of this project with the goal of training 100,000 parents

and 2,000 teachers and educators. The safety of children on the Internet is just one aspect of Telenor's responsible business. Creating digital solutions that solve social challenges, protecting the environment, adhering to strict international standards through a chain of partners and suppliers, as well as investing into the development and education of its employees are all segments of Telenor's systematic approach to responsible business that permeates every aspect of the company's everyday operations. You can read the Telenor Sustainable Business Report for 2017 on Telenor's website.

C O RPO RATE

HEINEKEN Serbia

Sustainability is in the Heart of Our Business

At HEINEKEN Serbia, we strongly believe that business and sustainability go hand in hand. Here’s how we Brewed a Better World in Serbia in 2017

Sustainability is one of HEINEKEN’s six business priorities and is an imperative in the company's operations, both at global and local level, in Serbia. In addition to the four key areas in which the company operates, such as water resources protection, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, promotion of sustainable purchases and responsible consumption, HEINEKEN has added two more in the last four years. These are: growth and development of the communities in which the company operates, and promotion of health and safety. The latter segment – health and safety - has always been an integral part of HEINEKEN's business, but it has become even more visible with the company's continuous efforts to improve it. In line with the values defined through the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) and the United Nations Agenda 2030, HEINEKEN's commitment to the development of local communities in which the company operates and sells its products has gained an even greater significance. Today, "inclusive growth" is one of the key principles of HEINEKEN's work in local communities. At the same time, the objectives of Agenda 2030 coincide with the commitments that HEINEKEN undertook to carry out through its Brewing a Better World 2020 strategy. Each year, HEINEKEN shows, in a very concrete and measurable way, that it adheres to these principles and sets increasingly higher standards in its effort to reduce the impact of social and environmental risks. Here are some of the major HEINEKEN contributions towards Brewing a Better World in Serbia in 2017.

INVESTING TO REDUCE CO2

In line with the SDG 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, in 2017, HEINEKEN Serbia replaced

its old liquid petroleum gas (LPG) powered forklift fleet with new electric forklifts. Over the next five years, the company expects to see significant cost savings. Yet most importantly, this move will help reduce CO2 emissions from the forklift trucks by almost 50%, down from 11.3 kg an hour to just 5.9 kg per hour.

MAKING RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION COOL

In partnership with the Committee for Traffic Safety and the University of Belgrade, HEINEKEN Serbia held a number of workshops to promote responsible drinking among university students. Its international ‘When You Drive, Never Drink’ campaign was presented to over

1,000 students and they had the opportunity to participate in various activities, such as trying on glasses which simulate vision under the influence of alcohol and checking their reflexes on the special ‘BATAK Champion Reaction’ machine. These efforts are in line with the principles embodied in the SDG 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and SDG 17 which is about strengthening the means of implementation and revitalization of the global partnership for sustainable development.

ENSURING SAFE TRAVEL FOR FESTIVAL VISITORS

HEINEKEN SERBIA HAS WON NUMEROUS AWARDS FOR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR THROUGH THANKS TO THE "PEOPLE, WHO IS OUR DESIGNATED DRIVER?" CAMPAIGN WHICH IS ALSO A FIRST NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN IN SERBIA ON THIS TOPIC

One of the most recognisable initiatives in Serbia is HEINEKEN campaign, ‘Guys, who’s driving home?’. Its primary goal is to raise awareness and educate people about responsible consumption and to ensure safe travel to and from the biggest summer festivals in Serbia. HEINEKEN offered festival goers free taxi and bus rides from festivals in 2017 to promote public transport as a safe alternative when consuming alcohol. In 2017 the company safely transported 50,000 festival visitors. In the last five years, due to HEINEKEN, close to 200,000 festival visitors came home in a secure way. The company stayed true to the SDG 3. In the same year, HEINEKEN Serbia reduced water consumption by 20% compared to 2016, down to 3.8 hl water to brew 1 hl beer. It decreased its CO2 emissions slightly compared to 2016, and down 37% since 2009. Staying firm to the overall goal of reducing CO2 the company in 2017 purchased 100% of "green" fridges. HEINEKEN Serbia contribution to the progress of local communities is clearly measurable – since 2010, there was the 150% increase in the volume of raw materials sourced locally. Money devoted to the communication with the community was wisely spent. About 12% of

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Heineken® media spend is dedicated to responsible consumption campaigns. Furthermore, the company devoted 1,200 hours to safety training, including 300 hours on road safety in 2017. About 97% of suppliers comply with HEINEKEN Supplier Code Procedure therefore themselves contributing to the sustainability agenda. In 2018, HEINEKEN Serbia introduced its biggest innovation, Heineken® 0.0, as a new step in promoting its responsible consumption agenda.

HEINEKEN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGES - DROP THE C:

‘Drop the C’ is part of Brewing a Better World, and directly responds to the one of the biggest threats to society and that is the climate change. As a responsible company eager to secure sustainable future for new generations HEINEKEN is devoted to reduction of fossil fuels in its operations. The Paris Agreement which envisages a world that is carbon neutral halfway through this century was embraced by HEINEKEN as it is in line with the targets the company set for 2020, and the new emission reduction ambition for 2030. HEINEKEN targets to grow its share of renewable thermal energy and electricity in production from the current level of 14% to 70% by 2030. Also, new emission goals will be set for distribution and cooling and, for the first time, also for packaging.

IN 2018, HEINEKEN SERBIA INTRODUCED ITS BIGGEST INNOVATION, HEINEKEN® 0.0, AS A NEW STEP IN PROMOTING ITS RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AGENDA In 2017, HEINEKEN identified 288 projects to shift its production to renewable electricity by using solar and/or wind energy and renewable thermal energy such as biomass or biogas. In order to drive a real change

towards renewable energy the company has decided to refrain from purchasing unbundled certificates to meet is reduction targets. In the next two years HEINEKEN will set science based targets for its emissions outside production.

Therefore the Company intends in the next two years to establish a base and identify concrete projects with its suppliers and the OpCos as it has done it for production. In 2017 five cross functional “subtribes” of Drop the C were identified. In order to achieve those goals HEINEKEN has to work closely together with the industry, suppliers, governments, customers, consumers and other relevant parties to make this happen.

IMPORTANCE Why is responsible consumption important and how does HEINEKEN promote it? — Beer is a natural product which is enjoyed by hundreds of millions of people around the world. For most adults, it represents and can be part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle if consumed responsibly. As one of the global leaders in the beer industry, HEINEKEN plays an active role in promoting responsible consumption in all countries it operates and encourages all operative companies to forge partnerships in local markets in order to promote responsible consumption. HEINEKEN Serbia is very proud of the local initiative and partnership that it has forged d with the Belgrade City Transportation Company (GSP Beograd) by launching a joint campaign entitled "People, who is our designated driver?" For the past three years, and in cooperation with GSP Beograd, HEINEKEN Serbia has been implementing the “Guys, who's driving home?" campaign during the Belgrade Beer Fest. The campaign was implemented under the auspices

of the responsible consumption promotion programme, with the view of helping all beer fans to enjoy the Beer Fest responsibly while providing free public transport. The main goals of these activities are promotion of responsible consumption, educating young people about the dangers of driving motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol, researching new and innovative approaches that contribute to responsible consumption and raising public awareness of the importance of responsible behaviour in traffic. HEINEKEN Serbia has won numerous awards for socially responsible behaviour thanks to this campaign. The organizers of the Belgrade Beer Fest awarded the Company for the Best Corporate Campaign of the festival, while the renowned international auto magazine Auto Bild awarded HEINEKEN for the best socially responsible campaign in 2015. The same year, the Serbian Association of Market Communications (UEPS) awarded HEINEKEN Serbia with the gold prizes for socially responsible PR campaign and socially respon-

sible campaign in the profit sector. All CEOs and Directors Generals of the majority of beer and alcohol companies have signed an agreement, undertaking to work together across the globe on preventing minors from consuming alcohol, using their products and labelling to educate consumers, implementing a restrictive policy of responsible consumption, influencing the promotion of responsible consumption through retail outlets and distributors, and focusing on preventing driving under the influence. The joint approach entails focusing on creating a non-brand message for consumers around the world that warns of the negative consequences of irresponsible alcohol consumption. HEINEKEN Serbia has established cooperation with all breweries through the Association of Brewers of Serbia and cooperates with the Institute for Mental Health with which has published a booklet called "A Guide to Responsible Alcohol Consumption". This is the first part of the eponymous pilot project and the first national campaign in Serbia on this topic.

C O RPO RATE YUTON

Exciting Times are Ahead of us

In five years, the Serbia food market will be completely different from what it is now. Canned food products will see a significant change in terms of improved quality and wider product range, while imported frozen bakery and pastry products will be much more utilized, including in domestic households

NOURI CHAHID General Manager at YUTON

YUTON, a daughter company of the Czech multinational food group GASTON is eager to play a key role in changing the Serbian market when it comes to the canned food products and frozen bakery and pastry solutions.

