Diplomacy and Commerce No. 33 by Diplomacy&Commerce magazine

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

November 2018 | ISSUE No. 33 | Price 350 RSD

9772466380002

CHALLENGING INDUSTRY REQUIRES MORE CREATIVITY

JELENA GAVRILOVIĆ ŠARENAC President of the Board of Directors, Serbian Public Relations Association (DSOJ)

RELEASING FEAR IS OUR MISSION

ZORAN KESIĆ

TV show host, 24 Minuta, Njuznet

CONTRIBUTING TO BUILDING A BETTER SOCIETY

29 NATIONAL DAY OCT

OF TURKEY

GREAT SUCCESS OF PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY MAJA GOJKOVIĆ

President of the National Assembly of Serbia

HARMONIOUS AND SUPPORTING H.E. MOHAMMED AMINE BELHAJ

VESNA DJUKIĆ

Moroccan Ambassador to Serbia

General Director of Belgrade Open School

Belgium

Greece

IN FOCUS

H.E. ADAM KOENRAAD

Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia and to Montenegro

LAMBIS KOUNALAKIS Minister Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

Belgrade Does Not Believe in Tears Dear readers, “The Yogurt Revolution was the only Milošević's victory,“ a friend of mine told me once. For all you young people or you who have not lived in Serbia at that time, we are talking about the event that happened on 5th and 6th October, 1988, when the demonstrators, under Slobodan Milošević's control, brought down the government of Vojvodina. The demonstrators threw yogurt on the Vojvodinian officials hence the name Yogurt Revolution. Yes, this was the only victory for Milošević because he had lost all other battles and wars with only Vojvodina considered „a win“ in his 12-year-long 'crusade'. These days, we are marking the 100th anniversary of Vojvodina’s annexation to Serbia and 30 years since the Yogurt Revolution, and are often talking about the devastating consequences of the centralization and metropolization on Serbia in that context. These processes were instigated during Milošević’s time, in 1988, and today, 30 years later, we live in a Serbia where everybody wants to live in Belgrade or Novi Sad, or preferably leave the country all together. Leaving the countryside and a massive settlement in large cities is a global process that is taking place on all continents, but it seems that in Serbia, which has no coastline like Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, it leaves particularly disastrous consequences. The downfall of the province is in direct proportion to the development of Belgrade, and its new luxury residential neighborhoods, hotels and restaurants. If you are not too clear on what I am talking about, visit any railway station in Serbia. When, in March of this year, together with the head of the Vojvodina Government, Igor Mirović, we organized the Belgrade-Sremski Karlovci trip on the Blue Train for ambassadors and the media, we asked the train driver to stop 20m ahead of the Sremski Karlovci railway station so that our esteemed guests did not have to see the decrepit state of the station’s building which seems like a perfect backdrop to a horror movie; the one that Eli Roth might film Hostel 4 in. The state authorities are in charge of maintaining railway stations, but they obviously cannot see the rest of Serbia that well from their offices at Nemanjina Street. When the workforce moves from the countryside to Belgrade, they stop believing in the “cries” of the province. Similar behaviour can be noticed in many foreign diplomats and the representatives of international organizations and companies in Belgrade. The capital city of Serbia, with its great climate, excellent cuisine, nice and warm people, and a rich cultural and entertainment life, really does create the illusion of "the perfect place to live" and many people succumb to that impression. However, behind this scenery lies a ruined province with the largely destroyed industry and poorly maintained infrastructure. Real estate prices are the best indicator of this situation - except in Belgrade and Novi Sad and several "enclaves" like the Kopaonik and Zlatibor - the value of houses and apartments has been constantly declining. In some villages in Vojvodina it is possible to buy the whole street for a couple of thousand euro. In this issue, you can read an article about the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the Banat Republic and Vojvodina’s future which, in the early 20th century, was a progressive and developed European region, and today has the average salary that is lower than the Serbian average. In 1987, Vojvodina was the second most developed part of the then Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia while Novi Sad’s GDP was higher than the GDP of the entire Montenegro. If these trends continue, and the state does not come up with a plan to change it, in 10 years’ time, only old people will remain in the rural areas, and everybody under the age of 50 will move to Belgrade or Alexanderplatz. If that happens, it will become completely irrelevant if Kosovo has a chair in the UN or not, as will all the other political issues that we have been bothered by all these years.

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

GREAT SUCCESS OF PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY

THE ART OF COMMUNICATION I&F McCANN Grupa

MAJA GOJKOVIĆ

President of the National Assembly of Serbia

ZORAN KESIĆ

RELEASING FEAR IS OUR MISSION TV show host, 24 Minuta, Njuznet

HARMONIOUS AND SUPPORTING

H.E. MOHAMMED AMINE BELHAJ

WELCOME TO THE LAND OF THE FUTURE!

Moroccan Ambassador to Serbia

ANA PETROVIĆ

Director and Founder of Science Festival and Night of Museums

CONSUMERS ARE IN THE CENTRE OF OUR STRATEGY

SOTIRIS KOSTOUROS

15 DAYS AND ONE CENTURY

General manager of BAT for Serbia and Montenegro

Robert Čoban reportage

CONTRIBUTING TO BUILDING A BETTER SOCIETY

DISCOVER THE WORLD IN BELGRADE! MIŠA RELIĆ

VESNA DJUKIĆ

General Director of Belgrade Open School S P E C I A L

The owner of Enso restaurant and Bitefartcafe

E D I T I O N

The

SECRET FORMULA OF COMMUNICATION www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editor in Chief

JELENA RANĐELOVIĆ

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

tanja.bankovic@color.rs

Advertising manager

robert.coban@color.rs

jelena.randjelovic@color.rs

ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD

VANJA KOVAČEV

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

Art director

indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

jovana.markovic@color.rs

NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

Advertising manager natasa.nesic@color.rs

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ Advertising manager

dragana.radovic@color.rs

PR&Event support Nord Communications

Photos

Translation

SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

vanja.communications @gmail.com

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Journalist / contributor zikica.milosevic@color.rs

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ

Magazine director

ZLATNA KNJIGA

Jagodina, Bagrdanski put bb

ruza.ristanovic@color.rs

”Color Media Communications” LTD, 21132 Petrovaradin, Štrosmajerova 3 TIN 107871532 • Matriculation number 20887303 · Phone: +381 21 4897 100 • Fax: +381 21 4897 126 Office: Vase Čarapića 3/IV/38, Belgrade • 011 4044 960 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

BELLO

The Demise of Brazil’s Great Centrist Party What will replace the PSDB?

In 1988 A group of centre-left politicians and academics who had opposed the military dictatorship that governed Brazil from 1964 to 1985 set up a new political organisation, the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB). Its members were reformers, not populists, statists or pork-barrel conservatives. As one of its leaders, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, later wrote: “We advocated a blend of free-market reform and social responsibility” like that espoused by Felipe González in Spain, Bill Clinton in the United States and Tony Blair in Britain. Under Mr Cardoso they governed Brazil between 1995 and 2003. As the party shifted to the centre-right, it became one of two rival anchors of the political system, along with the left-wing Workers’ Party (PT). In the six presidential elections between 1994 and 2014 it averaged almost 40% of the vote. And now, suddenly, the PSDB looks far closer to extinction than its symbol, the toucan. On paper, it had a strong presidential candidate in last month’s election in Geraldo Alckmin, a four-term governor of the state of São Paulo. Mr Alckmin assembled an eight-party coalition and thus enjoyed far more free television time than any of his rivals. Yet he won just 4.8% of the vote in the first round on October 7th. Many of the PSDB’s erstwhile supporters switched to the aggressive conservative nationalism of Jair Bolsonaro, who was elected in a run-off vote against the PT candidate. The PSDB also fared poorly in the election for congress. It now has only 29 of the 513 seats in the lower house, down from 54 in 2014, and eight senators rather than 12. Mr Alckmin was one of five PSDB governors elected in 2014. Now the party will rule in only three states (out of 27).

Its problems do not end there. One of those three governors is João Doria, who narrowly won in São Paulo. A former lobbyist, he was a protégé of Mr Alckmin. But the two fell out, and Mr Alckmin backed Mr Doria’s opponent. While the PSDB remained neutral in the presidential run-off, Mr Doria supported Mr Bolsonaro. Under Mr Cardoso, the PSDB boasted both brilliant technocrats and some effective politicians, both nationally and locally. Mr Cardoso’s governments slew inflation, modernised the economy partly through privatisation and pioneered social reforms that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the PT would go on to expand. In São Paulo, the PSDB reduced violent crime; in Ceará, in the north-east, it created primary healthcare and literacy programmes.

WHILE PT SUPPORTERS “HAVE AN ALMOST RELIGIOUS ATTACHMENT TO THEIR PARTY, THE VOTE FOR THE PSDB WAS MUCH MORE INSTRUMENTAL”, SAYS SERGIO FAUSTO Only two years ago, in the wake of the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s chosen successor, some analysts were writing the obituary of the PT, blamed for the slump and systematic corruption. It survives as the main opposition to Mr Bolsonaro. Why did the PSDB become the victim? Like the Clintons and Mr Blair, it looked dated. Mr Doria was right when he said in victory that the party “lost touch with the reality of Brazil”. The party’s leaders squabbled among themselves. As the founding gener-

ation aged, they failed to groom successors. Above all, with Brazilians in an angry mood the PSDB began to look like the establishment. It joined the unpopular outgoing government of Michel Temer but reaped no benefit from supporting necessary pension and labour reforms. It began to seem as corrupt as other parties. Aécio Neves, its presidential candidate in 2014, has been charged with seeking bribes (which he denies). While PT supporters “have an almost religious attachment to their party, the vote for the PSDB was much more instrumental”, says Sergio Fausto, who runs Mr Cardoso’s think-tank. The instrument broke in Bolsonaro’s wave of rage. Mr Doria is now poised to take over the remains of the PSDB. All this “represents the defeat of the historical PSDB,” Folha de S. Paulo, a newspaper, editorialised this week. The party’s name may live on, but “the PSDB as we know it is definitely dead,” declares a prominent member. “There’s no reason to remain in the party.” The task for those who believed in the PSDB is to reinvent the reformist centre in a Brazil bitterly polarised between Mr Bolsonaro’s rightwing populism and the unrepentant statism of the PT. That means founding a new organisation that attracts young people, and seeking a new leader. Some see that role going to Luciano Huck, a television host, whom Mr Cardoso wooed in vain before this year’s election. That Mr Huck, who has no previous political experience, may well be the best hope for the reformist centre says much about the way Brazilian democracy has changed since 1988. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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INTERVIEW

Great Success of Parliamentary Diplomacy The IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union) holding its session in Belgrade will have an enormous political importance, as it will lead to a significant increase in Serbia's visibility on the political map of the world, and it will create numerous economic and tourist potentials MAJA GOJKOVIĆ President of the National Assembly of Serbia

Serbia is the official host of the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that will take place in October 2019 in Belgrade. The session will be held on the 130th anniversary of this oldest and largest international parliamentary organization, of which Serbia has been a member almost since the Union’s establishment, in 1889. We are talking about this with the Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly, Maja Gojković, as well as about the campaign "You Are Not Alone!", international activities, and gender equality.

After 56 years, Belgrade is again the host of an IPU session. Who is coming to the session and what are your expectations from such an important event?

— The fact that the Republic of Serbia's candidacy to host the 141st session was adopted by an acclamation represents a great success of our parliamentary diplomacy. This is also a great success for our country, because this event will have an enormous political impor-

tance as it will lead to a significant increase in Serbia's visibility on the political map of the world, and it will create numerous economic and tourist potentials. The mere fact that more than 150 parliamentary delegations from all over the world will come to our capital, including over 100 parliament speakers and deputy speakers, that is, 1,500 delegation members, speaks volumes about the significance of this event. Not

OUR TASK IS TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT THEY ARE NOT AND WILL NOT BE ALONE IN OVERCOMING THESE ISSUES

only is the meeting of this oldest and largest parliamentary organization held in Belgrade for the first time after 1963, but it will be at the same time, the first meeting that is taking place in an European country after almost 20 years, bearing in mind that Germany was the last European country to host the meeting back in 1999. Furthermore, this is a validation of the dedicated and active work of our parliamentary delegation that I have been at the helm of for the past five years. A month ago, you were one of the instigators of the "You Are Not Alone!" campaign which aims to reduce prejudice against young people with mental health and

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disability issues. How important is to have such initiatives?

— It gives me a great pleasure to have accepted to be the patron of this project because I believe that it is our task to send a clear message to young people with mental health issues that they are not and will not be alone in overcoming these obstacles. It is paramount that we give the deserved attention to mental health of young people and that the entire society shows that it cares about this topic, because young people are the future of our country. The society should not turn its head away from this topic, especially if we bear in mind that the risks and problems that can lead to mental health disorders are growing in number in the modern-day life. That is why we must fight together against prejudices that are not inherent only to our society, and to encourage young people, through such projects, to seek professional help when they have problems that are bothering them. In the last few months, you have been engaged in very dynamic international activities. Could you elaborate on some of those visits abroad?

— The Serbian Parliament is developing a lively and so far, unprecedently intensive cooperation with the parliaments of the countries in the region, in the European Union, and further on, including the parliaments of the friendly countries in Africa, South America and other parts of the world. This is one of our key tasks, especially given the policy of President Aleksandar Vučić to improve Serbia's position in international circles and strengthen economic ties. The National Assembly closely follows this policy and we are trying to contribute to the improvement of parliamentary cooperation at all levels while investing effort into solidifying Serbia's position with the view of getting as many countries as possible to listen and

understand our position regarding Kosovo and Metohija. As you noted, we had numerous bilateral meetings and we were present at all important multilateral meetings. I would especially like to highlight Serbia participating in the meeting of the parliaments of the Eurasian countries in Turkey for the first time ever, and the honour we got of addressing the State Duma during the recent visit to the Russian Federation, which is the first time that the Speaker of the National Assembly has addressed the plenum of the Russian Parliament. In the Parliament, you have often been verbally and sometimes physically attacked by MPs from the opposition parties. How are you dealing with this, as a woman?

er things, is validated by the fact that we are the hosts of the events organized by such an important organization as the IPU. Your recent statement about “certain ministers in the Serbian government should have a rest” has caused quite a stir in the public. Do you think that the time has come for a government reshuffle?

— I have just voiced my opinion and I really don't know why some ministers got so bothered by my statement. It is only natural that the Government and the ministers are responsible to the Parliament for their work and that we, in the National Assembly, can express our opinion about the work our ministers do. I believe that it is always necessary to check, once in a while, the work and the results

WE HAD NUMEROUS BILATERAL MEETINGS AND WERE PRESENT AT ALL IMPORTANT MULTILATERAL GATHERINGS — The opposition has the right to criticize, but we have to face the situations in the Parliament when MPs insult and assault each other instead of resorting to argument-based criticism. If you are a woman in politics, it seems to me that these insults become even more brutal. This is seen not only in what I have experienced, but what the Prime Minister Ana Brnabić has experienced too. On the other hand, I think that women also lack solidarity and that we must not resort only to repeating the mere quotes about gender equality. Regarding the opposition's behaviour, I am convinced that the best antidote to this are the successes we have achieved. Today, Serbia is the leader in the region in terms of declining unemployment and direct foreign investments. Also, our country's international reputation is much better, which, among oth-

of those who hold such important public functions. In terms of the reshuffle, that depends on the wider political situation and the challenges that Serbia is facing. Serbian President was quoted as saying that “November is going to be difficult” in regard to Kosovo and Serbia’s international position. What do you think are going to be results of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue?