Which opportunities do you see in the Serbian market for your business?

— In relative terms, the Serbian market is quite young; it is yet to see massive restructuring in terms of choice, quality & price to the end consumer. Therefore, as far as our company and our products are concerned, we now can almost say with certainty that exciting times are ahead of us, that YUTON will continue to be a leading force in establishing change, whether it is in the canned food business or the frozen bakery & pastry business, the 2 core businesses we are involved with in Serbia. Opportunities will materialize everywhere from consumer habits, to improved retail organization & operations.

What differentiates you from other market competitors in Serbia with respect to canned and frozen products?

— YUTON is a daughter company of the Czech multinational food group GASTON, which has been in food business since the early 90’s, servicing over 20 countries to date, in the CEE (Central & Eastern Europe) and SE (Southeast European) regions. First, Gaston is the specialist of PL (Private Label) products destined to large food retailers

quality, GASTON has been able to secure its position of market leader in both CEE and SE markets. This optimal price-to-quality ratio is for instance well illustrated with our range of tuna salads, which have unmatched local & regional competition (tuna salads MEXICO, EXOTIC, WESTERN, ITALIANO, TEXAS, and tuna salad with vegetables). The same goes for yellowfin tuna (premium tuna) which is offered through our KAISER FRANZ JOSEF tuna product range, and unique on the Serbian market. As far as the frozen B&P (Bakery & Pastry) business segment is concerned, YUTON was the first in Serbia to introduce a large portfolio of premium frozen B&P products, originating from Belgium, France, Holland, German and the Czech Republic… all at affordable prices; this was made possible through full truck imports of frozen B&P products as early as 2015. The immediate interest came in from within the HORECA segment, who now have goods baked in-house just before serving still warm & fresh to their clients. Second to follow, were large company can-

EAT A BIT LESS BY SPENDING JUST A LITTLE MORE ON QUALITY, HEALTHY AND TASTIER FOODS. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT AND LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO DO OTHERWISE! (METRO, DELHAIZE, REWE group, Auchan, TESCO, CARREFOUR, etc…). The products range from canned fish food products (tuna, sardines, mackerels…) to canned fruits & vegetables, palm and olive oils etc. Second, we deal only with premium quality products, whether it is for A-brand products, through or product line “KAISER FRANZ JOSEF”, or B-brand products, through our “GIANA” product line. Through our wide range of products and uncompromising

that even retailers have (finally) realized this. Also, consistency of the quality service we provide, appears to be quite appreciated by our customers; this consistency is an extremely important factor in our world of fast or very fast moving consumer goods (FMCG/ VFMCG) in food business.

Which trends to you see coming in the next 5 years in food business?

— The greatest thing about doing business in Serbia is, the pace at which change is occurring as far as consumer habits. That change is going to accelerate much more within the next 3 years. In 5 years, the Serbia food market will be completely different from what it is now. Not a lot of people think about this, and most who do actually do not recognize or simply refute this. Canned food products will see a significant change in terms of improved quality and wider product range, with some current players (local and regional breads) retreating from the market. Imported frozen B&P products will be much more utilized, including in domestic households, which is extremely rare today.

Any last messages to Serbian consumers?

tinas/restaurants and third, some smaller bakeries and retail shops. In the Serbian bakery market, raw materials, technology & production processes and know-how are 3 major hurdles. Unfortunately, and for reasons which are complex and probably too boring to your readers, I will not go into much details but basically, producing high quality breads, baguettes or croissants is in Serbia mission impossible! The HORECA segment has well understood this, and it appears now

— In the end, the single most critical change occurring in Serbia will be in terms of “increased product quality”, a universal trend in the world in the last decades which is unstoppable. This of course in no way means, that all products offered in the future will be of good quality. Let’s not forget that with every upside comes a downside, which is that of a lowered product quality, for instance hidden behind a great design packaging... So remember, every time you do buy a product, carefully read the label, and do not forget to regularly assess quality of the products you buy.

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T H E M A L M O - PA L E RM O E X P RE S S

Two Giant Engineering Projects Will Alter the European Landscape Two giant projects should improve links between Europe’s north and south

WHEN the Berlin Wall fell, Europe began repairing its sundered east-west transport networks. A revived Paris-Moscow train heralded the new era. Berlin’s cathedral-like main station, opened in 2006, became the continent’s new hub. But old north-south bottlenecks are back in the spotlight. Of the nine “Core Network Corridors” currently earmarked for EU investment, six are more vertical than horizontal. The centrepiece of this strategy is the “Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor” from Sweden and Finland, through Denmark, Germany, Austria and Italy to Malta in the south. This programme—jointly funded by the EU and member states—includes railway electrification, port modernisation and the two largest engineering projects on the continent. The greatest progress has been at the route’s northern end. The Oresund link, a 16km roadand-rail, bridge-and-tunnel link from Malmo to Copenhagen that opened in 2000, has knitted the two cities into one region. The next step is to link them to Hamburg with a tunnel bearing two train tracks and a four-lane highway under the Fehmarn Strait, explains Lars Friis Cornett, deputy director of the forthcoming Fehmarnbelt project, soon to be the biggest construction site on the continent. This would create a new regional economy dubbed “STRING”. Why is it necessary? With their tightly interlinked shipping lanes and industrial supply chains, Copenhagen and Hamburg are already one economy in many senses. But getting between them is a hassle. The land route—taken by hundreds of lorries a day—is a six-hour drive. There is a sea link, but this too is tortuous. After the short run from Copenhagen to the southern Danish coast, the train slows as it enters the port of Rodby. On special rails it enters a ferry alongside the cars and trucks. Passengers disembark and hurry to the on-board shop (alcohol and cigarettes can be sold only in German waters, which account for just 17 minutes of the trip). After an hour the ferry docks at Puttgarden and passengers return to the train, which pulls out onto German tracks and speeds on to Hamburg. The whole journey between the two cities takes four hours, 33 minutes. The Fehmarnbelt project was agreed on by German and Danish governments in 2007, and endorsed by Danish planning authorities in 2015. Now it just remains for German planners to give it the green light by 2020, when construction is to start. Despite protests, the plan-

IN ITS OWN WAY, THE MALMO-PALERMO EXPRESS WOULD BE AS GREAT A POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENT AS ITS PARIS-MOSCOW COUNTERPART ners are confident that they will have clearance by next year. Funded by the Danish government, which will recoup its money from toll charges, construction will involve sinking large sections of tunnel units into the seabed; the “Lego principle”, Mr Cornett calls it. When completed in 2028, this will be the longest immersed tunnel in the world. With associated road and rail improvements it will cut the Hamburg-Copenhagen train ride to two hours, 40 minutes. Builders expect road traffic across the strait in 2030 to be more than double what it was in 2011. From Hamburg the immediate journey south

is smooth on Germany’s autobahns and highspeed train tracks. The southward rail fork via Berlin was accelerated by a recent upgrade of lines through Saxony and northern Bavaria. On December 8th Angela Merkel joined other dignitaries for a train ride of less than four hours from the German capital to Munich, down from more than six hours. Then, though, the journey slows drastically. From Innsbruck in Austria the train creeps up to the Brenner Pass, through which 40% of all trans-Alpine traffic travels along a narrow, steep shelf that winds along the side of a valley. The train goes so slowly that passengers can observe Alpine flowers peeping through the snow. Not until two hours after leaving Innsbruck, at Fortezza in Italy, does it speed up downhill, snow giving way to vineyards and the plains of the Po valley. The roads are no better: 1m lorries a year travel through the pass and long tailbacks are common. Hence the impending Brenner Base Tunnel, 40% funded by the EU and the rest by the Austrian and Italian governments, which at 64km from Innsbruck to Fortezza will be the longest in the world when it opens in 2026. It could transform intra-European trade by increasing the daily number of trains through the pass from 240 per day to 591, mostly carrying goods. From Fortezza the speed picks up thanks to the Italian rail network. Since 2009 sleek Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains have cut Milan-Naples travel times from eight hours to just over four. But from Naples the investment stops. There is a slow, twice-a-day service to Sicily with a ferry from Salerno, and one a day from Villa San Giovanni. The contrast with Europe’s north is stark: the Strait of Messina is half as wide as the Oresund crossing, but a bridge to Sicily has been a glint in politicians’ eyes for decades. The island remains too poor for it to be economical to build such a link and run highspeed trains to Palermo, its capital. That is a reminder to European politicians, who are fretting about the revival of the eastwest divide. That rift is about politics, a product of historical happenstance. It is soluble. But the continent’s north-south rift is in many ways deeper: it involves intransigent barriers like high mountains and foaming seas, as well as deep cultural and economic differences. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

I NTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Demolishing Smoke Screens Grey has faded away, everything is black or white nowadays