— President Vučić warned that we were facing a lot of challenges and difficulties when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, bearing in mind the numerous provocations and unilateral moves by Priština, and in particular, their intention to form the so-called Kosovo Army, which can further destabilize the whole situation and is a great cause for concern. The establishment of such an armed formation would be contrary to all

international agreements, the Resolution 1244 and the Kumanovo Agreement, as well as the Brussels Agreement and the agreement that we have with NATO, and even to their Constitution. On several occasions, President Vučić underlined that that we were ready for a dialogue, compromise and rational solution, by which neither party would get everything, nor would it lose everything. However, I do not believe that the Albanians really want a compromise. What is important is the fact that, above all, thanks to the President's diplomatic efforts, there is much more understanding today for Serbia's position which is seen in several countries withdrawing their recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija. Also, I would like to remind you that the eight US congressmen have recently asked the US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo to continuously support Serbia's efforts in pursuit of a peaceful, sustainable and negotiated agreement. All this just goes to show that it is not possible to resolve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija without Serbia's involvement. You are one of the few high-ranking state officials that can often be seen in ordinary, everyday situations – in the street, coffee shops, book stores, exhibition openings… How difficult is it to lead “a normal life” when you are under so much pressure from the public?

— During my long political career, I have been trying to also lead a normal life and despite many obligations that I have, to find time for my family and friends. Whenever I have free time, I like to go to the theatre, cinema or read a good book, which is why you can see me in these „ordinary“ places. These are important moments for me that give me a new lease of energy to do my job.

“THE LAWYER” EXHIBITION An exhibition titled “The Lawyer” was opened this month in Novi Sad, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of your family law firm. How much did working with your father and brother in your law firm, which was founded over a half of a century ago, affect you? — The exhibition „The Lawyer“ is, first and foremost, dedicated to law and lawyers that have been trailblazers in this profession in the second half of the 20th century in Novi Sad and AP Vojvodina. During

that period, which was not easy at all, the law practice set high standards and was deservedly called „an honourable profession“, hence we should never forget the lawyers who should be credited for that. That's why the exhibition is a reminder of the work done by the lawyers who were the symbols of Novi Sad's law practice during that period - Mita Gojković, Stevan Rončević, Tomislav Milić, Djordje Veber, Fedor Kolesar, Oliver Novaković, the bard of the law practice Milorad Botić and many others.

NATIONAL DAYS

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

in November & December

NOVEMBER

TOBIAS FLESSENKEMPER Head of the Council of the European Union Mission in Belgrade

MOROCCO

was appointed head of Elbarlament. org - Cultures of Democracy based in Berlin. He regularly contributes to research and higher education programmes with the focus on European cooperation. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Flessenkemper was the Secretary General of the European Youth Forum. He completed his Master’s Degree (Magister Artium) in political science at the University of Cologne and the Master’s in international humanitarian assistance at the Ruhr University in Bochum.

Tobias Flessenkemper was appointed the head of the Council of the European Union Mission in Belgrade on 1st October 2018 by the Council’s Secretary General. Before his appointment to Serbia, Mr. Flessenkemper worked for the European External Action Service – EEAS in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Skopje and Sarajevo and the OSCE. He was also an associate fellow of the German Institute for International Affairs and Security from 2012 to 2013. In 2013, he

Independence Day

LEBANON

Independence Day

ALBANIA

"Dita e Pavarësisë"

- Independence Day

DECEMBER

ROMANIA National Day

NIKOS KOUMETTIS

New Group President for EMEA

The Coca-Cola Company announced that Nikos Koumettis has been named as a group president, overseeing EMEA. Koumettis will be succeeded as head of CEE by Lana Popović, who currently serves as North-East Europe franchise general manager. Koumettis served as President of the Central and Southern Europe business unit from 2011 to 2016. Since joining The Coca-Cola Company in 2001, Koumettis has also served as business unit President for Canada; President of the Adriatic and Balkans

UAE

business unit; and as Southeast Mediterranean Region General Manager. Before joining Coca-Cola, he served in marketing roles with Kraft Jacobs Suchard, sales and distribution roles with a large Greek distribution company, Elgeka and in commercial and logistics functions for Papastratos S. A./Phillip Morris, the biggest tobacco company in Greece. Koumettis holds a Bachelor of Science in B.A. from the American College of Greece and a MSc. degree in International Marketing from Strathclyde Business School.

National Day,

formation of the federation of seven emirates on independence

FINLAND

I ndependence Day of 1917

IRAQ

National Day

LANA POPOVIĆ

UNICEF

New President for CEE

Lana Popović has worked for Coca-Cola since 2001, including leadership positions in general management, strategy and marketing. In 2006, Popović was named Marketing Manager for Croatia and then for Bosnia and Herzegovina. She became an Operations Director for Greece in 2011. One year later, Popović was named Operations

UNICEF Day Director for SEE, with responsibilities for seven countries. In 2016, Popović was appointed Franchise General Manager for Coca-Cola in Poland and the Baltics. In 2017, she was named Franchise General Manager of the newly formed North-East Europe franchise unit. Popović earned a degree in economics from the University of Zagreb in Croatia.

THE NETHERLANDS Kingdom Day

STEVAN RISTIĆ Acting Chairman of the Managing Board of the Media Association

The Managing Board of the Media Association has appointed director of the Vreme weekly, Stevan Ristić as its Acting Chairman. Stevan Ristić (age 43) has been the director of the press company Vreme d.o.o. since 2009. Up until November 2003, he worked for the weekly in marketing sales and was assistant director in charge of marketing and sales. He is also an executive producer of several online and TV programmes, and was the

director of the feature – documentary film „Hero 1914“. Mr. Ristić is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Press Council. The Association's Manages Board sees this change in its composition as a continuation of the Association's long-standing efforts to secure the prerequisites for free, professional and responsible journalistic work and for the formation a sustainable and fair media market, shielded from political influence.

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INTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Harmonious and Supporting Morocco has always had progressive ideals

H.E. MOHAMMED AMINE BELHAJ Moroccan Ambassador to Serbia

Morocco and Serbia maintain harmonious relations in politics and they think about the future progress in economy and tourism, with the hope that the Serbians and Moroccan will know each other better after the establishment of the direct air flight between Belgrade and Casablanca in 2019. We are talking with H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Moroccan Ambassador to Serbia about this and other interesting topics. Morocco and Serbia cooperate harmoniously politically speaking, supporting each other internationally, because they face the same challenges when it comes to their territorial integrity. Are you satistied with the political ties between the two countries?

— Morocco and Serbia maintain excellent political relations. Those relations were strengthened by the official visit, last September, of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco to Belgrade to hold political consultations. The excellence of bilateral relations also shows in the mutual support within international organizations and forum where Morocco and Serbia support each other’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also cooperate and exchange views on a number of global issues such as climate change, violent extremism, and illegal migration etc. I am glad to say that Serbia will be represented by the Vice Prime Ministre, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E M. Ivica Dacic in the Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Migration to be held on 10-11 December 2018 in Marrakesh.

Morocco not so long ago showed its desire to be an EU member but it was offered an advanced status instead. It seems that the same destiny can be faced by Serbia. What do you think, should we cooperate more closely economically, not waiting for the EU to “save us all”?

— I think cooperation with Serbia is going well and a lot of effort is being made to increase cooperation in the economic field. Such cooperation should continue regardless of regional groupings. I think Serbia is doing well in negotiating its membership to the European Union. It is a long process, but i am confident in Serbia's future within the EU. As for Morocco, the Kingdom has excellent relations with the Union. This partly because of the geographic situation of the country at the tip of the African continent. As the late King Hassan II used to say: “Morocco is like a tree with its roots in Africa and its branches in Europe”. It is therefore normal to develop strong a strategic cooperation which started with a trade agreement in 1969 followed by an

called Arab Spring that turned into Arab Winter. What is your recipe, maybe we can copy some of your experience?

— Well, it is true that we can talk about a Moroccan exception during the Arab Spring, the consequences of which are still visible today in many of the war stricken countries, even after 8 years of the beginning of the unrest. Unlike other countries in the region, Morocco has a much more open society and has

THE LATE KING HASSAN II USED TO SAY: “MOROCCO IS LIKE A TREE WITH ITS ROOTS IN AFRICA AND ITS BRANCHES IN EUROPE” Association Agreement in 1996, and then an Advanced status in 2008. Our partnership with the EU stands for more than 50 years. Needless to add that reforms are being carried out for the good of our people in the first place. Morocco has shown the world, Africa and the Arab world that you can progress technologically, with modern trams and high speed trains and at the same time keep political stability amid all the calamities during so-

a history of progressive ideals. Our economy is also growing steadily in diverse sectors and doesn’t suffer from the resource curse. The Arab Spring, while destructive in many countries, has led to meaningful reforms in Morocco with very little turbulence. And finally, Morocco remains a model of an Islam based on the principle of tolerance and openness. The Monarch , also commander of the faithful, plays an important role in the stability of the Kingdom in the sense that his status unites all Moroccans

regardless of their backgrounds, provides a sense of national identity revolving on religion, and undermines extremism without resolving to force. The culture of Morocco, as a unique blend of Amazigh, Arabic and European influences, primarily French and Spanish, proved to be very attractive for the world and specifically for Serbian public. What are your plans in the future in promoting Moroccan culture?

— You know, Moroccan culture is a blend of traditions, encompassing Amazigh, Arab, African, Mediterranean and Hebraic influences. During the past two years, the Embassy organized and participated in many events that aim at sharing some of this richness and diversity with the Serbian people, starting with a Moroccan cultural week in Kalemegdan in September 2017, an exhibition of photos relating to some of the most important moments of the history of bilateral relations in the Military Museum in October 2017, a Conference on Moroccan gastronomy followed with a tasting of Moroccan cuisine in March 2018, the participation of Ahwach troop (16

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musicians and dancers) during the Afro Festival in June 2018, and very recently, the first participation of the Kingdom of Morocco in the International Belgrade Book Fair as the first Arab country Guest of Honor, and we intend to make our participation to this event a tradition in the future. During the coming year, the Embassy will maintain its policy of promoting Moroccan culture in Serbia with more events including film festivals, music concerts, and different exhibitions. The dates of these cultural manifestations will be announced in due time.

numbers once the direct air line between Serbia and Morocco is launched in 2019. We also plan to participate this year, again, in the Belgrade Tourism Fair, next February, with a larger stand and with a more interesting offers for Serbian tourists. And vice versa, could Serbia be more attractive for the Moroccans? What has been done for the visa relaxation between the two countries?

— There is no doubt about the attractiveness of Serbia as a touristic destination. It is a beautiful coun-

WE EXPECT FURTHER INCREASE OF TOURISTS ONCE THE DIRECT AIR LINE BETWEEN SERBIA AND MOROCCO IS LAUNCHED IN 2019 Tourism could be one of the great propellants for cultural rapprochement between our two countries. Many Serbian citizens have visited Morocco lately, do you plan more promotion?

— Yes indeed. Tourism is an important vector of rapprochement between countries and luckily, there is a great interest among Serbian people for Morocco especially with the launching of the direct flight to Marrakech and to Agadir from neighbouring Hungary. Their number increased by three since the opening of this route. We expect further increase of these

try with a rich history, culture and traditions that Moroccan should visit and discover. Moroccans love to travel abroad for their holidays. Popular destinations include Western European countries, Turkey, Brazil and Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and China. I think a good promotional campaign to carry out in Morocco would inform Moroccans about the beauty and hospitality of Serbia and thus encourage more people to visit it. For now, Visa is still a requirement between the two countries, but procedures are quite flexible on both sides.

MODEST ECONOMIC COOPERATION, BUT RISING And finally, how about the economic collaboration? Is there something on the horizon we can cheer up to? — Economic collaboration remains modest, but has been enhanced with the organization in September of an Economic forum entitled “Doing Business with Morocco” at the end of which an agreement was signed between the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia for the establishment of a business council, the first meeting of which will be held in the margin of the Joint Commission to be held in Rabat in December 2018. Morocco will be also present at the Agriculture Fair of Novi Sad. The objective of this participation is to present the potential of Morocco in the agriculture field and establish partnerships with Serbian businesses operating in the same sector.

CORPORATE

Good Timing for New "Contender Providers" The new Avala Studios are meant to achieve the fame the old studio once have, but with completely new technical and business approach. The idea is to bring in universal studios, which can use all the technologies that are now present and which will track world achievements in the recording technologies

PETER DAJKO CEO Avala Studios

Avala Studios is going to invest more than EUR 50 million in renovation of the studio complex in Kosutnjak. Where the money will go, and what the renovated complex will be able to offer once when it is finished – these were our questions for Peter Dajko, CEO. “First of all, two completely new studios of approximately 4,600 square meters are planned to be built, with accompanying elements necessary for film production - from the maintenance of facilities, makeup scenes, masks, to employees’ offices”, says Dajko. Only two of the several objects of former Avala are to be kept for further use. Studio 1 will to be brought up to date to fulfill requirements of international productions and Studio 4 is planned to be transformed to semi public space intended for cultural and artistic programs, exhibitions, concerts. “The area of the entire complex will cover about fifty-two thousand square meters, and we will build a total of six stateof-the-art studios, two biggest ones 20 meters high, which is exclusive for this part of Europe.”, says our interlocutor.

Construction of a large tank for filming, the size of one hundred fifty square meters, six meters deep, with glass walls - the so-called "artificial sea", might be considered also as one of specialty of planned new studios, Avala CEO adds. In terms of the size it will be one of the largest if not the largest tank in Europe. Within the aforementioned content, a hotel

have a team led by Vladimir Kuba, former director of Barandov studio in Prague, which is currently one of the most utlized studios in Eastern Europe, and which he managed when globally popular movies were filmed such as “Casino Royal” and “ The Chronicles of Narnia”. His know how will be much helpful and highly appreciated, as well as support of the rest of the team.

How the new studio can contribute to the value proposition Serbia may offer? Who would be your most important competitors if any?

BELGRADE AND SERBIA HAVE A HUGE POTENTIAL IN THE FILM TRADITION AND IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE FORMER "AVALA FILM" WAS KNOWN AS "BALKAN HOLLYWOOD" will also be built for filmmakers during filming of movies and series of new "content" providers such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, which will enable us to provide full service expected by foreign productions.

What know-how and experience do you bring? — As for renovation of the complex, in order to make sure it will be implemented in highly professional manner, we contracted very experienced American company "Bastien Architect", which designed many studios worldwide including the studios of Warner Bros., Universal, CNN. As for our experience in movie business development, we

— The reconstruction of the studio complex should revive film art, whereby Belgrade and Avala film were once recognized, to attract foreign productions, but also to enable domestic productions to make films here in Belgrade and to have the best, superior conditions for that. According to the estimation based on experience from the region, modern studios and positioning on the map of the European film industry could bring to Serbia at least 120 mil. euro annually , which is four times more than the previous year. Regarding competition, we truly believe that our chances are high and this is a very good timing for us, as new "contender providers" appeared

on the market. There is a very high market demand – so high, that even one Ridley Scott could not get a studio in Prague for his new production recently, because the facilities were filled. Producers are constantly looking for new premises and need new capacities, especially those with big budgets. And for good money, they expect and require good conditions, which is exactly what we could offer. Our studios will not only be technically on the highest level in sense of construction features, but will also be equipped with the most contemporary elements. Our idea is to bring in universal studios, which can use all the technologies that are now present and which will track world achievements in the recording technologies.