MINJA MILETIĆ N1 producer/anchor

Minja Miletić is not to be messed around with. In a matter of seconds, this beautiful and kind anchor, which is usually the first impression people have of her, will tear you apart in pieces with her combination of friendly persisentce and investigative journalism, while driving the point home by throwing a bunch of facts at you. Minja quickly became one of the most popular reporters at N1 and her interviews are always carefully watched because you never know how explosive they might get, in keeping with the best tradition of BBC’s Hard Talk, or similar shows on CNN. You became famous even among those people who are not interested in politics when

you ‘destroyed’ Miša Vacić in the morning show. Suddenly, people thought of you as someone who had facts in their little finger and made unprepared interoluctors feel like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. How do you feel in this new ‘role’?

well, because I believe journalists are obligated to do so. It is our job to ask and to check what we are being told at any given moment and on any given topic, so that we can offer facts to the viewers on the basis of which each individual will make their own conclusions. I don’t like this trend where a

I DON’T LIKE THIS TREND WHERE A JOURNALIST IS REDUCED TO BEING A MERE TRANSMITTER OF WHAT A PERSON IS SAYING BECAUSE I AM NEVER GOING EQUALIZE JOURNALISM TO PASSIVELY HOLDING A VOICE RECORDER IN MY HAND — That interview got a lot of publicity both for what transpired in the studio and what happened after it. It is not that common that that a state official is sacked after being on television. Frankly, I believe that I have done much better interviews than that one, but it was not realistic to expect that they would attract such public interest as the interview with Miša Vacić. I am always trying to know the facts

journalist is reduced to being a mere transmitter of what a person is saying because I am never going equalize journalism to passively holding a voice recorder in my hand. I don’t like cliches but can you recall how many times you have heard the phrase that “we are living in a time when we are surrounded by information”. If that is really so, and I do believe it is, how did it happen that the media got

into such state today? What is tragic in all of this is that tabloid journalism is becoming dominant which is very perfidiously and superficially justified with the sentence “it is what our readers want”. Apparently, people want to read tabloids and we choose to ignore the fact that the circulation figures of daily newspapers have been declining on a daily basis. So, following that logic, people like reading tabloids so much that they are buying fewer of them every day. I am troubled by such reasoning. It is the same as saying that reality shows are the most watched, and because they are, there is simply no room for culture. One of the most reputable Belgrade theatres – the Yugoslav Drama Theatre – proved that it just wasn’t so. People who run this institution of culture have made a decision to reduce ticket prices to below 1 euro. And you know what happened? The moment they did that, long queues started forming in front of the theatre of people wanting to buy tickets, just like they did in the past while waiting to buy coffee, sugar or cooking oil. N1 is often branded as an “American” or a “pro-American” TV station. Although it is CNN’s affiliate, how much does N1’s ownership structure and the owners themselves actually influence the station’s editorial policy?

— The journalists and editors from N1 in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Zagreb are the ones in charge of creating content at N1 in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Zagreb respectively. The fact that we bear the sign of the biggest TV network in the world next to our own should be viewed as a quality rather than a flaw and a rea-

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son to put us down. In his article, one of fellow Serbian journalists wrote about N1’s editorial policy. In the article, among other things, he also mentioned David Petraeus, and as soon as that happens, you are bound to have CIA mentioned too. I don’t what to paraphraze what he said here, but I am just going to tell you that he made a direct link between CIA and N1’s editorial policy. At the end of a rather pleasant chat that we had while flicking through newspapers, I had to ask him whether he really thought that the questions I asked him arrived from Langley (CIA’s seat) that very morning. Bear in mind that we are talking about a really decent guy here. He felt awkward and apologized because he probably realized himself, at that very moment, what were the consequences of such narrative. If you are going to judge N1 because of its connection to CNN, that that just demonstrates that our work cannot be disputed from the journalistic angle. To me, this is a satisfaction enough. Most people see N1, along with the Danas daily, NIN and Nedeljnik, as being at the helm of objective, or at least, different thinking. How do you see N1 today and how in the future?

— Today, we have the very same task that we have had since day one and nothing has changed in that regard – the task is providing objective and unbiased information with the focus on public interest. This is the road we have chosen and we are sticking to it. We are confident that, in this way, we are going to win the trust of more viewers every single day. Do you think that because we are living in the era of social media, we are embarking on a pe-

arsenal of arguments in defence of what you truly believe in. My impression is that politicians and political parties in Serbia saw an empty space on Twitter and quickly jumped at the opportunity to occupy it. So instead of exchanging opinions, we have a situation where political parties are going at each other’s throats. Twitter has become a new ground for political showdowns. As the rule of thumb, everyone is expected to "pick sides". I refuse to participate in that, and, as a result, I am not drawn into Twitter debates, although activists from all of the biggest political parties are keen to drag me into them. Do you have a role model from foreign TV stations in the job that you do?

I STILL REMEMBER A COMMENT OF ONE OF THE PEOPLE I INTERVIEWED WHO, AFTER OUR CONVERSATION IN WHICH I HAD INSISTED ON HIM ANSWERING MY QUESTION, SAID THAT APPEARING IN BBC’S HARD TALK WOULD BE AN EASIER FEAT FOR HIM riod of overall polarization and confrontation about everything? It is very easy to have an opinion about everything today and get into conflict with people online.

— Social networks have significantly influenced the media. We can argue that they have even transformed the media to a certain extent because we are all relying on Facebook or Twitter for information that cannot be found in traditional media. The way we communicate on social media in the region is something that is inappropriate. For politicians, social media are, to a great extent, a

place where they can simply paste a link containing their party’s announcements. There are also those politicians who are being told by hastily traned spin doctors that it is important that they show their personal side, while trying to convince them that if the politicians disclose which music they listen to or what they think of the success of a certain athlete, an army of voters will be drawn to them. That’s so wrong at almost every level. Social media should be the place where you can voice your opinion and in conversation with others, question and offer a different

— I have been doing this job for almost 18 years. I have never had a role model in the true sense of the word because I studied medicine, believing it would be my profession. Working in the media came spontaneously, as a good way of using the free time that I had. There are older colleagues whose work I appreciate and who undoubtedly influenced me and my development. Nevertheless, I have always tried to avoid being someone else's copy, but rather to build my own style. My colleagues from N1 jokingly say that my true nature has nothing to do with the persona I show on TV. I still remember a comment of one of the people I interviewed who, after our conversation in which I had insisted on him answering my question, said that appearing in BBC’s Hard Talk would be an easier feat for him. I must admit that I liked that comment, but it did not earn him any privileges when I interviewed him the next time.

AUDIATUR ET ALTERA PARS How much easier or more difficult is it going to be for Serbia and the region (namely, the countries with stabilocracy) to abide by the good old Latin saying Audiatur et Altera Pars? Even Morrissey said that the government-influenced media in the UK were just repeating the authority’s narrative and that people who thought differently were reduced to their websites despite sharing the same views with the ’silent’ majority? — Too often I am under the impression that we have reached the point where our societies have never been so divided. Everything divides us - from politicians we vote for and sports clubs we cheer for to music we listen to, newspapers we read, and TV stations we watch. We focus only on what we think is right and we do not even show interest in finding

out what is happening on the other side. We believe in a narrative that seems close to our own, while everything else is as if it does not exist. We move around in the circles of the like-minded people and build walls around us. What worries me is that those ‘black and white’ divisions are becoming increasingly pronounced. In such an atmosphere, it is only logical that we begin to divide media into "ours" and "theirs". Grey zone is lost, everything has become either black or white. Minority opinion has become absolutely irrelevant, regardless of its message. However, not all is that bad. I honestly believe this trend will end in the same way it started. It has to stop, but in order for that happen we need to change ourselves and that is always the hardest part of the job.

C O RPO RATE CAR:GO

We are Opening the Door to a New era in Mobility Interest in the CAR:GO application has been growing both among individual users and companies. The app is especially attractive for companies since we, apart from providing quality transport for their employees, also offer simple and innovative solutions for administration of transport costs

VUK GUBERINIĆ CEO of CAR:GO

CAR:GO started as one of the most ambitious domestic online passenger transport projects in this part of Europe, and has experienced both ups and downs. We are talking to the CEO of CAR:GO, Vuk Guberinić about the company's plans for the Balkans market.

What do you think of the possibility that CAR:GO could become the leader in this market?

— Just like when we started almost three years ago, we are still zealous and encouraged by the accomplished results, as we push ahead and record successes on a daily basis. Satisfied customers, including those who do not personally commend us but do use our services over and over again, are the parametres that prove that what we do makes sense. As the interest in our service is increasing all the time, we and our partners try to make every ride as professional and friendly as possible, and reach as many people as possible with our comprehensive experience. The truth is that once you use our services, you will continue using them. Also, an increasing number of companies are interested in CAR:GO because they have recognized us as a true partner in employee mobility, since we are a better alternative to taxis, and we offer complete cost transparency and simplified documentation in terms of ordering and recording transport costs. We also offer deferred payment as an additional benefit for both employees and

employers. Taking all of this into account, as well as the fact that we are already the market leader in online transactions, it is not difficult for us to imagine becoming leaders in online booking of transport via our application. We definitely see the Balkans as our primary market.