When you say that you intend to revive the film industry in Serbia what do you mean by that? What the term is the film tourism and how Serbia can profit from it? — When we say that we want to revive film industry in Serbia, we are talking about returning the old shine to former film giant in Europe. Belgrade and Serbia have a huge potential in the film tradition and it is no coincidence that the former "Avala Film" was known as "Balkan Hollywood" and that they recorded some of the most famous European and world productions there. Beautiful areas in Serbia mountains, lakes, rivers, city streets, are attractive locations for shooting, and this is another significant potential. In addition, Belgrade has an exceptional location – by plane, it

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is two or three hours away from the largest cities in Europe. The big plus represent the Serbian experts in the field of cinema, who are educated, have considerable experience and speak English. So reviving film industry is our important goal and in order to achieve it we have already taken concrete steps, investing so far around fifty thousand euros in the reconstruction of the Avala Film Fundus, which contains twenty-seven thousand costumes. Among them are the original uniforms of Serbian soldiers from the First World War, which we gave for the filming of "Zaspanka za vojnike" by Predrag Antonijević and "Čarape Kralja Petra" by Lazar Ristovski. What we expect in future is that renewed film complex help developing so called film tourism, like it happened in many countries in the region. Many scenes that will be recorded, not only in our studios, but also on the streets of Belgrade and on the mountains of Serbia, might attract tourists from all over the world. A very good example is New Zealand, which has become a tourist attraction because of the "Lord of the Rings" hit, as well as Greek islands where “Mama Mia” was filmed.

How many domestic professionals the industry can employ? — When it comes to production, thanks to the renewed and increased capacity of the studies, it is estimated that more than 3000 production professionals from Serbia will be able to work directly or indirectly in the best conditions in the region. As for film makers in

ket, the very first thing they take into consideration is incentive program. Thanks to the excellent initiative of the Government of Serbia led by the Prime Minister and the current president of your country and entering the incentive program in 2016, Serbia today provides incentives of 25 percent for foreign productions. This makes

OUR IDEA IS TO LAUNCH WORKSHOPS FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING OF FILM ARTISTS FROM SERBIA IN THE UPCOMING PERIOD, SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE FULL SERVICE FOR DEMANDING FOREIGN PRODUCTIONS Serbia, they will have the opportunity to work with foreign "content providers", such as HBO, Amazon, Netflix, here in Belgrade. Our idea is to launch workshops for additional training of film artists from Serbia in the upcoming period, so that they can provide full service for demanding foreign productions.

How the government can contribute to positioning Serbia on the market? — When foreign productions are considering to enter new mar-

Serbia extremely competitive in Southeast Europe, and I think that this important decision will attract many large and expensive Hollywood productions to your country. From personal experience I can say that it is also important that institutions function well in Belgrade, which makes it easier for every foreign investor to do business. We have great understanding from all, and especially from the representatives of the City of Belgrade, for a project from which can come out something that is great

for both Belgrade and Serbia.

Living in Serbia for two years now, what do you think about Serbian film production?

— Even though I’m a genuine film enthusiast, unfortunately I don’t have much time to follow recent Serbian production very closely. The truth is, as a national production of relatively small country, it’ll most probably be limited by the financial resources available, given by the size of the Serbian/reginal market. This is the limiting factor of all not only post socialistic national production and film markets. However, the Serbian cinematography broke this limitations through several internationally successful projects / films, which is a great success. Serbian cinematography has foundation to build upon – tradition and what I found amusing and very similar to the Czech character – I think as a nation Serbs love film, constantly referring to beloved films quoting famous phrases / jokes. I would mention only couple of newer production films I had a chance to watch – Dnevnik Mašinovodje and Bićemo prvaci sveta. I think both are very good European films.

CORPORATE

Optimizing and Modernizing our Services For many years now, we have been guided by a mission that focuses on creating the most favourable business environment in order to attract domestic and foreign companies

DRAGAN KOSTIĆ Director, Pirot Free Zone

The Pirot Free Zone is recognized for its comprehensive programme of subsidies and incentives for businesses which consists of employment subsidies and exemption from paying customs duties, value added tax, and local taxes and fees. Also, our Logistics Centre provides services related to customs procedures and international transportation of goods within the borders of the free zone.

The Pirot Free Zone was declared the best free zone in Europe and third best in the world by the Financial Times' fDi magazine. With so many received recognitions and awards, what motivates you to keep reaching for higher standards?

— For many years now, we have been guided by a mission that focuses on creating the most favourable business environment in order to attract domestic and foreign companies engaged in export-oriented hightech production. The awards are the proof that we are on the right track, but also a kind of incentive to invest even more and do better because not only does our Zone depend on investments, but the socio-economic development of the whole region too, which is developing along with us. The fact that the City of Pirot was ranked 100th ten years ago in terms of average salary in Serbia and now it ranks 14th is a good indicator that we are succeeding in our intentions. Commitment to local economic development, continuous improve-

ment of our services, team work and innovation are the basis of the business model that we have developed in order to facilitate the operation of the companies that use our free zone, the increase in direct investments and attract new technologies.

What benefits does the Zone provide to big companies and how much did you expand your service portfolio in the last year, i.e. since your last award?

— Our services are designed to mimick the services provided by modern free zones around the world. In the last few years, we have developed software applications that help our users to complete the import / export activities related to the goods used in their production activities. We are helping the companies that use our services to focus on

euro, of which more than a half was generated from export. Investments in the previous period exceeded 500 million euro, with our biggest beneficiary being Tigar Tyres, a member of the Michelin Group, which also happens to be the third biggest exporter in Serbia.

Could you also tell us something about the software tools that you have developed and how are they benefiting the Zone's users?

— Our specialized, user-friendly software solution for tracking import / export documentation and the status of logistics processes provides a quick link between our users and customs officers, automates processes and enables cost cutting. Our plans for further development and improvement of our services are made with the goal of satisfying

WE ARE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP NEW SOFTWARE SERVICES FOR OUR USERS, AS WELL AS IMPROVING THE EXISTING ONES their core business, while taking into account their needs in terms of custom clearance documents, freight forwarding, international transport organization, provision of warehouse space, and transshipment of goods from railways and trucks, all of which has a positive impact on their development and results in more businesses being interested in the Zone's services. Today, there are 60 commerce and 23 production companies employing more than 6,500 workers in the Pirot Free Zone. In 2017, the companies in the Zone generated a total turnover of about 800 million

the needs of our users in a modern, fast and quality way. The good logistics connection between the Free Zone Pirot and the ports of Burgas, Thessaloniki and other intermodal hubs in the Balkans has also been recognized. Together with the port of Burgas, we have set up two shuttle weekly trains that go to Pirot for the purpose of transporting raw materials to our clients. Our zone and the port of Burgas have a good and continuous cooperation, especially when it comes to export.

What kind of experts do you

have in your team, and what services and benefits would you like to add to your portfolio in the near future?

— Our team includes ICT experts and those who specialize in development of software solutions for businesses, quality systems and system management. The experiences of other free zones in the world that we have visited are a valuable source of ideas for us in terms of improving our own business. At the same time, we participate in conferences and scientific meetings to get familiar with innovations that we can apply in our work. A modern approach also implies a higher level of logistical operations and therefore we are determined to further improve in this area, especially when it comes to multimodal container transport. We want to adapt the tools and services used by the world's best free zones in attracting investments to fit the needs of our users. By optimizing and modernizing the existing and introducing new services in accordance with the digitization trends, we are boosting the quality of all the systems used in the Free Zone Pirot and thus have a better connection to the information systems of our users and state institutions. We plan to completely innovate our information system in order to improve the quality of services, reduce data processing time and the possibility of an error. We use all available resources in terms of knowledge, experience, innovation and scientific achievements in order to continue to work in the company of the best and build the most favourable business environment in this region.

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CORPORATE

Consumers are in the Centre of our Strategy During all these years we have continuously developed our business and enhanced our products. Moreover we have also embarked on a tobacco industry transformation journey, that we intend to lead, by bringing glo, our latest innovation in the market, a device that offers an experience similar to smoking but with great harm reduction potential SOTIRIS KOSTOUROS General manager of BAT for Serbia and Montenegro

British American Tobacco is celebrating its 15 years anniversary and the company is the pioneer of foreign investment in Serbia. Our company has so far invested more than 270 million euros, out of which more than 120 million in the modernisation of the factory in Vranje. Our global goal as a company is to lead the transformation of the tobacco industry, and it is estimated that by 2050. We are absolutely focused on the further development of our activities in Serbia, and the investment and expanding of our business, said Sotiris Kostouros, general manager of BAT for Serbia and Montenegro.

How does it look to be a foreign investor for 15 years in Serbia

and to participate in the writing of a new page in the history of the tobacco industry?

— BAT is present in Serbia since 1996 and with the privatisation of the Vranje tobacco industry in 2003 we have become the pioneers of foreign investment in Serbia, and till this day have remained the biggest British investor. We are thankful to

How much has BAT invested in Serbia since 2003. and how much has it’s production capacity and business increased in general?

— Our company has so far invested more than 270 million euros, out of which more than 120 million in the modernisation of the factory in Vranje, whose production also cov-

SERBIA IS AMONGST THE FIRST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHERE GLO, AN INNOVATIVE DEVICE THAT HEATS TOBACCO ON THE TEMPERATURE OF 240 DEGREES CELSIUS the Serbian state for enabling us to conduct and develop our business in a stable environment. In return we are continuously investing, increasing productivity and hiring new employees. We are very proud of our business in Serbia and these days we are celebrating our 15 years anniversary in the country.

ers the markets of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia. We are proud to be a part of the lives of more than 500 families, and that we are confident that we will have the opportunity to further increase this number. During the last decade and a half, BAT has contributed to the Serbian budget

with more than two billion euros through taxes and excise, while during the last year this contribution was more than 280 million euros. During all these years we have continuously developed our business, enhanced our products and have placed the consumer in the centre of our strategy. All those efforts are paying off and we are partuculary proud that Pall Mall is the number one selling brand today in Serbia recognised for its quality by the thousands of our adult consumer smokers. Moreover we have also embarked on a tobacco industry transformation journey, that we intend to lead, by bringing glo, our latest innovation in the market, a device that offers an experience similar to smoking but with great harm reduction potential.

BAT’s factory in Vranje has became the production center for CEFTA agreement counties. What would it mean for

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you if this would become a unified economic area with unified rules? What would you first remove regarding obstacles?

— We are absolutely focused on the further development of our activities in Serbia, and the investment and expanding of our business. The best proof for this are our investments in Vranje during the recent years, and the result of this is the increase of export from the modest three percent to the current 30 percent annnual rate, with an uninterrupted growth tendency. As a company that does business in the whole world, on more than 200 markets, we know well how difficult it is to conduct business in an environment of uncertainty and frequent changes of regulations. Because of this, CEFTA is a good example of countries from this region that are preparing to do business by EU standards. The biggest problem and obstacle is the complex bureoucracy and procedures at the borders, which causes serious delays in the delivery of goods, and increases the cost of conducting business.

How much has the market in Serbia changed in the meantime? Are you satisfied with the reduction of grey economy? How much are regular taxpayers today, such as BAT protected from unloyal competition? — More than a billion euros just from the tobacco industry is contributed to the budget annually. Estimates are that around 20 percent of the whole market is in the grey zone, so it isn’t hard to calculate that the state loses around 200 million euros just because of black market tobacco trading, not to mention further losses due to rising unemployment and other contributions. The state is poorer for the amount of money that goes into the grey zone, it strengthens crime, develops unloyal competition and strengthens the black market. Unfortunately, the grey economy cannot be eradicated by ad hoc measures, as well as the black market. It is necessary to

BAT’S FACTORY IN VRANJE HAS BECAME THE PRODUCTION CENTER FOR CEFTA AGREEMENT COUNTIES create a strategy that includes coordinated efforts of state institutions with the responsible, legal economy, that has resources, knowledge and experience from other markets. Consumer education is also very important, because the increase of the conscience of the necessity to eradicate grey economy strengthens „economic morality“ and has a positive impact.

The fifteenth anniversary of BAT’s business in Serbia has been marked earlier by the introduction of a tobacco heating device – Glo. How much is it possible to be innovative in the Tobacco industry and in which direction are you’re innovations directed? — Apart from Japan, Canada, Italy

and South Korea, Serbia is amongst the first countries in the world where glo, an innovative device that heats tobacco on the temperature of 240 degrees Celsius, without combustion, has officially been introduced. This is another confirmation of the great results that have thus far been accomplished on the market, and also of the opennes of consumers towards innovation. This is a product that offers an experience, similar to smoking, but without combustion, smoke and ash. Also, there is no unpleasant odour on the skin, hair and clothes. Glo is the best example of innovation in our industry. The needs of our consumers and the technological advance – the miniaturisation, lithium-ion battery, electronics – have enabled us to

create this revolutionary device. Our global goal as a company is to lead the transformation of the tobacco industry, and it is estimated that by 2050. half of all consumers will use new generation products with risk reduction potential compared to classic cigarettes.

Also, you have recently celebrated another jubilee – five years of being work incident free. How much is work safety and employee well-being important to your company? — Appart from marking the 15 year jubilee of conducting successful business in Serbia, we are proud of one more small jubilee – five years without workplace accidents which shows that our employees and their safety is a leading priority for the company. The factory in Vranje is the only one among our factories in Europe with such great results. Our next goal is 10 years without workplace accidents and injuries.

CONTRIBUTIONS In the past 15 years, how much has BAT contributed to the community, both nationally and locally? — During all these years we have invested several million euros in socially responsible projects in Serbia. Because of this, we rightfully ranked among the carriers of corporte social responsibility in Serbia. Last year, as an example, we have invested considerable resources in the complete rennovation of the city swimming pool in Vranje, while these days there will be a very valuable donation of computer equipment to the City of Vranje, which will distribute it among the institutions that need it the most.

CORPORATE

We are Building Roads Equally, in All Parts of Srpska In the first six months of this year, public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske (Roads of Republic of Srpska) have invested in several important, largescale construction projects related to the road network in the Republic of Srpska (RS)

NENAD NEŠIĆ Acting Director of PE Putevi Republike Srpske

Public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske was formed by the Government of the Republic of Srpska with the aim of ensuring the continuous conduct of activities of special interest to the Republic of Srpska through efficient and transparent work, in accordance with the interests and needs of citizens, as well as ensuring the conditions for the continuous economic and social development of the Republic of Srpska.

What are your company's mission and vision?

— The main task of PE Putevi Republike Srpske is defined by the Law on Public Roads, and it entails construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, maintenance and protection of main and regional roads, as well as reporting on the implementation of plans and programmes. We want to be an efficient and transparent administration that will, in our role as road manager, enable faster and safer flow of people and goods on the main and regional roads, thereby building the trust of all our citizens,business entities, tourist and cultural organizations, business partners from the country

and ab road and all stakeholders. We also want to encompass the entire territory of the Republic of Srpska through proper planning and build road infrastructure equally in order to create a prerequisite for the balanced and fair development of all business activities, whether we are talking about production facilities, service activities, craft shops, agricultural production, etc.

Our company is working hard to ensure that this road network is at a satisfactory level. For example, in 2017, a total of 61,273,000.00 KM was invested in regular road maintenance activities. Also, activities on modernization and rehabilitation of roads and implementation of new infrastructure projects are constantly being carried out. Further on, I am going to mention

PUBLIC ENTERPRISE PUTEVI REPUBLIKE SRPSKE HAS COMPLETED THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A 450-METRE-LONG SEGMENT ON THE M6.1 ROAD IN NEVESINJE, ON WHICH IT SPENT 340,000 KM What is your core business strategy?

— As the legal successor of of the State Road Directorate, public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske was founded following the decree of the Government of the Republic of Srpsk aon 22nd January, 2004. The company's main activity is the regular maintenance of the network of main and regional roads.

some of the more important projects that are already completed this year or which are currently being implemented by public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske. The main strategy and the goal we are aim for is the modernization and construction of the main and regional roads in the Republic of Srpska, improvement of the road communication services on and road facilities in order to

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN AND POLITICIAN Nenad Nešić rođen was born on July 4th, 1978 in Sarajevo. At the beginning of the war, he left his hometown and moved to Lukavica. In September 1993, he left Lukavica for Herceg Novi with his mother and brother, where he graduated from the local gymnasium. Following that, he enrolled into the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad from which he graduated. On January 1st, 2006, he was admitted to the police force where he worked in the Violent and Sex Crimes Department. Mr. Nešić completed his specialization, majoring in terrorism and organized crime, after which he started working in the Public Security Bureau East Sarajevo, where he worked until July 10th, 2014, when he terminated his employment and began to actively engage in politics. He has been recently elected deputy in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He had also been successfully managing a private company with his brother until July 25th, 2016, when he assumed the position of the director of the Public Enterprise Putevi RS. He is married and has a daughter.

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ensure that road users travel bettter and safer on main and regional roads, as well as increase the level of traffic safety on the roads in the Republic of Srpska and the safety of all traffic participants.

Putevi RS are building and working all over the Republic of Srpska. What are the main projects that your company has realized in 2018?

— In the first six months of this year, we invested in the construction of several major projects that are significant for the road network in the Republic of Srpska. We have construccted a roundabout on the main road M4, Banja Luka-Čelinac, in the Rebrovac quarter of Banja Luka. This intersection is a large traffic hub that was extremely busy, and with the construction of the roundabout, the quality of traffic increased, as did the permeability of the road itself and traffic safety and the safety of all the traffic participants. The value of this investment, which was fully financed by our company, amounts to 541,376.59 KM. In the metropolitan area of Banja Luka, we have completed the construction of a 440-metre-long segment of the so-called East Transit road and spent 805,368.61 KM on the project. We are going to continue with the construction of this road sometime in the second part of this year, since this is a multi-phase project. After several delays due to the complicated procedure prescribed in the Law on Public Procurement of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we started implementing the project of the removal of toll booths on the M16 road, Banja Luka-Klašnice. This investment, in the amount of 1,500,000 KM, will be fully funded by our company, from its budget. Also, at the beginning of this year, we constructed a roundabout on the

M16 road, at the entrance to Prnjavor, which is now fully functional. We spent a total of 266,565.35 KM on building the roundabout. We also spent 1,400,000 KM on building the R-435 road Nevesinje – Berkovići. We have also reconstructed 2km of this part of the road, thus connect-

in the town of Banja Luka – the roundabout on the M4 road, near the Delta Shopping Mall, a project worth 1,200,000 KM and the roundabout on the R405 road, near the Sirano Restaurant, worth 450,000 KM. Putevi Republike Srpske will finance both projects.

WE STARTED IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT OF THE REMOVAL OF TOLL BOOTHS ON THE M16 ROAD, BANJA LUKA-KLAŠNICE. THIS INVESTMENT, IN THE AMOUNT OF 1,500,000 KM, WILL BE FULLY FUNDED BY OUR COMPANY, FROM ITS BUDGET ing the municipalities of Nevesinje and Berković. The reconstruction of the rest of this road is covered by the ORIO programme. We have completed the reconstruction of a 450-metre-long segment on the M6.1 road in Nevesinje, on which we spent 340,000 KM.

What other projects are being implemented in the biggest town in the Republic of Srpska? — This year, we are planning to begin constructing two roundabouts

What is the situation with road infrastructure in the eastern part of the Republic of Srpska?

— During the first half of this year, we selected subcontractors and started building several intersections and road segments that are very important for the proper functioning of the road network in the Republic of Srpska and which we are going to fund. These are projects like the construction of a roundabout in East Sarajevo on the R446 regional road, and the construction

of a roundabout on the recently reconstructed section of the M6.1 highway in Nevesinje. Agreements and memoranda of cooperation on implementation of a number of projects were signed with several municipalities, including the agreement with the Municipality of Bratunac on the construction of a bypass, and the agreement with the Municipality of Vlasenica on the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of the M19 and M19.2 roads. Then there is the agreement with the Municipality of East Ilidža on the construction of a roundabout on the intersection of the M18 and R446 roads, and the agreement on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the R446 road, Lukavica-Pale. We have continued implementing some of the projects we started a few years ago, like construction and reconstruction on the Kotor Varoš-Kneževo regional road, the construction and reconstruction on the Podgradci-Mrakovica road and the construction and reconstruction on the Bronzani Majdan – the border between RS/the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina regional road.

What are your biggest operative problems?

— Just like most companies in the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske has mainly financial problems and the problems related to investing in road construction and modernization. You have probably heard that, in the first half of this year, there has been a delay in distribution of excise revenue. Public enterprises are entitled to some of this revenue and when the revenue was not allocated, we could not hire subcontractors to start working and not implement certain projects.

MORE ABOUT PE PUTEVI RS In the Republic of Srpska, public enterprise Putevi RS manages a network comprising of 4,132,102km of roads, out of which 1,766,106km are main roads, 2,142,856km are regional roads and 223,140 km are local roads of general interest, which were declared, by a special decree of the Government of the Republic of Srpska, as essential for the functioning of overall transport and traffic on the territory of the Republic of Srpska, and as such, given to Putevi RS to be managed. Public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske d.o.o. Banja Luka is doing its best on providing quality maintenance of the main and regional road network. By investing in the construction, modernization and reconstruction of roads and road facilities, public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske is working on raising the quality of the main and regional road network in the Republic of Srpska. In the first six months of 2018, public enterprise Putevi Republike Srpske generated a profit in the amount of 2,722,112 KM.

INTERVIEW

Contributing to Building a Better Society We believe in change, and through our activities, we strive to contribute to building a better society based on freedom, knowledge and innovation VESNA DJUKIĆ General Director of Belgrade Open School

As one of the first civil society organizations in Serbia, BOS has been continuously advocating the development of an incentivized environment in which CSOs, media, professional associations, trade unions, universities and all non-partisan and non-violent structures will act as a network of stakeholders responsible for defending and advancing open and democratic societies. Were you surprised when you were named as the recipient of the 2018 Diplomacy & Commerce Award, for your long-term contribution to the development of civil society in Serbia, and

furthermore, how often are values of the civil sector recognized in society?

— We were surprised, but also quite happy. This year, Belgrade Open School celebrates its 25th birthday, and the significant results that were accomplished in this

capacities of over 57,000 individuals, and over 300 organizations, institutions and companies. First and foremost, it is the institutions of the state that should recognize these results and achievements, since the good cooperation with organizations and their represent-

BOS HAS STRENGTHENED THE CAPACITY OF OVER 57,000 INDIVIDUALS AND OVER 300 ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND COMPANIES quarter of a century. All these years, we have worked hard on improving human resources development and public policies, and boosting the capacities of civil, public and business sectors. Trough educational activities, professional and mentoring support, and research and advocacy activities, BOS has strengthened the

atives had the biggest direct and indirect results on their work, activities and objectives. Business community and your magazine, which focuses mostly on business world and diplomacy, have both acknowledged BOS’ contribution. It makes sense that the business sector is the first to recognize the instigators of

change, but it would be commendable if the two remaining sectors did not lag behind much, as well. What was BOS’ biggest contribution to the development of civil society in these past 25 years?

— As one of the first civil society organizations in Serbia, BOS has been continuously advocating the development of an incentivized environment in which CSOs, media, professional associations, trade unions, universities and all non-partisan and non –violent structures will act as a network of stakeholders responsible for defending and advancing open and democratic societies. Over the course of its work, BOS has been working on putting its experience and the know-how in use trough writing projects, research and providing educational,

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professional and financial support to other civil society organizations. Civil society has an important role in regional cooperation, and BOS is among the first organizations that has established it, and implemented networking projects aimed at solving the problem that countries in the region face. BOS’s success is measured trough a number of established partnerships in which BOS has always sought to be a bridge between civil, public and private sectors. Some of the civil society initiatives and networks that BOS founded or co-founded include discussions about the EU Accession negotiations, Coalition 27, and the Good Energy Network as a part of the environmental protection field. BOS is also a member of several international networks, such as the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe.

sities for an entire year, it does not seem that hard to connect with them, get to know them, help them start their careers, and stay in touch with them long after the programme. We are always focused on the students whom we recognize, educate and nurture as future instigators of important changes in our society. We are now getting together and working with the Alumni Network, which counts over 1200 people that were a part of our main multidisciplinary oneyear programme.

of progress, and many challenges. There are numerous challenges, because we often work on the same things, and we invest a lot of energy and resources without being actually aware that we would achieve better results by coordinating these efforts and communication. There are also examples of excellent cooperation between these three sectors. For years, alongside the Ministry of Youth and Sports, BOS has been implementing projects through which we recruited and selected young people, in order to provide them

WE HAVE TO CHANGE OURSELVES, OUR WAY OF LIVING, OUR WORKING HABITS, AND THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN

You are one of the long-term advocates of the EU integration. What are your priorities in this segment particularly?

— The European integration remains a priority for us, but there is obvious fatigue coming from the entirety of the process. Serbia’s membership in the EU is constantly overshadowed by political topics, so we are talking very little about the things that are, perhaps, more important to regular people – how to find dignified work, how important education is for us, what we want for our children and young people, what kind of air we breathe, what kind of environment we want, and so on. An open, serious and responsible dialogue regarding these issues is essential – the EU standards and values are not going

Your portfolio comprises of educational, research and advocacy activities. How challenging is it to manage such a versatile organization?

— Managing, mentoring and developing mostly young people comprised out of different competencies with the goal of them being able to carry out complex and always innovative activities on a daily basis, is very challenging. On the other hand, it is quite motivating. BOS is a story about people. A story about students, lecturers, researchers, associates and partners. It is a story about a common desire to learn, change and contribute to the resolution of social problems. When I look back at the past 25 years of our organization and all the challenges and changes that we went through, I can say with certainty that we at BOS, have shaped and developed our organization, and transformed something which, at first glance, seemed incompatible, into something that is definitely complementary and highly practical. Young people are quite proud of attending the BOS educational programmes, and oftentimes, over the course of their professional careers, they tend to stay in touch with other BOS students. What is it that you offer, that cannot be found as a part of regular educational programmes?

— When you have the opportunity to gather, and then work with the best students of Belgrade univer-

BOS dedicates itself fully to each generation of its students – it nurtures and develops them with the help of a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and even more importantly, love and dedication, which is often left out of formal education. They know that they are at the very core of BOS, and that everything we do, we do for them, with them. We have been creating the great BOS family for years, that is interlaced with commitment, knowledge and love. I believe that the feeling of belonging to this sort of elite of spirit and knowledge is the reason why they feel so affectionate towards BOS. Is there a straight line of progress in the dialogue between the civil sector on the one hand, and business partners on the other hand, or, is this path laced with challenges? What is the quality of that dialogue today?

— I can see both – the straight line

with internship programmes. During these work practices, BOS also supplied training and career counseling, and as many as 80% of these young people remained working for the companies where they completed their internship. We also helped companies, and especially small and medium enterprises, with developing mentorship programmes, process of selection, and overall the programme of employee development. The representatives from all sectors are always invited to participate in each of our projects, every initiative for improvement of legislation, and every consultative meeting. Our goal is to recognize individuals, organizations, institutions and companies that are willing to change and improve themselves, their environment and the community in which they work, and respond to common needs through dialogue, networking, creation and advocacy of public policies.

to change the Serbian society automatically. We have to change ourselves, our way of living, our working habits, and the attitude towards the environment and the community we live in. That’s how BOS views the European integration process, and that’s how BOS devises and implements its activities accordingly. This implies working on and improving public policies trough concrete proposals for their change, fostering dialogue and connecting key stakeholders, which will enable the application of European standards and values within the state. In the end, we always have to work with people – individuals in local governments, civil society organizations, companies and large state systems such as ministries, because progress and change begin and end, successfully or unsuccessfully, in relation to how much people believe in them, and how ready they are to fight for them.

CORPORATE

New Jobs for Young People are Priority We realized long time ago that we do not have time to wait for the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Hezegovina to join the European Union, so we started bringing Europe to Lopare. Our key priority is to create good living and working conditions for the young people here and their families

RADO SAVIĆ President of Municipality of Lopare

„People come first to the leadership of the municipality of Lopare. The priority is finding employment for municipal residents because new jobs are both a guarantee and safety for young people living in this Majevica municipality. We pay equal attention to the socially most vulnerable categories, education, culture, and sports,” says Rado Savić, the municipal president. Lopare is a small municipality located at the foot of the Majevica Mountain, which was a deeply affected by the transition first, and the crisis later. After the privatization, several larger companies were plagued by problems and the number of unemployed, including those people with college and university degrees, rose and at one point the

unemployment rate was 40%. Like many other municipalities, Lopare faces the migration problem with young people here leaving for European countries. However, the well-thought out economic policy and fostering long-term relations with the diaspora yielded results, while investors, both foreign and those who had invested before, are now returning to Lopare. For decades, a third of the Lopare population has been living and working in Western Europe, but they invest most of their savings in their town of birth.

At the same time, business people living in the diaspora are bringing their German and Swiss business partners to Lopare, who are interested in investing in this municipality. Lopare is considered one of the more undeveloped municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska. Thankfully, Russian and other investors have shown interest in investing in it. Along with the construction of new production facilities, old production plants of former industrial giants, such as Termal and agricultural machinery

LOPARE IS ONE OF THE VERY FEW MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAS AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION WITH ITS DIASPORA. MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUCCEEDED IN BUSINESS ABROAD ARE NOW COMING BACK, WANTING TO INVEST IN THEIR HOMELAND

factory, have become operational again, after the decades-long recess. The aforementioned Termal used to export products to the markets of the former Yugoslavia, Austria and Germany before the war. The company was re-launched last year, after ten years of bankruptcy, and now it has a new radiator production line. Also, after a long break, the Table and Chair Factory was relaunched, which went bankrupt 14 years ago. A Chinese company is the majority owner of the factory, while the co-owners are from Belgrade and Bijeljina. Also, there is a plan to develop tourist offer here which includes building a hotel, a weekend resort, apartments for sale, ski slopes, a ski lift, a lookout, a man-made lake, hiking trails and sports grounds in Busija near Lopare. The construction of a car camping facility, spanning 13,000 square metres, in the village of Mačkovac near Lopare, began in August this year, and when completed in the spring of next year, the camp will offer recreational activities, cycling, hiking and other activities. This camp will also serve as 'a springboard' for other tourist attractions Lopare can offer. At the beginning of this year, the first job fair took place here as a result of positive economic development in the previous year, which was spurred by new jobs in areas that revived or expanded their economic activities.