To what extent are taxi drivers, who only until recently were ready to stop traffic in protest against an UBER-like competition, are willing to accept innovation?

— Not all taxi drivers are the same and some are definitely willing to innovate. Unfortunately, I think that the majority of them are not willing to accept innovation. On the other hand, users are more than willing to have innovative and improved services in general for the money they spend on transport. The CAR:GO app was created to provide the best possible user experience before, during and after the ride because we hold user experience in high esteem. With the growing tendency of digitalization of our society, as well

as the popularity of smartphones and mobile payments, our users, especially companies, appreciate the comprehensive transportation experience we offer, from different ways of calling for a vehicle via our app to monitoring how vehicle picks up passengers and ratings drivers are given after each ride. All of these are the advantages of using new technology.

Speaking from your own experience, what are the main challenges that the startups in this segment are facing, and have you found solutions to the problems that jeopardized your work in the past?

— Our practical experience has taught us that legislation is always lagging behind technological development, and that is something we can understand. Let me give you an example. By using the latest technology and a rather simple online payment solution, we found ourselves in a difficult situation where we could have unwittingly breached the Foreign Exchange Law. Fortunately, this law is currently being amended also thanks

WE ARE CERTAINLY COMPETITIVE AND OWING TO OUR QUALITY, WE WILL COVER THE ENTIRE BALKAN MARKET IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO

to our contribution to the struggle to modernize our society. We believe that we will always have this or that challenge to deal with it because we have opted for modern electronic business in a sector that has never experienced digitalization. We are aware that we are creating a new trend when it comes to the need for people mobility, and apart from the technology itself which entails online payment, we believe that people will drive their car less in cities because parking is difficult to find and it is time consuming. We already have popular prices that suit both passengers and our transport partners and where every ride is financially worthwhile. Our goal is for more people to be driven for less money.

How many customers do you currently have and what markets do you plan to target in the upcoming period?

— Almost 100,000 people have downloaded the CAR:GO app while the number of active users has been constantly growing, both in Belgrade and in Podgorica and Zagreb, where our services are also available. We are planning on offering our service in Novi Sad soon, where we are probably going to work with a taxi company. We are already cooperating with renowned car rental companies and registered transport companies which drive passengers as CAR:GO partners. Our idea is to make everything we have done so far accessible to everyone, so when people are ready, they will be driven in small electric vehicles around the city. We are currently negotiating with investors, both domestic and foreign, and are looking for the right partner who understands this sector, the trends and the growth dynamics.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

22 SECOND MAR

BIRTHDAY OF DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE MAGAZINE

On the occasion of the second anniversary of Diplomacy&Commerce magazine, birthday reception was held at Novi Bitefartcafe and was attended by many dignitaries President of the company, Robert Čoban thanked the guests and said: " When we launched magazine two years ago, we had an idea- to show the readers Serbian economic, political and public world exactly as it is, with all the nuances, positive shifts and problems. Why is the Orient Express the underlying theme of this year's event? Through its several routes, for the past 135 years, this train has been connecting exactly 10 countries and cities, from the UK in the West to Istanbul, Turkey in the East. The Great Britain is on its way out of the EU, while Serbia and Turkey are still not members. Switzerland does not want to become a member, while other countries are en route to the EU membership. Regardless of their statuses, all 10 countries are in Europe and apart from the railroad, we are all also connected by the fact that we belong to this continent and that we aspire towards the same values.“ The guests enjoyed in the dishes from eight international cuisines of the countries that lie on the legendary Orient Express blue route, prepared for them by the chefs from the Stanica 1884 restaurant. Bands Sputnik and Girls, Boys and Toys were in charge of musical entertainment. The celebration was attended by a number of guests; the representatives of the Government of Serbia, diplomatic corps, and political, cultural and public figures in Serbia.

Matthias Claivaz, Attaché of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Italy, H.E. Philippe Gérald GUEX, Ambassador of Switzerland, H.E. Vladimir Gasparič, Ambassador of Slovenia, H.E. Radko Todorov VLAYKOV, Ambassador of Bulgaria, Robert Čoban, CPG and H.E. Axel Dittmann, Ambassador of Germany

H.E. Alona Fisher-Kamm, Ambassador of Israel with her husband

Ruža Ristanović, director of the magazine and H.E. Amr Aljowaily, Ambassador of Egypt

Kornati National Park: Martina Markov, BiologistAdviser, Josip Zanze , Director, Valentina Bračanov, Head of Visitor Reception and Transportation Division

H.E. Isabella Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert, Ambassador of Brazil and H.E. Augusto José Jelena Sadler, Robert Čoban, Minja Miletić and Brent Sadler, Executive Director of N1 Pestana Saraiva Peixoto, Ambassador of Portugal

H.E. Vladimir Gasparič, Ambassador of Slovenia and Tanja Banković

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Nataša Nešić and Tanja Banković,D&C magazine, Rajka Sinik and Sandra Lazarević, Banca Intesa and Ruža Ristanović, D&C director

Giorgio Ambrogio Marchegiani, Director General of "DDOR Novi Sad" and Mirjana Kojić, Secretary General of the Chamber of Italian-Serbian businessmen

Bratislav Filipović, Director of Filipović Academy and Dragana Radović, D&C magazine

H.E. Sheikh Mubarak Fahad J. M. Al-Thani, Ambassador of Qatar, H. E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Ambassador Algeria, H.E. Mrs. Isabella Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert, Ambassador of Brazil and H. E. Dae Jong YOO, Ambassador of Korea

Jelena Kojić, Ali Asghar businessman from Pakistan, Tanju Bilgiç, Ambassador of Turkey, Nenad Stanković, Zoran Đurić, General Menager of Miele Serbia, Jovana Marković from Diplomacy&Commerce and Nikola Pavlović from Miele Serbia five times world champion in boxing and Vladan Škorić, president of Serbia-Pakistan Friendship Society

Gordana Predić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Brankica Janković, Gender Equality Commissioner

Dubravka Negre, Head of EIB Regional Representation for the W. Balkans with her brother

Dragan Vučević, CPG, Beba Marinković, Srdjan Šaper, founder and owner of I & F McCann and Cile Marinković, painter

Daniel Berg, EBRD Director for Serbia and Ruža Ristanović

Robert Čoban and H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, Ambassador of Mexico

Vanja Kovačev, D&C and Danijela Pejić, Economic Officer Embassy of Israel in Belgrade

PEO PLE & EVENT S

12 ANA BRNABIĆ MAR

PRESENTED THE "JOVAN ĆIRILOV" AWARD TO PAPAIOANNOU

Visual artist, director and choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou won the "Jovan Ćirilov - one step further" award given by the Belgrade Dance Festival. The prize is awarded for the best choreography at the festival, or for the choreographic solution of "Nowhere", performed by the Dutch company "Introdance" at last year's festival. Aja Jung, the founder of BDF said that Jovan Ćirilov was a strict critic and friend and this award is here ro remind us of him, and not because the BDF should be competitive at all.

Ana Brnabić, Serbian PM, Dimitris Papaioannou and Aja Jung, BDF Director

Ivan Tasovac, Belgrade Philharmonic Director

12 JASNA JOVANOV GIVEN MAR

THE PAVLE VASIĆ AWARD

The award "Pavle Vasić" for work in the field of applied arts and design for 2017, was given to Jasna Jovanov for the book "Dragan Aleksić - Art criticism". The Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts and Designers of Serbia was given for texts in the field of applied arts and design published in all types of professional publications (monographs, books, chambers), theoretical and critical work on applied arts published in the media, as well as for author's exhibitions with appropriate expert text. The publisher of the awarded book is the Memorial Collection of Pavel Beljanski and the National Library of Serbia. Haralambos Kunalakis, Director of Economical and Trade Dept of Hellenic Embassy and H.E. Elias Eliadis

H.E.Kyle Scott, US Ambassador and Jasna Jovanov with Nevena Scott

13 GREEK-SERBIAN MAR

Jasna Jovanov and H.E.Gordan Bakota, Croatian Ambassador

ECONOMIC FORUM

Waiting for the big event in Greece, important for both Balkan countries, i.e. Meeting the Greek-Serbian Economic Forum in Thessaloniki, which was held on the March 19, H. E. Elias Eliadis, the Greek Ambassador to Serbia organised the Greek-Serbian Forum in Belgrade, which gathered many people from business and political environment from both countries, thus expanding the possiblities of mutual cooperation.