Why has Lopare been so appealing to foreign investors for years? What attracts them to your municipality? — Today, Lopare is a modern mu-

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nicipality with its residents having access to almost everything that people in any part of Europe also have access to. We realized long time ago that we do not have time to wait for the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Hezegovina to join the European Union, so we started bringing Europe to Lopare. We work and act according to the standards and rules that apply in the developed world, which is the reason why we have managed to develop Lopare, as an example to others.

Are there enough jobs for young and professional people here?

— In the past year, 392 new jobs were created in Lopare, and we also carried out activities that made the municipality economically stronger. The municipal budget has increased by 10% compared to the previous year and currently amounts to 5,380,000 KM. This allows us to fulfill all of our obligations toward our residents on time and to provide help when people need it. The municipality exists because of people, not vice versa. The Termal boiler and radiator factory, the only factory of this kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the

driving force of the economy of the Majevica region, has become operational again. For the time being, Termal has 72 employees, and the average salary in the company is 900 KM. The company plans to expand its production when all the production facilities are completely launched, and once that is done, it will have

pated in the prestigious furniture fair in Guangzhou, China. By doing so, the company also represented our municipality. In the past few months, numerous foreign investors from Germany have visited the Lopare Municipality. They are interested in launching metal and meat processing companies here. There were also

WE WORK AND ACT ACCORDING TO THE STANDARDS AND RULES THAT APPLY IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE HAVE MANAGED TO DEVELOP LOPARE, AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS

170 employees, which is considered a significant success for our municipality. The wood processing company Wood World has also launched its production, and they export all of their products – steamed wood and semi-products made from beech – to China. This company has hired 50 workers so far, and following the launch of new product lines, it will employ even more. It has recently partici-

several investors from Turkey who were interested in taking over bull breeding and poultry farms. At the beginning of the year Dragan Jović, a successful businessman from Austria, who was born here, started planting a 50-hectare-orchard with 40,000 plum trees. This fits the spirit of the Majevica region perfectly because we are known for our plums and plum brandy.

You are a good example of how

diaspora and domestic investors can work together. What is your recipe for winning over the people from diaspora?

— We, just like the entire Republic of Srpska, have been facing the problem of migration and our residents leaving for the countries in Western Europe. Lopare is one of the very few municipalities that has an excellent communication with its diaspora. Many people who have succeeded in business abroad are now coming back, wanting to invest in their homeland, create new jobs and live in Lopare. Their know-how and experience are valuable to local business people too.

How much did life in Lopare change thanks to investments?

— We have a good potential for development, we know what our advantages are, and we have quality people. We overcame many problems and we are focusing on the future which lies with young people and knowledge. The adopted population policy, and the annual budget allocation of 50,000 KM in support of a higher birthrate, are already giving results. We also trying to help young parents in other ways too.

MUNICIPALITY THAT PEOPLE COME TO What do citizens see as the immediate benefit of investments? How does the municipality use the available resources? — We want Lopare to be the municipality that people come to, not leave. We are aware of the fact that in order to have good life, having a job does not suffice. We also need the so-called "social upgrade" - culture, art, and sports. We have been investing more and more in these segments, to the satisfaction of our citizens. We are especially proud of our volleyball club, which became the champion of the Republic of Srpska, never ever losing a game. They really represent our municipality in the best possible way.

CORPORATE

The Art of Communication Human factor still plays the decisive role regardless of technological innovations

Srdjan Šaper

I&F McCann Grupa hosted the leaders of agencies from Europe and US operating within McCann Worldgroup. Srdjan Šaper, founder of I&F McCann Grupa, says that that was an opportunity to discuss the future of marketing in a time rife with new challenges for the industry. "In our, as well as in the Nordic region and the United States, or in any part of the world where McCann is present, the relationship between clients and agencies is reduced to human communication skills. Mutual respect and good business knowledge, plus the understanding of the problems that clients have, good listening skills, open and honest expression of one's opinion, sharing the same ethical and business values, and teamwork on branding and campaigning are the prerequisites for joint success. And, of course, people are at the beginning and the end of the process," Šaper said. Among many others, Grupa welcomed Nannette Lafond-Dufour, President, Global Clients & Business Leadership at McCann Worldgroup New York, and Mark Lund, CEO at McCann Worldgroup UK, to Belgrade, where they shared their vision of global changes in advertising, while underlining the increasingly bigger influence that the agencies from our region have. „The creativity in this part of Europe is very strong. Serbia, Romania and the Czech Republic are examples of the countries where creativity flourishes while having a strong cultural impact on the

Nannette Lafond-Dufour

local market. At the same time, the impact that these countries have on the international market is also very noticeable," said Mark Lund. Nannette Dufour shares Mr. Lund's opinion and adds:“There is a really big potential here. Although the time I spent here was short, I was in awe of the energy of the people, their warmth, richness of culture, exceptional food and good wine. If I had to identify the source of creativity, I would say – the people. Here, people have wonderful energy and passion, which gives birth to an exceptional, globally recognizable creativity."

Mark Lund

marketing campaigns. There has to be a balance between these two things. Each brand requires a different balance. Technology requires a very global approach, for example, while food production places greater importance on local approach. What we can do is to help clients find the right balance for their brand and help them to become significant in every market,“ Ms Dufour said. We live in times of technological advancement, new channels of communication, and changes in the way people communicate and that significantly affects the industry. "People still remain the foundation

KNOWLEDGE SHARING IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS OF A GLOBAL NETWORK LIKE MCCANN WORLDGROUP The meeting in Belgrade contributed to the exchange of experiences that the leading agencies across Europe and the United States have accumulated over decades of working with clients from different industries. Knowledge sharing is one of the biggest benefits of a global network like McCann Worldgroup. "We try to understand each market well. That's why we conduct a detailed research, like "Truth About Global Brands". We have found that the sense of nationality is increasing in some markets, while on the other hand, there are brands that want to operate more efficiently. If you understand the local culture and the role of the brand you are working for, then you can devise successful

of everything, and people make companies and agencies. It is important for clients to work with teams that know their industry well and are committed to the development of their brand. The human factor still plays a decisive role regardless of technological innovations. Creativity, that thing that comes from the heart and soul, will remain at the centre of what we do," Mr. Lund said. "There are many more ways to reach consumers, many more channels too. We often hear that this is the most challenging time to advertise, but I think that everything is still about good ideas, or rather coming up with the ideas how to solve our clients' business challenges. Today, we have many more

ways to express ourselves while the existing platforms allow us to reach people in real time with the right message. Messages are now more personal, tailor-made, and so much more important. I really think this is a wonderful and exciting time," added Ms. Dufour. While many see the future of advertising as a period of uncertainty that will bring many new challenges and constraints, the leaders of the McCann network agree that the essence of our work will remain the same. "It has become clear that we are becoming more and more informed at a time when data is easily accessible to us and that we need the power to process it. Great marketing is expressed through strategy, design, and a well-told story," says Mark Lund. The two speakers have a message for everyone contemplating a career in marketing – they say that it is a job where you are working with talented people, where you are a part of a continous creative process and where you participate with clients in creation of their brands that consumers love and appreciate. Srdjan Šaper also has a message for people who want to enter the world of advertising, and that is to read a lot, have a network of social contacts that makes them socially relevant, to be cheerful and optimistic, work with other people, and that getting up early in the morning does not negatively affect creativity. On the contrary, he adds: "Watch the world with eyes wide open and be curious, responsible, and brave. "

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THE BARGAINING STAGE

The White House Makes a Last-Minute Proposal on Drug Prices Donald Trump wants to reduce drug prices. Good

Truvada is an extraordinary drug. Take one a day, and the chance of contracting HIV is reduced by up to 99%. Even without a cure for the disease, if all people at high risk of contracting it took the prophylactic pill, HIV would eventually be snuffed out. But a big problem is cost. There are 1.1m Americans, mainly gay and bisexual men, who should be on the pill, according to the Centres for Disease Control. In fact only 200,000 are taking it. A course of treatment costs $2,000 per month—nearly 45% higher than in 2013. In Britain generic versions of the pills available online mean the same treatment costs just £45. Such exceptional disparities in drug prices are typical in America. Pharmaceutical spending is the highest in the OECD club of mostly rich countries, at $1,174 per person—more than twice as much as in Britain. Voters have grown tired of the price-gouging. Over the past five years, prices of the 20 most-prescribed brandname drugs have rocketed at ten times the rate of inflation. Out-of-pocket costs, the cash payments made for treatment that are not covered by health-insurance premiums, have spiked. For these reasons, health care has been the subject of nearly half of all political advertisements on television in the run-up to the mid-terms. On October 25th President Donald Trump unveiled a new pitch for reducing drug prices: letting Medicare, the government health programme for the elderly, set prices based on an international index. Unlike previous runs at controlling the costs, the proposal would be carried out by regulatory fiat and therefore would not require an act of Congress, a crucial distinction if the proposal is to stick, given the number of pharmaceutical lobbyists loitering round the Capitol. The proposal is sensible, though limited. It applies only to drugs covered by Part B of Medicare, representing just 5% of drug costs in America. “You can reference to other countries, but what are other countries doing? They’re having very structured negotiations with pharmaceutical companies about the value of a drug,” says Shawn Bishop of the Commonwealth Fund, a health-policy think-tank. “This is rational—this is something America can do. If we’re so exceptional, we could even do it better,” she adds. This modest scheme, along with an earlier rule requiring drug companies to disclose prices in television advertisements, constitutes the Republican Party’s closing argu-

Democrats, who have pushed policies similar to the president’s for years, claim to be unimpressed. “The president’s policy proposal around drug-price reduction, coming in the closing days of a competitive campaign where he’s afraid that he may lose the House of Representatives, is too little too late,” says Hakeem Jeffries, a Democratic congressman representing New York. “When Democrats are in the majority, we can have a real conversation about how to drive down the high cost of prescription-drug prices.” Mr Jeffries says Democrats would begin by giving Medicare the ability to bargain directly for lower drug prices, which it cannot do now.

SO SUE ME

EXORBITANT DRUG PRICES OWE LESS TO WONDROUS INNOVATION THAN INTERFERENCE WITH NORMALLY FUNCTIONING MARKETS ment on health care ahead of the elections on November 6th. The ideas are serious enough to have prompted howls from pharmaceutical lobbyists, who have issued apocalyptic warnings about “foreign price controls from countries with socialised health-care systems that deny their citizens access and discourage innovation”. Forget for a moment that rich countries with socialised health-care systems have higher life expectancies than America. Exorbitant drug prices owe less to wondrous innovation than interference with normally functioning markets: pharmaceutical companies engage in anti-competitive behaviour, such as paying off generic-drug manufacturers to delay production after patents expire, refusing to grant enough sample drugs to generic producers, and creating “patent thickets” that successfully ward off competitors. Humira, a top-selling immunosuppressant, is ensconced in a web of 100 interlocking patents.

Health care is a tricky subject for Republicans standing in the mid-terms. They have spent nearly a decade raging against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a sweeping reform better known as Obamacare that is now enjoying a spurt of popularity. Before the ACA, insurance companies were able to deny coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. Reversing that has now become yet another live rail. So some candidates have turned to dissembling. Josh Hawley, the Republican attorney-general in Missouri, who is running for a Senate seat, put out a touching campaign ad saying that he would protect people with pre-existing conditions because his eldest son has one. In fact Mr Hawley is, along with other Republican state attorneys-general, party to a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the entire ACA. Although Mr Trump insists that “Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not!”, his administration is not walking the tweet. The White House is pushing “short-term” health-insurance policies available for three years, which would not comply with the ACA. By drawing off healthier patients, these plans are expected to increase premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. The administration seems to be doing its utmost to destabilise the health-insurance exchanges created by Obamacare by cutting funding for outreach, ditching the requirement that everyone must get insurance and stopping legally required reimbursement payments to insurance firms. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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CORPORATE

Back to the Future The journey of an Australian Serbian lawyer connecting with his roots, turned into something so much more

ANDREW JANKOVIĆ Lawyer

All I wanted to do, was to learn some Serbian. However, little did I realize, that such simple wishes would eventuate into something so much more. Belgrade, Serbia would become my new home, and I would eventually start working for Milojević Sekulić & Associates (MSA), specializing in the area of Law that is my passion, Intellectual Property. My return flight home to Melbourne, Australia would be indefinitely postponed as I would fall in love with the city of Belgrade, and everything that came with it. I had come to Serbia in October, 2015, in order to reconnect with my Serbian heritage. Since then, I have been on an unpredictable but delightful journey. After two years of working and studying online in Belgrade, it was my goal to seriously pursue the opportunity of further developing my career in law, in a foreign country. The idea of working in a different jurisdiction, to expand my knowledge and skills within the world of IP was truly exciting. After researching and sending applications to law offices operating in IP, I was extremely excited and grateful when Vuk and Milan, the managing partners of MSA, gave me the opportunity to work for their highly esteemed firm. Once I began working at MSA, immediately I noticed many unique and notable differences to my law experiences in Australia. The relevant laws shifted from a national focus, to understanding EU legislative framework and how such laws are harmonized not just amongst EU member states, but across Europe as a whole. This understanding is further enhanced by working in Serbia and for MSA, because this is where EU laws are drawn in contrast to

non-EU countries, highlighting the differences and unique functionality of each jurisdiction. Working in a multi-jurisdictional practice and representing clients from a vast region in South East Europe, provides for a challenging working environment and allows me to fulfil my passion to practice in IP Law but in a truly international context. However, despite Australia being so far away, the geographic separation was not enough to prevent me from working with Australian law. I was surprised and delighted when Vuk and Milan told me that the trademark search reports prepared for their clients spread far and wide, concerning countries all around the world, including Australia. I commenced to work on the Australian search reports, which exclusively required the knowledge and application of Australian trademark laws. Never would I have imagined that such country specific knowledge would be utilized in an overseas law firm, let alone a firm operating in the

country of my ancestors. The firm’s international presence is not only felt in the work I do, but in the office environment as well. Vuk and Milan have assembled a skilled and dynamic team to cater for the demands of the modern globalised business world. From day one my colleagues were extremely welcoming and helpful in my transition to working in a foreign company. I was further pleased to find out that MSA already had several employees who were foreigners, living in Belgrade and charmed by the unfamiliar and

WORKING IN A MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PRACTICE AND REPRESENTING CLIENTS FROM A VAST REGION OF SOUTH EAST EUROPE PROVIDES FOR A CHALLENGING WORKING ENVIRONMENT

vibrant lifestyle the city has to offer. One of the “foreigners” is US native John O’Brien, who had practiced as an attorney in Chicago for eight years. Inspired by his Serbian friends in Chicago, he embarked on a simple holiday trip to the Balkans which in turn convinced him into making a “sea change”. The move eventually proved a permanent one when John would join MSA and like myself after him, was enthralled at the opportunity to expand his law career internationally. The international makeup of the office continues to reach around the globe, including France, Ukraine and Ethiopia, making for a fascinating workplace for all MSA employees to hear and learn of each other’s captivating journey. Coming to Serbia has been a deeply fulfilling journey, that has satisfied my emotions in respect to my family and myself spiritually. It was not my intention to come here for career purposes, however, through embracing Belgrade as my new home I have been rewarded with an invaluable opportunity, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. After living here for three years it has been extremely exciting to see countless young foreigners drawn to the city for a variety of reasons. I am positive that this trend will continue to grow as more and more young “foreigners” realize and pursue the unique opportunities that Serbia can offer, and like myself, will be warmly reciprocated.