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16 100TH ANNIVERSARY MAR

FROM THE END OF THE WWI

French Embassy organised the conference in French Residence where the French Ambassador H. E. Frédéric Mondoloni announced a series of events organized or attended by the French Embassy dedicated to marking this important anniversary (exhibitions, film wagon in several cities of Serbia on the theme of the Great War, commemorative ceremony, the reconstruction of the Thanksgiving Monument to France, the awarding of decorations, diplomatic activities, bilateral visits, round tables, stands, tours of the battlefield...). In particular, the ambassador will invite all the descendants of Serbian warriors to contribute.

H.E. Mr. Mohammed Amine BELHAJ, Moroccan Ambassador

Aleksandar Vulin, Defence Minister

20 CONFERENCE ON MOROCCAN MAR

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Belgrade organized on Tuesday, March 20th, at Dom Omladine, a Conference on Moroccan Gastronomy, hosted by the famous Moroccan Chef, Mrs. Choumicha Chafay. This event is part of the cultural program established by the Moroccan Embassy in Belgrade for the year 2018, and aims to shed light on the Moroccan cuisine which is one of the top 3 cuisines in the world. Mrs. Choumicha presented the Moroccan gastronomy and discussed its sophistication and complexity thanks to its Arab, Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean, African, and Jewish roots.

H. E. Frédéric Mondoloni

H.E. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, Norwegian Ambassador and Jelena Kovačević

23 THE NORDIC DAY MAR

IN BELGRADE

GASTRONOMY

Vuk Jeremić and Srđan Šaper, founder of I&F McCann Grupa

The Nordic Day was celebrated in the Residence of Norwegian Embassy this year and it is dedicated to inter-governmental and inter-parliamentarian cooperation in northern Europe, which is one of the worlds oldest and most comprehensive regional cooperations. The Nordic Day is manifesting the Nordic

Cooperation which is one of the oldest ways of cooperation in Europe, marking so-called “Nordic Constitution” or Helsinki Agreement, signed on the 23rd of March by Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Finland. Sweden is this year chaircountry and its aims are sreation of “inclusive, safe and innovative region”.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

H. E. Philippe Gérald GUEX, Swiss Ambassador

23 "A JOURNEY TO ... MAR

MAN'S GREENING OF THE PLANET EARTH"

Zoran Petrović, Raiffeisen Bank President of Executive Boar

H.E. Leo Vincent M. D'Aes, Belgian Ambassador with his wife

The Embassy of Switzerland in Belgrade and the City Museum of Belgrade organised an exhibition by Swiss photographer Maria del Kurt "A journey to ... man's greening of the planet Earth". It's about a story in 300 pictures from the eight-years' long Kurt's travel around the world - from Japan,

Kazakhstan, Madagascar and Morocco to Mexico, Peru, Tajikistan, France, Switzerland, Serbia and many other countries. The exhibition was created as a reaction to the development of "humanity that is too far away from the earth," and the artist calls to reflect on how we behave towards the plant world.

23 NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION MAR

OF PAKISTAN

The Embassy of Pakistan and H. E. Syed Adil Gilani and his spouse Naseem Gilani organised a solemn reception to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Serbia (FNR Yugoslavia at the time). The reception was held in Metropol Hotel in Belgrade and was attended by many dignitaries.

H.E. Ivana Hlavsová, Czech Ambassador and H.E. Dagmar Repčeková, Slovakian Ambassador

H. E. Syed Adil Gilani

27 EXHIBITION MAR

"GLASS - ORIGIN AND LIFE"

On the occasion of marking the 100th anniversary since the founding of Czechoslovakia, the Embassy of the Czech Republic and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with the Museum of Science and Technology - Belgrade, organized the exhibition "Glass - Origin and Life". As part of this exhibition, representatives of the Czech studio Dechem showed how the glass stove worked and demonstrated how to make glassware, which visitors were able to test themselves.

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28 DAYS OF ARABIAN-SERBIAN MAR

FRIENDSHIP

All ambassadors of Arab countries are trying to improve the relations of their countries with friendly Serbia, Ambassador of Palestine H. E. Muhammad Nahban said at the celebration of the Day of Arab-Serbian Friendship and the Day of Arab Culture at the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade, Anadolu Agency (AA) reports. He read the message from the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Abu al-Gheyth, praising existing close ties that connect many Arab states and Serbia as well as developing the level of their cooperation on political, economic and cultural plan with Serbia. Nikola Selaković, Secretary General of the President of the Republic of Serbia and H. E. Frédéric Mondoloni, French Ambassador

Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Amr Aljowaily, Ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Nada AL AKL, Ambassador of Lebanon and H.E. Mr. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Ambassador of Morocco

29 TRADITIONAL RECEPTION HONOURING MAR

H. E. Amr Aljowaily, H. E. Nada Al Akl, H. E. Mr. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, H. E. Abdelhamid CHEBCHOUB, H. E. Yousef Ahmad S. Abdulsamad and H. E. Mohammed K. M. Nabhan

FRANCOPHONIE

Traditional reception honouring Francophonie was held in the French Embassy Residence. The reception was attended by numerous officials from the world of culture, science, education and politics, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, who contribute to the development of Francophonie and its values in Serbia. At the beginning of the reception, the guests were addressed by H. E. Ambassador Mondoloni. Since 2006, Serbia has been a member of the International Francophone Organization, and more than 100,000 pupils learn French with bilingual departments in several schools and gymnasiums in Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad, Pirot and Valjevo.

04 SYDNEY APR

DANCE COMPANY

The Australian Embassy held a cocktail party in honour of the Sydney Dance Company which performed in Serbia for the very first time. The dancers first had a performance in Novi Sad, followed by the performance at the 15th Belgrade Dance Festival. A number of ambassadors, business people and political figures attended the cocktail party which was sponsored by the Tikveš Winery.

H.E.Tanju Bilgiç, Ambassador of Turkey and H.E. Julia Alice Patricia Feeney, Ambassador of Australia

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

27 ROYAL DINNER AT MAR

THE CREDO RESTAURANT

A lot of famous people gathered at the CREDO restaurant, located on the first floor of the Marriot Hotel, with the goal of enjoying in the top notch service and the food personally prepared by chef Nenad Jovanović, who previously worked at two- and three-Michelinstar restaurants in Kopenhagen. With a glass of wine from the Deurić Winery and a lot laughter, while enjoying the vista of the downtown Belgrade, Princess Jelisaveta Karadjordjevic and her partner Dragan Babić spent the night socializing at the restaurant. There were joined by Dubravka and Christopher Negre from the European Investment Bank, Goga Grubješić and Aleksandar Djordjevic, owners of Super Star, actress Milica Milša and her husband, writer Žarko Jokanović, writer Vesna Dedić, owner of Mita Group from Sarajevo, Ejub Kučuk, Montenegro’s Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Mr. Branislav Mićunović, a PSP Farman Group representative Ivana Karić, Director of Beauty and Health magazine, Milica Djokić and President of the Color Press Group, Robert Čoban. Celebrities, diplomats and influencers have become frequent guests at Credo where they are seen enjoying in the dishes from the Five Senses menu which are prepared with the top quality, homemade ingredients. The incredible specialties served at Credo are accompanied by a great wine selection and the music from acoustic bands to complement the good atmosphere at the restaurant.

Dubravka and Christopher Negre

Dragan Babić, H.E. Brnislav Mićunović and Jelisaveta Karadjordjević

Wines from Winery Deurić

Nenad Jovanović

Milica Milša and Žarko Jokanović

Milica Milša,Christopher Negre and Milica Djokić Aleksandar Djordjević and Ejub Kučuk

Credo cake

Vesna Dedić and Robert Čoban

Goga Grubješić

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B USINESS NEWS

Henkel Serbia and Lilly Drogerie donated to the Institute for Health Care of Mother and Child of Serbia, eight spray pumps needed for the treatment of the youngest patients. The donated equipment is essential for the adequate treatment of prematurely born and severely affected children, and facilitates intravenous dosing and drug administration. During the donation of donated equipment, Prof. dr sc. between Vladislav Vukomanović, Deputy Director of the Institute for Health Care of Mother and Child of Serbia and the Manager of the Pediatric Clinic, Đorđe Popović, General Manager of Detergents and Home Chemistry of Henkel Serbia, as well as Tatjana Šipetić, Member of the Board of Directors of the Pharmacy Lilly Drogerie.

ASSEMBLY OF THE SLOVENIAN BUSINESS CLUB On March 7, 2018, the In Hotel held a regular session of the Assembly of the Slovenian Business Club, which was also an electoral one. As President of the SPK Mr. Danijela Fišakov was re-elected unanimously, while the following people were elected as members of Steering Committee: mr. Branko Greganović President of the Executive Board NLB Bank, Dr. Dragan Marković President of the Executive Board Triglav Osiguranje, Miodrag Stojković Director of Eti B Serbia, Ninko Tešić, General Manager Impol Seval Sevojno, mr Zoran Lazukić, Director of Profil Group Beograd and Zoran Popović Translation Agency Zoran Popović. In her address, Mrs Fišakov pointed out that the

Photo: SPK

ASSIST THE INSTITUTE FOR MOTHER AND CHILD

new Steering Committee will continue its continuity and that the interests of the members will continue to be focused in the future. She also pointed out that the SPK this year celebrates 15 years of business in Serbia. This jubilee will be solemnly marked in May this year.

WORLD MATHS DAY 2018 – BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL’S YEAR 8 STUDENTS 5th IN THE WORLD

THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION STARTED In the year when it marks 60 years of existence, Radio Television of Serbia gives to the citizens the RTS Planeta, a multimedia internet platform that allows us to watch and listen to our favourite content anytime, anywhere in the world. On RTS Planets live we can watch 11 television channels (RTS1, RTS2, RTS3, RTS HD, RTS World, RTS Life, RTS Drama, RTS Kolo, RTS Music, RTS Treasury and RTS Poletarac) and 4 radio channels (Radio Belgrade 1, Radio Beograd 2, Radio Belgrade 3 and Radio Beograd 202). For a delayed viewing and listening, 72 hours of "catch up" service is available. Users also have Video On Demand and Audio On Demand (the ability to watch TV and radio shows in the Video Library and the Hearing Aid), as well as the ability to view individual stories from the RTS correspondence network within My City. Also, on the multimedia platform RTS Planeta, PGP RTS music releases are also available. One functionality, in addition to delayed viewing and listening, is the possibility of simultaneous tracking of four TV and radio channels. RTS Planeta (rtsplaneta.rs) is available to all Internet users around the world.

At the time when the British International School in Belgrade enters the third decade of its operation, the BS students are continuing to achieve success at international competitions. BIS students from Reception through to Year 10 all took part in the recent World Maths Day, once again organised by 3P Learning and using the Mathletics online programme. All our students enjoyed the event, play-

ing online against almost four million students throughout the world in one-minute arithmetic challenges. Our Year 8 students, working as a team, had a fantastic result coming in 5th in the world which was an extraordinary achievement. Several of our other classes appeared in the Top 100 in the world for their age group.Year 5 took the 91st, Year 6 took 96th, Year 7took 25th and Years 9/10 took 45th places in the world. Our students have had great success at World Education Games in past years as well. In 2012 our student Cameron was chosen as one of the two student ambassadors for Europe and in the same year our student Marija came first in the world in spelling at the same competition. We look forward to the next time this event takes place.

VISIT OF THE BELGIAN BUSINESS DELEGATION The Economic and Trade Office of the Embassy of Belgium, in cooperation with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce organized a visit of the Belgian business delegation to Serbia. The representatives of 32 Belgian companies had the opportunity to discover Serbian market, as well as to meet with representatives of more than 120 Serbian companies during the B2B organized at the Metropol Palace Hotel in Belgrade. The Belgian delegation was composed of representatives from different areas, such as: consulting, information technology, construction, production and sale of fruits and vegetables, meat production and processing, measuring equipment for construction, manufacturing of medical furniture, production and sale of organic

chocolate and coffee, solutions in the field of radiocommunications, sale of various types of garden equipment, etc. Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia, Mr. Leo D'Aes, hosted a reception on the occasion of this visit. During the reception , the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia organized a short presentation of Serbian economy.

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C O RPO RATE

Mercedes-Benz

The new MercedesBenz CLS Third generation of the original In 2003, with the CLS, Mercedes-Benz created a new vehicle segment that for the first time combined the elegance and dynamism of a coupé with the comfort and functionality of a saloon. With the third generation of the CLS, Mercedes-Benz is now building more strongly than ever on the aura and unique character of this trendsetting model: the new model has pure CLS genes with its arching waistline, flat side window lines and low greenhouse. At the same time it is another example of the logical evolution of the Sensual Purity design idiom: sharp edges and lines have been significantly reduced. It blends seamlessly into the current Mercedes-Benz coupé family with numerous design features. Its cd value of 0.26 is positive proof of

BU SI NESS NEWS NON-CONTACT ADDIKO BANK FRAGRANCE CARD Addiko Bank has introduced Debit Mastercard®, the first Addiko contactless debit card in its card offer. In addition to being the first card with the original vertical design, it is also the first fragrance card on the market. This unique, two-currency card, which is linked to the current account, enables purchase in dinars and foreign currency, as well as payment of goods and services in the country and abroad. With all the standard features available to date, with the convenience of contactless payment, the new debit Mastercard card offers users the highest level of security when making payments online via the 'Safe Secure Internet Add-on' with Mastercard SecureCode security standards, as well as the ability to change one PIN to any Addiko ATM without charge. Before the first use, it is necessary to make one common transaction on the POS device or at the ATM, which automatically activates the contactless payment option, and on the back of the Debit Mastercard card there is a marked part which, when scratched, smells like strawberries.

THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICS: MEDICINE BRINGING DRONES Logistics costs in Serbia account for twice as much in the product price as compared to the developed countries of the West, which leaves a lot of room for optimization, the conclusion of the Logistics Economics Panel, held at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Belgrade. Logistics is the industry "heavy" $2,300 billion, and it is expected that current world trends will soon reach Serbia digitization, robotization and automation of the whole process. Close proximity is also the transfer of goods to dron. This type of delivery of goods will especially be experienced in the pharmaceutical industry, so we can expect that in the next 20 years most of the drugs (medicine) will be delivered through drones, at very short time intervals. The self-propelled trucks for electric or hybrid drives will

replace the current fleet of classic trucks. Another of the emerging trends is the blocking system, which will allow processes that take 7 days in the traditional logos to start and end at one point, with one click.

outstanding aerodynamics. All CLS models are equipped with new engines: in-line six-cylinder and in-line four-cylinder units as diesel and petrol versions. Like its predecessors, the new CLS exudes self-assured sportiness in exemplary style: a highly emotive vehicle offering impressive long-distance and acoustic comfort coupled with thrilling, unrivalled technology. The range of engines for the CLS is completely new. Three six-cylinder models will be available on market launch. The sporty CLS also has a comfortable side. The AIR BODY CONTROL suspension, ENERGIZING comfort controls and the very latest infotainment generation, smartphone connectivity via Mercedes-Benz Link and wireless charging accentuate this.

GREATER FRENCH INVESTMENTS IN 2018

The CCIF held its annual General Assembly and voted 8 new members of the Board of Directors. 5 members have extended their mandates for the next 2 years, namely: Carlos de Cordoue, Milan Lukić , Ana Marić, Emmanuel Koenig and Olivier Si Tahar. The following members will join them this year: Miodrag Jelić, Jérome Lautier, Philippe Thiel. The members of CCIF were addressed by the Head of the Economic Department of the French Embassy in Serbia, Jean-Pierre Gastaud, speaking about the French investments in Serbia, the arrival of new companies, and announced the business forum France-Balkans, which will be held in Belgrade from May 31 to June 1. It was also announced the formation of the "France Team Balkans" team whose role will be to help the French companies to operate here.

EVENT

The Blue Train

Over 150 guests attended a unique promotion of a luxury edition of Hello! Travel: Vojvodina magazine on Friday, 16th March

The Vojvodinian Prime Minister, Igor Mirović, the Vojvodinian Secretary of Economy and Tourism, Ivan Djokovic, over 30 ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps (ambassadors of the USA, Canada, Israel, Croatia, Montenegro, Norway, Qatar, Indonesia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Albania, Egypt, Morocco and Slovenia and deputy ambassadors of Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Romania, Austria, Greece, Denmark, Poland and Korea), international companies, chambers of commerce, travel agencies, hotels and media, boarded in the iconic Blue Train in Belgrade to attend the presentation. During their train journey, the guests had the opportunity to see the exhibition “The Blue Train and the Galeb Ship courtesy of Tanjug’s Archive”, as well as take pictures in

train coaches and private chambers that were used by Josip Broz Tito. The president of the Sremski Karlovci Municipality, Nenad Milenković and the Director of the Vojvodina Tourist Board, Nataša Pavlovic welcomed the guests at the Sremski Karlovci train station. After a short tour of Sremski Karlovci, the guests were taken to the beautiful Premier Prezident Hotel. At the Premier Prezident Hotel in Sremski Karlovci, the guests enjoyed in the performance of the Romansa Tamburitza Orchestra, and the wines from local wineries. On their way back to Belgrade, they were served with the Bermet wine and the delicious Gugelhupf cake. Color Media Communications organized the promotion with the help from the Vojvodinian government, the Apatin Brewery, Volvo and Minaqua.