CORPORATE

We Understand Changes and we Embrace Them Mediasphere is an area of constant change. Opportunities are great providing you know what is your goal and which way to direct your resources. Our advantage is that we conduct deep media analyses which is why we are the absolute leader in what we do

DRAGAN RADIĆ Founder and Director General of Ninamedia

Next year, Ninamedia celebrates its comingof-age – the 18th anniversary. This company has not only changed the ways in which it performs its core activities in order to adapt to market trends in the media segment, but has also been constantly expanding its service portfolio, while investing in new technology and people. As of this year, Ninamedia is in the software industry too with its partners from UnderIT and the company sees this a great opportunity to expand its service portfolio in a completely new direction. Symbolically speaking, Ninamedia’s new business centre is the foundation on which the company’s development plans are based. The implementation of the latest technical and technological solutions has created prerequisites for the formation of NIMMA HUB – a unique business hub where, as a result of the cooperation with partner companies, Ninamedia will provide an integrated answer to the needs of modern-day businesses in the regional market. “This automatically generates new plans and new goals”, says Dragan Radić, Founder and Director General of Ninamedia.

Media segment, an area in which your company operates,

is prone to changes and open to different influences. How do all these factors affect your business and how difficult is it to adapt to them?

— Certainly, different media trends affect the changes in our line of business, which is not necessarily a bad thing. For us, these changes bring constant learning, improvement and advancement. Today, it is much more complex and complicated to monitor and analyse media, primarily because the number of media has increased with the arrival of online media, but also because there is a more complex perception and need for analyses so that the emphasis that is currently on tra-

which a message is conveyed have become quite diversified so nowadays, we are not only talking about information that should be analysed and presented in a comparable way, meaning in the form of text, word and sentence but also about emoticons, likes, shares and video of GIF/ meme reactions. The expansion of the media platform has also increased the volume of our business and multiplied the number of services we provide.

Could you compare today’s Ninamedia to the one from 2008 when you embarked on the pronounced development of the company’s new services?

THE EXPANSION OF THE MEDIA PLATFORM HAS ALSO INCREASED THE VOLUME OF OUR BUSINESS AND MULTIPLIED THE NUMBER OF SERVICES WE PROVIDE ditional, one-directional messages and the feedback from the press, TV and radio can be supplemented with the reactions from the users, who, in effect, have become media unto themselves. Apart from increasing the number of media that we are monitoring, the emergence of online platforms has also generated a need to analyse the opinions of users via their comments on web portals, and their reactions on publicly available social media that are not expressed only in the textual form. Also, the ways in

— Ninamedia’s evolution has been marked by the company gradually specializing in different segments. By closely following technological changes and market needs, we have managed to attain a 70% share in the national media monitoring market, which includes monitoring of electronic, print and web media, social media and media exposure analyses. We are highly positioned in the field of market research, opinion polling, and translation services, and we have our own media production. During the last two years,

we have been actively involved in event organization, or more specifically festival organization. As of this year, Ninamedia is in the software industry too with its partners from UnderIT and the company sees this a great opportunity to expand its service portfolio in a completely new direction. Thinking back from this time distance, I can see that we have been reacting instinctually for the majority of the 17 years of our existence – expanding our service portfolio, cutting back on our logistics expenses, and investing in technology and infrastructure, primarily into our employees.

Who are your key partners? How important is the data that you collate for them? How integrated are your services with your clients’ operations? — Our clients come from different areas - from real market stakeholders like companies and non-profit organizations to state institutions, public companies, individuals and the media. Ninamedia’s team is at their disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This is something that is recognized and appreciated. We tailor our services to the needs of our clients and approach everyone with equal importance.

How do you view digitisation in Serbia from your company’s perspective and how does new technology affect your inter-

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that there are many companies that can boast this considering that we are the absolute leader in what we do. Ninamedia’s new business centre is the foundation on which the company’s development plans are based. Apart from further enhancing the quality and efficiency of Ninamedia’s current services, the latest technical and technological solutions have created prerequisites for the formation of NIMMA HUB – a unique business hub where, as a result of the cooperation with partner companies, Ninamedia will give an integrated answer to the needs of modern-day business in the regional market. This automatically generates new plans and new goals

Do you think that business associations are now more agile in the way they are organized and in lobbying for economic changes?

nal organisation and the way in which you work?

— As I have stated in the beginning, all changes in mediasphere affect the way we do business in our company. Next year, our company is celebrating its 18th anniversary and in that period, we have gone through various processes. The most important thing is that we embraced every change that came our way and never lagged behind. This year we have moved into a new building, which was purposefully designed to fit our industry and the activities that we do. Also, this is a state-of-the-art building of this type on a regional scale which means that we are already a step ahead of the changes that might come our way.

OUR CLIENTS ARE COMPANIES, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, STATE INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC COMPANIES, INDIVIDUALS AND THE MEDIA. NINAMEDIA’S TEAM IS AT THEIR DISPOSAL 24/7

— Our country does have associations that comprise of top-notch experts; people who are at the helm of serious companies and are expanding their businesses thus positively contributing to the economy. Maybe these changes are still not visible enough but they could and should serve as an example of a good business format so that, speaking long-term, economic changes could achieve positive results.

How would you describe the business climate in your line of business? Is there room for further business growth in this context and have you been contemplating expansion? — In terms of the business climate in mediasphere, you have to bear in mind that this is a segment that has been perpetually developing. Opportunities are great providing you know what is your goal and which way to direct your resources. Our advantage is that we conduct deep media analyses and that we are ready for whatever change might come our way. I am not sure

INTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Releasing Fear is our Mission

I often hear from our people living abroad that our show is the only source of information for them about what is going on in their homeland. I think that people want to hear the truth, particularly when there is an ocean of lies and 'spinned' news, as you call them

ZORAN KESIĆ TV show host, 24 Minuta, Njuznet

In his show – 24 Minuta, Zoran Kesić deconstructs all myths, lies and scams, stigmatizes every nonsense, and entertains the viewers with his brilliant humor. We talked to him about the burning issues in Serbia and the world. What does he like in the country? Our people? Our beautiful rivers and lakes? Our famous history? Our mineral wealth? None of that! „I'm not leaving this country because of the people – both the people close to me and those that I meet. My patriotism is people. They are my Serbia that I love the most in the world,“ said Mr. Kesić. Back in the USSR, humorists Ilf and Petrov were given a luxury flat while Stalin laughed out loud at their ridicule of the then Soviet reality, while, on the other hand, people were sent to gulags for the slightest 'serious' criticism. How applicable is Oscar Wilde's quote – „if you want to

tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh“ – today?

— Well, it seems that times were better during Stalin, at least for humourists. Unlike the mentioned colleagues, I am still renting the flat that I live in. Laughter and satire are a nice shortcut to get the attention of readers and viewers. It is easier to process a difficult topic if it involves a joke. We, I

er, we are stripping them down while revealing their true nature. We are opening people's eyes and eliminating the prefix 'taboo' from 'taboo' topics by turning them into legitimate issues. The other school of thought says that if you have a humorous approach to politicians and you mock them, we are atrophying; we are killing people's justified anger. Instead of people angrily turning against those who make their life worse, satirists reduce it all down to jokes and laughter. In the first case we are directly working under the influence of foreign embassies, the West, the Vatican, NATO, Soros and the opposition, and in the second case, we are instructed by the authorities to be a tranquilizer for the people. Sooner or

THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD LIVE IN A SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRY EVEN IF YOU PROMISED ME HUGE RICHES mean our show, are interested in heavy topics, but we also chose to be humourists. Actually, I don't believe that that is even a choice; we are simpy made that way and we are bored if there is no humour around. I am speaking about my team, of course. They are two schools of thoughts when it comes to laughing (or mocking) about heavy topics. One school of thought says that if we mock awful things or bad moves done by those in pow-

later, my team and I would have to come to a conclusion which one of these two are we. Sometimes, people think that American formats cannot be easily used here, but you have proved them wrong. It's the shows like yours that have become the release for civil frustration.

— As fans of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, we wanted to try to make a political / satirical TV show

like theirs. I always say that the great John Stewart was a big inspiration for us, but that our show has been developing independently from our American role models. It looks to me that our show is more bitter than our American counterparts' which is due to the topics we cover. A release? Well, you can use that expression, but the show is not only the release for civil frustration, but for our, i.e. the people who create the show, frustration too. Since social media have become alternative information channels, do you think that we can draw more social truths from today's humour, the series like the Simpsons or the South Park, or your show, than from the spinned news?

— I often hear from our people living abroad that our show is the only source of information for them about what is going on in their homeland. I think that people want to hear the truth, particularly when there is an ocean of lies and 'spinned' news, as you call them. We are not talking only about lies here because oftentimes, the topics that we are offering to our readers or viewers are even more perfidious than lies. Let's use those abominable reality shows as an example. There are media which present portray themselves as serious, and yet, daily, they report about what is happening in those reality shows while ooohing and aaahing with

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contempt and disgust when they talk about what did the reality show participants did under the covers last night. “Please, click here to see the shameful programming that is poisoning our youth.” In such media world, truth is incidental. The seven of us, who make each episode, have no proof that our approach to politics, society, the Universe and life’s purpose is the right one. But what we can guarantee you that we stand behind everything we say in the show, and that our viewers recognize our honesty. On top of that, when we ‘wrap’ all of that into humour, we are irresistible, right? You were quoted as saying once that there „is no way that we can become boring like Denmark'. Do you think that we can become 'boring' maybe like Spain because they did manage to keep their kooky southern spirit and yet be prosperous. What are the Balkan people doing wrong and why can't they do the same?

— I honestly don't know. I find it hard to speak about the Balkan people, because I find it hard to speak about Serbs, Croats, people from Novi Sad, miners, mailmen, prostitutes... I view them as individuals, as people who have a name and who are important. I cannot understand how can someobody generalize or speak about mentality of certain nations in general terms. Historians have a better explanation why we, in the Balkans, live worse than the people in, let's say, the Scandinavian countries. Still, there is no way I would live in a Scandinavian country even if you promised me huge riches. So, what do I love here? Our people? Our beautiful rivers and lakes? Our famous history? Our mineral wealth? None of that! I'm not leaving this country because of the people – both the people close to me and those that I meet. My patriotism is people. They are my Serbia that I love the most in the world You said that your greatest satisfication was to irritate the people in power who have a decisive influence on our lives. Can David truly beat Goliath in the long-run? Can he re-shape the consciousness?

— If you are talking about the show, Goliath is not the people in power. Actually, I stand corrected. It's not ONLY the people in power. The Goliath that we are fighting against is first and foremost, stupidity, fakeness, insincerety,

phoniness... Truth is that I like to irriate those who irritate me. If there is nothing else that I can do, then I'll do that. Our fight is in vain and we have lost in advance. There is no chance that we are going to win. But that doesn't render this fight uneccessary. On the contrary, it is quite necessary. We need to sling mud at liars. Well, I would rather use the word „s**t“ instead of „mud“, but I don't think you are going to publish that. The s**tty face of a liar is easier to recognize.

Goliath, but he will fight until the very end because that is the only thing he can do. Is there censorship in the media? Did you feel it on your skin?

— I can somehow compare censorship to rape where the rape victim is hiding because they are ashamed. Or because they want to preserve a marriage or keep a job. The rape continues and everybody else could see it's a rape, but only the victim is ignoring it. At first, my team and I tried to

DAVID WILL NOT WIN OVER GOLIATH, BUT HE WILL FIGHT UNTIL THE VERY END BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY THING HE CAN DO They won't be able to trick people by hiding behind the mask of a benefactor, because people could smell the stench. They will go „oh, look, there goes that s**tty face, I don't believe him anymore“. Releasing fear is our mission. I don't think that David will win over

defend ourselves from censorship without anybody's help. Then, we shouted for help when 'the rapist' would brazenly approach us. Maybe they don't approach us anymore because they know we would 'scream'. Sometimes, our TV station's management thinks

NEVER STEP INTO FOREIGN EMBASSY You are accused of being too chummy with foreign embassies. But that is not the case, no? — Yes, it is the aforementioned characters that accuse me of making our show to suit the opinions of foreign embassies, although never in my life did I step into a foreign embassy. And the irony is that foreign embassies constantly send me letters containing invitations to receptions, parties, summer, spring and winter gatherings, celebrations of dependence or independence days, traditional cocktail parties and whatnot. I guess they've heard that I am a real party animal. I've been invited by the Americans, Italians, Germans, but it is simply not my thing to attend such events. But I can see that there are people who LOVE these events and would not miss them for anything. If you catch my drift....

that we have overdone it with criticism, that we are not objective, that we are even vulgar, or that our comments were inappropriate and they ask us to change it. It is up to us whether we are going to listen to them or not. Such arguing back and forth happens only occasionally and definitely has no impact on what is our show going to look like. I have to say that, on a couple of occasions, I have noticed that the management was right and we took their opinion on board. On the other hand, the fact that the reruns of our show were taken off air two or three years ago without any logical explanation, speaks in favour of what I said earlier, namely that TV tolerates us (they have to because we have the biggest viewership), but still don't want to see too much of us. Following Bolsonaro's victory and the victories of other „deranged right-wing“ politicians we are getting more material for satire and satire is going to be our main weapon because, by default, these politicians have no sense of humour.

— There is more and more material for satire. Many of them have pretty radical ideas how to solve certain problems. Stupidity does not only grow in our part of the world and that is comforting to know. Our show is often targetted by certain ultra right-wingers who are accusing us of „demeaning our own people“. I think that these right-wingers are simply idiots and I would love them to know what I think of them. Shame on them! By switching arguments, they are now accusing us of being traitors simply because we are pointing to what is wrong so that we, as a society, can be more honest towards ourselves and our neighbours, and to be better, more successful and healthier. And these idiots, who have reduced patriotism to hating others – gay people, Croatians, Albanians, Catholics, Muslims, people who have a speech impediment – they are supposedly the only real Serbs. Horrible people! Just horrible! What are your future plans now that you have established yourself as a brand professionally, and are a father and a husband privately?

— If I told you that, I would have to kill you. And to kill you, I would have to lure you into an embassy first. There! An inappropriate joke for the end of this interview.