Dragana Stanković, Srbija Voz, H.E. Branislav Mićunović, Ambassador of Montenegro, Igor Mirović, Vojvodinian PM and Robert Čoban

Igor Mirović, addressing the guests at the Premier President Hotel in Sremski Karlovci

H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US Ambassador with his wife Nevena

Family Companies - Pillar of Economic Development The third "Family Companies" business forum took place on 14th March, at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Belgrade

Festival Spring to Life Color Media Communication, Ninamedia and Ušće SC welcomed spring with wonderful installations in front of the most popular shopping centre in Belgrade At the official opening, Goran Vesić, Belgrade City Manager, pointed to the fact that most of the companies established in Belgrade were family businesses that we should pay attention to because they were here to stay unlike multinational companies that "follow the market and their own interests". Mihailo Vesović, from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the state and professional support for companies that operate as family businesses. He also provided an important piece of information - 75% of new jobs in the world are created by family businesses. Through panel discussions and case studies, business people, proprietors of family businesses and numerous students had the opportunity to hear about all the challenges of running a family business in Serbia, the way a second generation of family businesses operate, what investment funds they can use, the advice on introducing financial partners, and about women in family businesses, which was the topic of one of the panel discussions. The conference was organized by Color Media Communications and Pro Educa Education Centre and was supported by Telekom Serbia, Carlsberg Serbia, VOX Electronics, Grand Coffee and Voda Voda.

The plateau in front of Ušće Shopping Centre was made to a magical spring oasis from March 15th to April 4th since festival “Spring to Life” took place there. During that period, visitors of Ušće SC had the opportunity to enjoy numerous programs designed for entire families- from children workshops to public workout, chatting with celebrities and experts from the fields of psychology, NLP, fashion to musical performances by bands and children choirs. The spectacular flower wall was a favorite photo point and the youngest enjoyed the rides on the old-fashioned carousel. The festival was supported by Fusetea, Eucerin and Sport Vision.

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T H E E CO N O M IS T E X P L A IN S

Why is Finland so Happy? It is not because of the weather

IN THE 1860s Finland suffered a famine that killed about 9% of its population. It has come a long way since. Earlier this month Finland was named the happiest country in the world by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Three of its Nordic cousins, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, took the next consecutive places. Finns can boast of myriad other number-one spots. In recent years their country has been named the most stable, the freest and the safest by various organisations. These may be understandable; but in a country where temperatures regularly hover around -20°C and some parts hardly get any sunlight for a big chunk of the year, what do the locals have to be so happy about? The World Happiness Report, as the survey was called, used global polling data from Gallup to measure how pleased people felt with their lives. The researchers then tried to explain the differences using variables such as GDP per person, social support, healthy-life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and freedom from corruption. The differences between top-ranking countries are tiny, and the top five have not changed for years. This year’s report measured immigrant happiness for the first time, and Finland topped this category as well. This suggests that happy societies

are those with supportive social systems and institutions that make it harder for people to fall through the cracks. They are also more willing to accept and integrate immigrants. Unsurprisingly, the poorest and most violent countries were the most miserable—there is little to celebrate in war-torn Yemen or Syria. The secret to Finland’s happiness might just be how boring it is. A Finnish saying sums it up well: “Happiness is having your own red summer cottage and a potato field.” Free education, generous parental leave and a healthy work-life balance ensure that people have the time and

THE FINNS HAVE A WORD, SISU, WHICH MEANS STOIC PERSEVERANCE AND GRIT, WHATEVER COMES YOUR WAY the means to pursue their pleasures, no matter how mundane. Over 80% of Finns trust the country’s police, education and health-care systems. And because of progressive taxation and wealth redistribution, the lifestyles of the rich and the poor are not dramatically divergent. Neither are those of men and women. Finland is widely considered one of the best places in the world to be a mother, and to be a working woman. Though suicide rates are distressingly

high, Finland has reduced these by 30% since 2000. The happiness of immigrants stems from a strong support network and integration policies, but also from the fact that immigrants in Finland tend to come from places that are culturally close, like neighbouring Estonia and Russia. The rankings contain some surprises. The happiest countries are not necessarily the richest. Though America has doubled its income per person in the past 40 years, this seems not to have increased the subjective well-being of its people. It has slipped to 18th place, five rungs down from 2016. Britain comes in 19th. The researchers cite obesity, depression and opioid addiction as some of the factors dragging down rich countries. What is more, people of different ages, cultures and social classes define joy in different ways. People in Latin America reported they were significantly happier than their country’s wealth, corruption or high levels of violence would suggest, since their happiness is connected to strong family bonds. Other cultural factors and national characteristics may also play a part. The Finns have a word, sisu, which means stoic perseverance and grit, whatever comes your way. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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TOURISM

CU L T U RE

The author of the book Miroslav Stanković delivering the Monograph "Pupin" to Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans' Affairs and Social Affairs.

President of the Belgrade-based I Love France Association, Sladjana Novaković talks for Diplomacy&Commerce about a largescale project that would solidify the traditionally good relations between Serbia and France through tourism. "Having worked in France for years, I was

representatives of the tourism industry in France participating. The media sponsors of the conference will be the popular French daily ‘Le Figaro’ and the French National Television. Serbia will be presented by the top tourism organizations such as tourist boards from Belgrade, Vojvodina, Zlatibor,

DREAMS SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO HEAR YOU OUT AND SUPPORT YOU thinking about gradual steps that will return Serbia to the French tourist map because our country deserves it. I believed that this was possible because our country has a tourist offer that can satisfy the wishes and needs of French tourists", says Sladjana. A conference titled "Presentation of tourist products and potentials of Serbia to the French tourism market" will be held in Belgrade on 20th April, 2018, with the most prominent

Pirot, Novi Pazar, Topola with Oplenac, Viminacium archaeological park, Vrnjacka Banja, Gracanica and Zajecar. According to Ms. Novakovic, the dreams should be shared with those who are ready to hear you out and support you, and in this case those were the Ministry of Tourism, the Belgrade Tourist Board, the Vojvodina Tourist Board, the Zlatibor Tourist Board and Viminacium archaeological park, as well as other representatives of the tourism industry of Serbia.

In late February 2018, after 15 years of the comprehensive work on the life and the achievements of Mihajlo I. Pupin, the TV and film worker, Miroslav Stanković has managed to perfectly package, prepare and publish an illustrated monograph which is based on Pupin's book „From Pastures to Scientist“ for which the great scientist received the Pulitzer Prize. Mihajlo I. Pupin’s spiritual leader was Saint Sava, along with the symbol of a well-regulated state that he created – The Nomocanon of Saint Sava. Pupin is known for his courageous statement: “I did not come to America as an immigrant to make money. I came with knowledge, and it was knowledge that made money for me, not the other way around.”

Serbian and an American patriot. The former US President, Woodrow Wilson even declared 28th June, 1918, the Serbian Day, since it fell on the fourth anniversary of the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war to Serbia. On that day, all state institutions in America, including the White House, bore the Serbian flag. In late January 1915, Pupin invented the Pupin Coil, an integral part of telephone wires which enabled the transfer of human voice from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of the United States of America. In his autobiography, Pupin says that the people who should be credited the most regarding this invention were the engineers from the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and sheep herders from the village of Idvor (his birth place).

THE RICHLY ILLUSTRATED MONOGRAPH, CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE SERBIAN LANGUAGE IS A STATUS SYMBOL, AND WILL BE PRINTED IN THE ENGLISH AND OTHER FOREIGN LANGUAGES SOON This is the man to whom the American president and his great friend, Theodore Roosevelt, congratulated the Vidovdan national holiday by saying: "I am sending my most heartfelt, beautiful wishes for Serbia on the anniversary of the great Kosovo battle. I want to see 'the greater Serbia' to include all South Slavic nations, Catholics and Orthodox, who want to revive the old glory of the Serbian people. " Pupin is the man who was warmly welcomed to the then Russian Ambassador to Washington who said that the doors of the Russian Embassy were always opened to him. Pupin is the man who enjoyed exceptional respect on the account of being a

Pupin was one of the 12 founders of the Aeronautics Agency, which was established in April 1915, and which was in 1958 re-named NASA. Pupin is the man about whom Bill Gates, the guru of IT world, said the following: “The information revolution in the United States is unimaginable without Mihajlo Pupin’s inventions.” The illustrated monograph of Mihajlo I. Pupin is just a segment of the great project MIHAJLO.I PUPIN, authored by Miroslav Stankovic from ISTOK FILM, which entails releasing more books about Pupin, making a documentary film that is currently being produced, and staging high quality multimedia exhibitions.

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Photo: Min. RZS

HOW TO BETTER Mihajlo I. Pupin – Scientist, INTRODUCE THE FRENCH Strategist and Diplomat TO THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF SERBIA?

C O RPO RATE

Is it Possible? An entrepreneur who follows his dreams, not trends! example, following the trend of gastronomic bars?