PEOPLE & EVENTS

13 AMBASSADOR OCT

LEBANON HOSTED A DINNER

H.E. Nada Al Akl and Serbian Patriarch, Irinej

19 180th OCT

ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Jovan is in official visit to the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian Patriarch Irinej, with whom he will visit Serbian holy places in Montenegro and Kosovo and Metohija. Ambassador of Lebanon, H.E. Nada Al Akl,

H.E. Nada Al Akl, and Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Jovan

Belgrade hosted twenty representatives of the Russian Federation, members of the Youth Parliament of the State Duma and the Diplomatic Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, as well as representatives of other state institutions and organizations working with youth at the Young Leadership Conference Serbia and Russia, marking the 180th anniversary of the establishment of

H.E. Alexander Chepurin, Ambassador of Russia to Serbia

19 62nd ANNIVERSARY OCT

OF THE HUNGARY REVOLUTION

H.E. Ambassador Attila Pinter

hosted the Hyatt Regency Hotel, a dinner in honor of the distinguished guest, attended by Serbian Patriarch Irinej and other high representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, numerous statesmen and politicians, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.

diplomatic relations between the two nations. At the end of the conference, a Resolution on youth cooperation between the two nations was signed, which sent a clear message that young people are ready to fight for the welfare and interests of their countries, through the development of effective solutions in the field of diplomacy, education, entrepreneurship and politics.

Zoran Radojičić, Mayor of Belgrade and H.E. Alexander Chepurin, Ambassador of Russia to Serbia

A reception was held in the embassy of Hungary in Belgrade on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the revolution in this country. The reception was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, politicians, ministers, as well as media and personalities from the world of culture, while H.E. Ambassador Attila

Pinter held a speech. We recall that the revolution in Hungary took place in 1956, when a large number of the inhabitants of this country temporarily flew into Yugoslavia. A few inhabitants settled permanently in these areas, mostly in the area of Palic, while a large part emigrated to America, Canada and Australia.

H.E. Gordan Bakota, Croatian Ambassador and H.E.Tanju Bilgiç, Ambassador of Turkey

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21 THE STAND OF OCT

MOROCCO AT THE BOOK FAIR

The Ministers of Culture of Serbia and Morocco, Vladan Vukosavljević and Mohamed El Araz, opened a stand of Morocco, honorary guest of the largest literary event in the region at the 63rd International Belgrade Book Fair tonight. Vukosavljevic said that this is the first time that the honorary

guest of the Book Fair in Belgrade is the country of the Arabian speaking area. El Araz said that the fact that Morocco is the first Arab country to be the honorary guest of the Belgrade Book Fair is an honor not only for the Kingdom of Morocco, but also for the Arab culture to which Morocco makes a vital contribution.

Mohamed El Araz and H.E.Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Ambassador of Morocco

23 COCKTAIL ON THE OCT

OCCASION OF THE 34th BELGRADE JAZZ FESTIVAL

H.E. Isabela Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert and Jelisaveta Karadjordjević

24 “AZTEC EAGLE” OCT

TO LEPOSAVA MILOŠEVIĆ SIBINOVIĆ

The Embassy of Brazil in Belgrade organized a cocktail at the Main Hall of the Youth Center on the occasion of the opening of the 34th Belgrade Jazz Festival. All the guests were entertained by DJ Patife, one of the most popular Brazilian DJs, the vice president of the Brazilian drum and bass sound that

The Ministers of Culture of Serbia and Morocco, Vladan Vukosavljević and Mohamed El Araz

perfectly fits the bass with new and samba. Brazilian ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Isabel Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert, as well as festival organizers, addressed the attendees. Among the officials was also Princess Jelisaveta Karadjordjević, a great admirer of Brazilian culture and art.

H.E. Alona Fisher-Kamm, Ambassador of Israel and Daniel Berg

Serbian academic sculptor and painter Mr. Leposava Milošević Sibinović was awarded the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, in the grade of insignia, for its forty years promotion of the Mexican culture and civilization and is contribution to cultural cooperation between Serbia and Mexico. Award Ceremony took place on Wednesday, October 24th , at the residency of the Mexican ambassador to Serbia, HE Marko Antonio

Mr. Leposava Milošević Sibinović and HE Marko Antonio Garcia Blanko

Garcia Blanko, with the presence of ambassadors of several Latin American countries, Serbian government representatives and many distinguished artist, journalist, editors, friends and members of the Latin-American community in Serbia. Mrs. Lepa, realized about 50 different projects all over the world presenting to the public the beauty and high values of Mexican fine arts, literature, cinematography, tradition and customs.

H.E. Augusto José Pestana Saraiva Peixoto, Ambassador of Portugal, Mrs. Eloísa Beatriz Méndez, Gutiérrez, wife of Ambassador Mexica, H.E. Isabela Cristina de AZEVEDO HEYVAERT, Ambassador of Brazil and HE Marko Antonio Garcia Blanko

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

26 COLLECTION OF OCT

BOOKS FOR NEW PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE IN CAIRO

Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia received from Minister of Culture a collection of books by select Serbian authors for new Presidential office in Cairo while reciprocating the gift of books to renowned Serbian libraries. Ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Amr Aljowaily hosted a ceremony in honor of Vladan Vukosavljevic, Minister of

Culture and Media, in recognition of the contribution by National Library of Serbia, University Library “Svetozar Marković”, and Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts of a collection of books to be displayed at the Serbian Pavilion of International Library at the Presidential Office in the new Administrative Capital, in Egypt.

Vladan Vukosavljevic and H.E. Amr Aljowaily

26 SLOVENIAN BUSINESS OCT

CLUB IN BELGRADE MARKED “MARTINOVANJE”

The Slovenian business club in Belgrade marked the “Martinovanje”, or St.Martin’s Day, a special program. This holiday marks the end of field work and the baptism of a young wine. Then, according to belief, the young wine

“matured”, and the celebration is dedicated to all worthy hosts. “Martinovanje” was gathered in Belgrade by a large number of guests who had great fun with the rich program.

Monsignor Stanislav Hočevar, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Belgrade

29 NATIONAL DAY OF THE OCT

CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA

Danijela Fišakov, President of the Slovenian Business Club

The National Day of the Czech Republic and Slovakia is marked by reception at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Belgrade. Slovak Ambassador in Serbia Dagmar Repčeková and ambassador of the Czech Republic

Tomáš Kuchta welcomed all the attendees and then toasted them and invited them to a festive cocktail. The reception was attended by representatives of other embassies as well as members of the Belgrade diplomatic corps.

H.E. Tomáš Kuchta and H.E. Dagmar Repčeková

H.E. Sem Fabrizi, Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, H.E. Ruth Stewart, Austrian Ambassador and H.E. Thomas Schieb, Ambassador of Germany

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29 NATIONAL DAY OF OCT

TURKEY CELEBRATED IN BELGRADE

H.E. Tanju Bilgiç and Zoran Djordjević,Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs

31 AFA LEADERSHIP OCT

SUMMIT IS HELD IN BELGRADE

the Serbian Armed Forces, diplomatic corps, religious communities and the media. Recall, Turkey celebrates that holiday as a memorial on October 29, 1923, when the then Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk officially proclaimed the republic.

The National Day of Turkey, Republic Day, was celebrated yesterday at the Hyatt Hotel, organized by Turkish Ambassador to Serbia Tanju Bilgiç. The reception was attended by ministers in the Government of Serbia, as well as representatives of

H.E. Amr Aljowaily, Ambassador of Egypt, H. E. Subrata Bhattacharjee, Ambassador of India and H.E.Mohammed Amine BELHAJ, Ambassador of Morocco

Another AFA Leadership Summit is held on October 31 and November 1 at the Radisson Collection Old Mill Hotel in Belgrade.This year’s theme of the summit is “Innovative leadership in unpredictable fast changing world” and also deals with gender

equality due to technological advancement and economic empowerment of women.This year’s AFA Leadership Summit brings together leading experts from various fields, representatives of the state summit, diplomatic missions and the non-governmental sector.

Prof. dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic. Minister without Portfolio in Charge of Demography and Population Policy in the Government of the Republic of Serbia

31 NATIONAL DAY OCT

RECEPTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

This year’s National Day Reception of the Republic of Korea was special because it also marked the grand finale of Korean Culture Festival “2018 Days of Korean Culture”. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea invited a renowned Korean opera singer, baritone Tae-Joong Yang

and organized an opera gala concert in collaboration with Orchestra and singers from the National Theater of Serbia. The concert was followed by receptions with Korean food. Including the Minister of Environmental Protection, more than 300 distinguished guests attended the event.

H.E. Jan Erik Mikael Lundin, Swedish Ambassador to Serbia

Hyunsoo YUN, Minister-Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

01 “SIXTH LAP TIME NOV

CONFERENCE UNLOCKING REFORMS?”

Seventy-nine per cent of AmCham members gave a stable grade of 3 to the business environment in Serbia on a scale from 1 to 5. That is one of the conclusions of AmCham’s annual research to find keypriorities for improving the business environment in Serbia. The findings of the research

were presented at the annual AmCham “Sixth Lap Time Conference - Unlocking Reforms?” For the second year in a row, AmCham companies are more optimistic when talking about predictions of their own growth. Almost 73% of the companies expect business growth, while 58% plan new employments in 2019.

Jelena Pavlović, President of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Serbia

01 EXHIBITION OF 50 NOV

EMBROIDERED WORKS

Exhibition of 50 embroidered works "Rumals from Chamba: Embroidered Expression of Pahari women" was opened in the House of the National Assembly. At the opening, the Ambassador of India in Serbia, HE. Subarta Batačardži and the

H.E. Mohammed K. M. Nabhan, Ambassador of Palestine and H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Algerian Ambassador

H.E. Subrata Bhattacharjee

02 DAY OF THE NOV

ITALIAN ARMED FORCES

H.E. Italian Ambassador Carlo Lo Cassio and Defense Attaché Colonel Paolo Sfar hosted a reception marking the Day of the National Unity and the Italian Armed Forces at the residence of the Italian Ambassador. The reception was attended by distinguished guests,

H.E. Tomáš Kuchta, H.E. Kathleen Csaba with husband, Minister, Zoran Djordjević, H.E. Carlo Lo Cassio, Aja Jung, Robert Čoban and Mrs. Barbora Kuchtová

curator of the exhibition, Dr. Rohini Arora, in the presence of the President of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with India at the National Assembly, Ivana Stojiljković. The exhibition was opened until November 8, 2018.

representatives of the diplomatic corps, personalities from the world of culture and the media and the state top, among which was the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlović. By marking this date, Italy commemorates the fallen fighters each year.

Zorana Mihajlović and H.E. Carlo Lo Cassio

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

02 HELLOWEEN NOV

PARTY

H.E. Kati Csaba and the Embassy of Canada in Belgrade organized this year's masquerade party on the occasion of the Halloween. The officials tried to bring even more interesting costumes among which it is difficult to decide which is the most original.The night of

the witch is a holiday celebrated on the 31st of October before the day of All Saints and is dedicated to the memory of the dead. The celebration of the Halloween originates from the Celtic tradition, and the Irish people transferred it to North America during immigration.

07 WHITE NOV

BOOK 2018

The Foreign Investors Council presented the White Book 2018 to the highest Government officials and stakeholder community. The White Book, written by FIC members, is the major product by which, for more than a decade, FIC gives recommendations aimed at supporting economic growth and better living standard of Serbian citizens. The event was opened with introductory address by FIC President Yana Mikhailova, followed by insight into FIC Index 2018 by White Book Editor-in-Chief Miroljub Labus, as well as addresses by Head of EU Delegation in Serbia Sem Fabrizi and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. According to “FIC Index”, which was published in the newest edition of the White Book, in the period between October 2017 and October 2018, 4 top performers remain the same as last year: construction land and development; protection of users of financial services; transport; and tobacco industry regulations. Out of 8 priority topics of the FIC-Government White Book Task Force only real estate and inspection control made notable progress. Digitalization, bankruptcy, and foreign exchange regulations mark moderate progress, while key areas like tax, labour, and food safety lack progress.

Yana Mikhailova

Ana Brnabić

H.E. Sem Fabrizi, Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia

Representatives of Government and economy

Miroljub Labus, White Book Editor-in-Chief

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

CREDO Restaurant – No. 1 on Belgrade’s Gastronomic Map There is a good reason why the Credo Restaurant, located on the first floor of the Marriott Hotel, has become one of the most popular restaurants in Belgrade and the place where people from the entire region gather to try the restaurant’s Five Senses menu and the excellent wine selection. In addition to the top notch service and an elegant setting, the delicacies served at the restaurant are personally prepared by Chef Nenad Jovanović, who worked in two- and three-star Michelin restaurants. These are all definitely trump cards of the Credo Restaurant, located in the very centre of the city, overlooking the main square. The following guests have enjoyed the carefully selected wines of the Erdevik Winery, the excellent atmosphere, the pleasant chat and the delicious food - the Egyptian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Amr Al-Jowailym, H.E. Subrata Bhattacharjee, Indian Ambassador, RTS’ political show host, Olivera Jovićević, actress Vjera Mujović, Svetlana Horvat from the Serbian Fashion Week, President of the Color Press Group, Robert Čoban and his wife Sandra Čoban, multimedia artist Simonida Stanković, media artist Dragan Stojkov, painter Pero Zlatar, the correspondent of Jutarnji List, journalist Duška Jovanić, the UNICEF Ambassador, Regina de Dominicis, Aleksandar Simurdić from the Serbian office of the European Movement, fashion model and restaurateur Djordje Pavlov, attorney Goran Draganić and his wife Olja Draganić and Aleksandar Radoš from TV Prva.

Olivera Jovićević, Duška Jovanić, Sandra Čoban and Aleksandar Radoš

Vjera Mujović

Svetlana Horvat and Regina de Dominicis

Simonida Stanković and Dragan Stojkov

H.E. Subrata Bhattacharjee, Robert Čoban and H.E. Amr Al-Jowailym

Djordje Pavlov and Pero Zlatar

Aleksandar Simurdić

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BUSINESS NEWS

HEMOFARM AT THE UN DEBATE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Coca-Cola

50 YEARS OF THE OPERATION IN SERBIA Marking a half a century of successful operation in Serbia, the Coca-Coca system signed a donation agreement with the Red Cross of Serbia and the B92 Foundation, aimed at providing support to soup kitchens across the country. The donation, in the value of six million dinars, will be allocated for the procurement of cooking equipment for quicker and better-quality meal preparation. The Red Cross manages 76 soup kitchens, whose services are used by more than 35,000 people. One third of all soup kitchen users are children, and the overall number of users is growing. “For half a century, the Coca-Cola sys-

tem has been actively participating in the lives of people in Serbia; we are part of the history, tradition and most remarkable moments in the lives of our fellow citizens. As a long-standing partner of the Red Cross and the B92 Foundation, together we have been focused on improving the quality of life of the country’s population for more than a decade,” said Svetoslav Atanasov, Coca-Cola HBC Serbia General Manager.

DIREKTNA BANK SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATED PIRAEUS BANK

Direktna Bank a.d. Kragujevac successfully completed the process of integration of Piraeus Bank ad Belgrade over the weekend, thus expanding its operations and strengthening its position in the banking market. It is the third in a bank that has been integrated into the system of the Direktna Bank so far. This merger has significantly increased

the sales network, the supply of products and services, as well as the value of the total assets of the Direktna Bank. Additionally, presence in important economic centers in Serbia has been enhanced and further expansion of the Bank's operations in cities where it has not been present, such as Cacak, Valjevo and Vrsac, has been made possible. In parallel with the complex process of integration, the Direktna Bank recorded profit and growth in all segments of the business. Success best illustrates the realized consolidated net profit at the end of the third quarter of 2018 of 1.72 billion dinars.