MIŠA RELIĆ The owner of Bitefartcafe club and Enso restaurant

Belgrade is an exciting and dynamic city when it comes to nightlife and the dining scene. We wanted to hear the story of a club owner, who has been managing Bitefartcafe successfully for 17 years, and has opened one of the most talked about and exclusive restaurants in Belgrade, Enso, two years ago.

So, could you explain how the 2in1 concept works for Bitefartcafe and Enso?

— Enso and Bitefartcafe are located in the same building, but they share a soundproofed wall. The idea is to indulge in food separately and after that listen to live music by making just a few steps. Enso is a restaurant of fine and modern cuisine, where food is meant to be slow, enjoyed with ease and every bit of its combination of flavors is meant to be carefully savored. Our 2in1 are in fact one complete night-out experience. Dinner in the warm atmosphere of the Enso restaurant, where you can

— I've never been comfortable with following trends and I've always tried to get into projects I personally believe in. When it comes to food, I believe the success of a restaurant is in the story behind the scenes. I believe that the creation begins long before the recipe. It begins with a chef with a vision and with a host who does it out of love, making the guests feel at home. I came across two of the best chefs in Serbia, Uroš Ivošević and Nedeljko Jerković, in whose talents and visions I believed, and so my story about the restaurant of modern cuisine started. Every ingredient and meal are treated with respect, and the creation of the original recipe is a process that lasts for months. Every six months, the menu changes, and original recipes with seasonal

fresh food are created. It is a constant exploration, experimentation, and the boundaries are being shifted. The whole concept of modern cuisine had me at the start and is closest to my philosophy, gastronomic and life wise.

How did you approach the restaurant scene in Belgrade?

— We had the challenge of presenting our restaurant to people and food lovers. The concept of fine dining in Serbia is an association to small portions, and people are scared they are going to leave hungry. However, many people were not aware that fine dining restaurants serve small portions exclusively when they are a part of a tasting menu, which usually consists of 5 or 7 courses. At Enso restaurant you can order a tasting menu of 5, 7 or 10 courses and I always say, if after 7 courses you can eat more – it’s on the house`s bill!

IN BITEFARTCAFE CLUB, EVERYTHING IS SUBORDINATED TO MUSIC AND BANDS, ALTHOUGH IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO ORDER FINGER FOOD FROM ENSO

Anew trend of so-called gastronomic bars, where you can enjoy dinner and listen to live music has conquered Belgrade. Is that the concept you call 2in1? — The concept of 2in1, when it comes to Bitefartcafe club and Enso restaurant is something completely different. The trend of gastronomic bars with live music comes from abroad, but I have to be honest, I have never liked this combination. Either one or the other element, the music or the food, always suffers. Imagine hearing your favorite song, but your mouth is full and you cannot sing along, or the tables are too big, because you have to put big plates on it and so there is not enough space to dance. Or you want to enjoy your dinner, talking to your friends, but the music is too loud, or someone is jumping beside you. That was too much of a compromise for me, and I had a different idea how to combine these two passions of mine.

enjoy the conversation with your friends, and then transit to Bitefartcafe, a club that has many years of live music tradition with most enjoyable performances, perfect ventilation and superb sound, where you can dance the rest of the night away. Thus, the "secret door" was created to connect the restaurant and the club.

How did you decide on a bold move to open a modern cuisine restaurant, instead of, for

RECOMMENDATION How does location affect your business? — If the restaurant is really good, it does not matter where it’s located. The recommendation is still the best marketing tool and considering that the guests leave the restaurant satisfied. People are coming to Enso to taste amazing food in our little, cozy restaurant. On the other hand, Bitefartcafe has been one of the leading live music clubs in the city for 17 years now and the audience will not leave the club until the band announces the last song. I understand that the trend is the so-called clubbing from club to club, but we are not a place for that. Our clientele are people who really want to go out, dance and have a good time in a relaxed, undisturbed and cheerful atmosphere.

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KOLARAC

C ALEND AR & NE W S

Concert hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

NOMUS 2018 April 19, 20:00

Novi Sad, Serbian National Theatre

Conductor: Daniel Raiskin Soloist: Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano

FIRE 5

CONCERT PROGRAMME April 2018

Sunday, 15th at 11.00 Concert Hall

Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra More information – 0112630744

Trio Anima Nataša Veljković, piano Sandra Belić, cello Ljubiša Jovanović, flute Production: Music Centre Admission free

Saturday, 21st at 20.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Sunday, 15th at 20.00 Concert Hall

April 20, 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Daniel Raiskin Soloist: Aleksandar Gavrylyuk, piano

MUSICAL TALKS WITH FELTZ 3 April 25, 14:00

GOLDEN THREAD

DivanaLjubojević&Choir Melodi 1.700, 2.000, 2.200 din. Tuesday, 17th at 18.00 Music Gallery

LAZAR JOVANOVIĆ VOICE COMPETITION WINNERS

Admission free

Tuesday, 17th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CHOIR COLLEGIUM ACADEMICUM

Conductor: DraganaJovanović Programe: Mokranjac...

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF SECOND PROGRAMME OF RTS RTS Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Bojan Sudjić Specilal Guest: Željko Lučić, bariton, Production: RTS Music Production

“DavorinJenko” Music school Wednesday, 25th at 18.00 Music Gallery Cycle: Music Workshop Pupils Violin Concert/class professor Ana Veskov 25thPedagogical work Production: Music Centre Admission free

CYCLE: KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Thursday, 26th at 20.00 Concert Hall Philharmania(k) Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloist: Benjamin Schmid Programme: A. Borodin, P. I. Tchaikovsky, I. Stravinsky Production: Belgrade Philharmonic More information/2630-744

Sunday, 22nd at 11.00

Thursday, 27th at 20.00 Concert Hall Fifth Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloist: Benjamin Schmid Programme: A. Borodin, P. I. Tchaikovsky, I. Stravinsky

Sunday, 22nd at 11.00 Concert Hall

Aleksandra Ristić, soprano Ingrid Janković, piano Programme: P. Konjović, V. Bellini, G. Puccini U. Giordano, G. Verdi, J. Offenbach Production: Music Centre Admission fee

Belgrade Philharmonic Hall Tamara Marinković-Tomić

Soloists: Tamara Marinković-Tomić and Zoran Miletić, violas; Gabriel Feltz, piano

PHILHARMANIA(C) 4 April 26, 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation Benjamin Schmid

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloist: Benjamin Schmid

"RAPSODY IN BLUE" ON APRIL 22ND IN KOLARAC, SOLOIST MATIJA DEDIĆ The rhythm of jazz and New York, the sounds of Broadway, the spirit of Manhattan - are embedded in the music of the US American music giant of the 20th century, George Gershwin, whose works will be performed on April 22nd in Kolarac. Gershwin was born on September 26th, 1898, in New York, in a Russian emigrant family of Jewish origin. He left school at the age of 15 and began to engage in music professionally. He composed jazz, opera, classical and popular music for theaters and films. His most famous and greatest work of classical music Rhapsody in Blue was created in 1924 in cooperation with Paul Whiteman. On April 22nd, the audience in Kolarac will have a chance to listen to Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess – symphonic images by George Gershwin at the performance of the pianist Matija Dedić and the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra under Timothy Redmond's conductor baton, which will represent 120th Anniversary since the birth of this famous artist . Tickets will be on sale in Kolarac Endowment’s Box Office at the prices – 600 and 900 din.

Concert Hall

Wednesday, 18th at 18.00 Music Gallery

ALEKSANDRA MILANOVIĆ, violin & TAREK BEZVIK, horn

Production: Music Centre Admission free

Wednesday, 18th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND STUDENTS OF OPERA STUDIO

Production: Faculty of Music Arts, Belgrade Friday, 20th at 20.00 Concert Hall

FIRE

Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Daniel Raiskin Soloist: Aleksandar Gavrylyuk, piano Programme: I. Stravinsky, S. Rachmaninoff, I. Stravinsky

“RHAPSODY IN BLUE” Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Timothy Redmond

SAXOPHONE QUARTET SIGNUM

MatijaDedić, piano Programme:Leonard Bernstein, Bob Mintzer, G. Gershwin, Production: CEBEF, NOMUS, with the support of the Goethe Institut 600, 900 Monday, 23rd at 20.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC – YOUR MUSIC WORLD!

Production: Belgrade Philharmonic More information/2630-744 Saturday, 24th at 11.00 Concert Hall

SMALL SCHOOL OF BONTON

How to Listen To The Concert/ Chopin Host: Miloš Milovanović Production: Music Center 200 Sunday, 29th at 11.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Ethno Jazz Band GILLES APAP, violin & MEDUOTERAN Srdjan Vukašinović, accordion TaylanArikan, baglama Production: Music Centre 1000, 1200, 1500

Piano duo Snežana Nikolajević & Vesna Kršić Production: Music Center Admission free

Tuesday, 24th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Kostis Maraveyas, The Greek singer

Sunday, 29th at 20.00 Concert Hall

MARAVEYASA