Hemofarm is the only company from Serbia and this part of Europe that has had the opportunity to participate in this year's UN Debate on Sustainable Development in the company of the world's largest companies like Gugla. Hemofarm's recent entry into the final of the Global Sustainable Development Competition "Ideas for Action" nominated this company for participants in an expert discussion organized at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, which gave Hemofarm a worldwide certificate of good business practice applied in to his work. Sanda Savić, director of corporate affairs and communications at this company, had the opportunity to speak to top officials of international organizations, representatives of governments and companies from various parts of the world on behalf of Hemofarm. At the gathering attended by World Bank Vice President Mahmoud Mohieldin, renowned professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Vorton School of Business, George Petkoski, as well as the Executive Director of UN Women, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, directors of international organizations and ministers, presented the principles of sustainable development that are the foundation Hemofarm business.

Philip Morris

IN JAPAN, THE NEW IQOS 3 AND IQOS 3 MULTI HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED

DM drogerie in Serbia

DM INCUBATOR - THE RIGHT TIME FOR LOCAL MANUFACTURERS!

The dm drogerie markt, currently operating in 13 countries of Europe, with a network of over 3,500 stores, will provide space on their shelves for a minimum of 20 products of Serbian entrepreneurs. Through the "dm incubator" project launched by dm company together with the partners - the Serbian Development Agency (RAS), the USAID Competitive Economy Project and the National Association for the Development of Organic Production Serbia Organica, local producers will be offered the opportunity to develop and market their products to Serbian, and potentially European market! Some of the basic benefits that organizers will provide to suppliers, who undergo final selection, are the counseling and mentoring, re-design of the packaging and the application of the most recent brand product development strategies

throughout the project, as well as complete marketing support and promotion of selected products through dm and external advertising channels. The whole project has caused great public attention, and the organizers say that now is the right time. Those who are considering to join this project should submit their product by November 30th. As stated, one of the main criteria for selection is that the products are made of raw materials originating from Serbia, and that until now they have not been included in the offer of any trade or HORECA facility operating in Serbia. The submissions, as well as detailed project information and how to apply can be found on the www.dm-inkubator.rs

Philip Morris presented in Japan the idea of a smoke-free future, the latest, upgraded version of its revolutionary IQOS product - IQOS 3 and IQOS MULTI. Four years ago IQOS first appeared on the Japanese market and caused an almost immediate, tectonic change, unprecedented and unexpected in the tobacco industry. Thanks to Philip Morris, products that heat up but do not burn tobacco have become a trend in the tobacco industry, and this company is the leader of this trend, which is the introduction of IQOS 3 and IQOS MULTI devices. The new IQOS 3 and IQOS 3 MULTI result is listening to the needs of users in order to improve design and improve user experience. So far, nearly 6 million adults have already left cigarettes. "Our dream is to create a better alternative for smokers, and this product has turned this dream into reality - it is a real revolution for 1.1 billion smokers," said Andre Kalancopulos, managing director of Philip Morris.

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Wiener Privatklinik

EXCELLENCE IN TREATMENT OF CANCER

Wiener Privatklinik offers the entire spectrum of treatments for different types of cancers, stemming from chemotherapies over targeted treatments to immunotherapy either alone or in combination and based on the latest stage of scientific evidence.(WPK) Academy Cancer Center has unique features as a private institution caring for patients with cancer in Europe. These unique features include a very close interdisciplinary interaction between physicians of important academic standing and high esteem from various medical specialties including diagnostic disciplines, surgical and medical oncology. Immune oncology has truly revolutionized therapeutic options for patients with many types of cancer. This particularly relates to lung cancer, but also a variety of other malignancies including kidney, ear-nose-and throat, gastrointestinal, colon and liver cancers. Due to sophisticated diagnostic means, physicians treating patients at the WPK Academy Cancer Center offer an abundance of personalized treatment options following minimally invasive biopsies thus gaining cancer tissue of the latest stage of disease development. Prevention and early recognition is an important aspect in the concept of the WPK Academy Cancer Center offering a series of options for prevention by counselling regarding appropriate life style changes ranging to genetic testing for the discovery of a risk of familiar cancers.

BELGRADE CENTER FOR CREATIVITY Belgrade is becoming an important point on the map of the creative industry. Talking about the future of this growing branch of the economy has brought together leading names in the marketing world operating within European and American McCann agencies. Srđan Šaper, founder of I & F McCann Group and host of this event, said that the meeting is important not only because it puts Belgrade on the map of the world’s marketing scene, but also helps the development of the creative industry in Serbia and the region. During a visit to Belgrade, McCann Worldgroup’s business leaders had the opportunity to meet Belgrade as well as to visit the Royal Complex where a cocktail party was held in the White Palace. The US Ambassador to Serbia, Kyle Scott, joined the officials.

BAT CELEBRATED 15 YEARS IN SERBIA British American Tobacco (BAT), the largest British investor in Serbia, celebrated 15 years of successful business since the takeover of Tobacco industry Vranje. Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, together with high representatives of the company, Sotiris Kosturos, General Manager of BAT for Serbia and Montenegro and Richard Vredenberg, Director of BAT Vranje, attended the ceremonial celebration of the anniversary at the factory in Vranje. This celebration was an opportunity to review the remarkable results achieved by British American Tobacco since its arrival in Serbia, but also to present future plans, such as investments, opening new jobs and launching new modern products in the Serbian

market. Since the privatization of Vranje Tobacco Industry in 2003, British American Tobacco has become one of the pioneers of foreign direct investment. Over the past 15 years, BAT has paid more than 2 billion euros to the budget of the Republic of Serbia through taxes and excises, while last year this contribution amounted to over 280 million euros.

5th INTERNATIONAL RENEXPO® BIH FAIR FULFILLED EXPECTATIONS

Recently completed 5th RENEXPO® BiH, International Fair of Energy, Water and Environment protection presented the investment potential in BiH within the conference program and exhibition. 60 companies 20 countries have shown innovation and technology in these areas through the fair exhibition. 1200 visitors and conference participants during the two days of the fair had the opportunity to participate in useful workshops and conferences and at first glance sees and

hear the experiences of the leading European companies in the field of water management and sustainable energy sources, waste management, biomass, hydropower and others. They had the opportunity to meet with potential investors and be part of the future. RENEXPO® BiH has shown that it is an excellent opportunity to present and exchange experiences and knowledge of local and foreign experts from different European countries, but also to seek new and improved existing solutions in the field of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, water and the environment, which represents a good basis for building a sustainable future. The next RENEXPO® event is scheduled for April 24 and 25 in Belgrade.

DOING BUSINESS LIST On the Doing Business list of the World Bank for ease of doing business for 2019, Serbia took the 48th position among 190 countries, which represents a fall of five places compared to last year, announced at the III annual conference "Doing business 2019 - Digital Transformation and Strengthening Serbia's Competitiveness ". At a gathering organized by NALED, the World Bank and the British Embassy, it was estimated that in some categories Serbia was reformally active, but these reforms were not done on time to be included in the list and we expect their effects in the next reports. However, there are more areas in which the reforms have failed to allow the more agile countries to overtake us. - During 2017 and 2018, we initiated sys-

temic reforms in key areas such as a cadastre whose full effect can be expected only in the next and in the following years. We have been working on the construction permits reform for five years to move from the Doing Business list, and on the way to the 11th place in the world, we skipped more than 170 countries - emphasized prof. Dr Zorana Mihajlovic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Civil Engineering, Transport and Infrastructure

MARVEL’S TV UNIVERSE

“Daredevil” Hits the Bullseye After a poor sophomore season, the blind superhero returns for the best episodes yet

The folks at Marvel do not lack for ambition. They have patiently crafted a cinematic universe (MCU) where individual superheroes get their own films but are then brought together for “Avengers” extravaganzas. “Easter eggs” and hints to other narratives are carefully dropped; the genre’s limitations are often cleverly toyed with. Yes, there have been lots of them and many have been mediocre. But they have been blockbusters nonetheless: the MCU is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, grossing more than $17bn at the global box office. On television, and specifically on Netflix, Marvel has been trying to do the same thing— but with what seems to be a B team of heroes. Only comic-book fans will have been aware of figures such as Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist before the shows appeared. The Punisher, who had featured in three films, and Daredevil, a blind lawyer fighting crime in Hell’s Kitchen in New York, portrayed by Ben Affleck on the big screen in 2003, are the two notable exceptions. The first season of “Daredevil” was very good but the show struggled with its second act (a problem that has afflicted programmes from

“Westworld” to “The Killing”) wherein the hero tangled with hordes of identikit Ninjas and a lot of mystic mumbo-jumbo. The good news, for those who persevered nonetheless, is that the third is the best of them all. The ninjas are gone, as is Daredevil's irritating girlfriend Elektra, who was more of a male fantasy than a convincing character. Daredevil is reunited with his trusty sidekicks: Karen Page, a troubled reporter, and Foggy Nelson, a lawyer.

“DAREDEVIL” SHOWS THE STRENGTHS OF SERIALISED SUPERHERO STORYTELLING. IN DARING TO CREATE A THIRD SEASON, NETFLIX WINS The main villain is the gangster Wilson Fisk, or “Kingpin” (played magnificently by Vincent d’Onofrio). Mr d’Onofrio delivers his lines like a Victorian actor-manager tackling “King Lear”, bringing a gravitas to the role that ought not to work but does. He adroitly combines brutality with cunning and—when dealing with his girlfriend—self-doubt. The series also introduces a compelling new villain, Bullseye (Wilson

Bethel), a troubled FBI agent who gets lured into Fisk’s world. This season works because it sticks within its New York setting and, once one accepts the idea of a blind superhero with miraculous fighting skills, does not demand too much suspension of disbelief. The hero has a conscience and debates ethics with a kindly nun (Joanne Whalley) and another conflicted FBI agent (Jay Ali). There are some marvellous set pieces. In one, Daredevil has to fight his way out of prison; another battle takes place in a newspaper office where the antagonists use every implement that comes to hand. A standout scene features Karen (played by Deborah Ann Woll) deliberately provoking Fisk in his lair. Still, the television canon cannot hope to equal the success of its cinematic equivalent. “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist” have already been cancelled after two seasons, with reports that nearly two-thirds of viewers tuned out after the first. But “Daredevil” shows the strengths of serialised superhero storytelling. In daring to create a third season, Netflix wins. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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12th SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Welcome to the Land of the Future! More than 600 participants, young scientists and scientific communicators, and 50 different science stories, each of them dedicated to reflecting about the future of our planet, with every story deserving a visit at the 12th Science Festival that will take place at the Belgrade Fair, spanning 6,500 square meters of exhibition area. This is a huge challenge! ANA PETROVIĆ Director and Founder of Science Festival and Night of Museums

The 12th Science Festival, which is the biggest science festival in South East Europe, will take place from 29th November to 2nd December, 2018, under the slogan „Land of the Future“. The aim of this year's Festival is to re-examine the future of our planet, but also offers cientific, ecological and sustainable solutions to the generations to come. Pluse, like the previous years, there will be many interesting experiments, exciting challenges and the latest scientific trends showcased by scientists from all over the world in Belgrade this autumn. "I hope that we will continue to be an inspiration to young people, and this still remains both the driving force and a challenge, as it was 11 years ago," said Ana Petrović, the Festival's director for Diplomacy&Commerce magazine.

conctact with our scientific associates until this day and that we have a great cooperation with them. When you look back at previous festivals, what comes as the biggest suprise to you?

— When we organized the first Science Festival in 2007 under totally impossible conditions, we did not even imagine what kind of machinery we have put in motion. Our Science Festival reached the status of the top ten festivals in Europe in its first five years, and 20 smaller festivals throughout Serbia were modelled after it. Today, 11 years since the first Science Festival, it

What did you learn from the very first Science Festival, and what do you repeat to yourself every time before another festival starts, including the latest?

— We have learned that science is at the core of the majority of things that surround us and that our mission is to continually potentiate this by all means available to us. We need to draw attention to dedicated, smart, highly qualified people who are trying to keep up with the latest global trends and who believe that their research can improve the lives of all of us. On the other hand, scientists themselves do not participate sufficiently in the country's public

OUR SCIENCE FESTIVAL REACHED THE STATUS OF THE TOP TEN FESTIVALS IN EUROPE IN ITS FIRST FIVE YEARS, AND 20 SMALLER FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT SERBIA WERE MODELLED AFTER IT

How did you come up with the idea for a festival like this?

— Since the very beginning, our idea was to promote general social values. In addition to the Science Festival, our artistic production group also organizes the Night of Museums which is three years older than the festival. Before that, we did a campaign for the GAK Narodni Front maternity hospital, and as a result, the hospital got the necessary equipment. In 2006, by chance, we visited Genoa which has the largest science festival in Europe, and the decision was made. Back in Serbia, we entered an unchartered territory since there were no science festivals up to that point. It is interesting to note that we have maintained

has become a normal practice for elementary and high schools or colleges to organize their own science festivals. We have directly helped with the establishment of the biggest science festivals in Serbia, such as those in Novi Sad and Niš. On the other hand, we are proud of the fact that we have helped create a climate where the stereotype that science is boring and reserved only for nerds is no longer acceptable.

life, political elites do not consult them enough and they are not given enough media coverage. Scientists are the most intelligent people in any country and it is not unusual to consult then outside the scope of their primary expertise. For example, in America, from 2008 to date, many working groups comprising of scientists from various fields have been formed, with the aim of listening to their views on the recession.

Why did you pick the slogan “The Land of the Future” for this year’s Festival?

— By the end of the 21st century, the Earth's population will number almost 11 billion people and pressures regarding resource availability will be enormous. Serbia is not paying enough attention to ecology and sustainable development. We have just started thinking about plastic bags. Recycling has not yet been adopted as a term or a lifestyle. We are still like a highend consumer company that produces incredible amounts of waste. It's about time to start dealing with the future of all of us who breathe and grow on this planet. What excites you the most about this year's Festival and what would you like the visitors to take from the festival as the most important message / memories?

— More than 600 participants, young scientists and scientific communicators, and 50 different science stories, each of them dedicated to reflecting about the future of our planet, with every story deserving a visit at the 12th Science Festival that will take place at the Belgrade Fair, spanning 6,500 square meters of exhibition area. This is a huge challenge! However, the most important thing is that a high school student or an elementary school pupil will come to Belgrade maybe for the first time ever and meet with a number of scientists who are going to demonstrate their experiments. Some of these experiments might fascinate them and completely capture their attention, and they will go home with the idea that science is different to what they have imagined before and that they might want to become scientists.

REPORTAGE

Text: ROBERT ČOBAN

15 Days and One Century November 1st, 1918 - 100 years since establishment of Banat Republic

The entry of the Serbian Army into Novi Sad on November 9th, 1918

"Empress Karl and Empress Zita, why are you at war when you have no wheat?!” the farmers from Slavonia used to sing during the last months of the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the autumn of 1918. At the same time, in the other corner of the monarchy – Banat, to be more precise – a group of Germans, Romanians, Serbs and Hungarians were preparing to establish the Banat Republic. This was, ethnically speaking, a very heterogeneous territory with about 592,000 (37%) Romanians, 387,000 (24%) Germans, 284,000 (18%) Serbs, 242,000 (15%) Hungarians, and over 50,000 (6%) members of other nations, including Jews, Croats, Slovaks, Bulgarians, and the Roma people. 855,000 inhabitants were Orthodox and 591,000 Catholics. In total, Banat had the population of 1,600,000, slightly less than today's Vojvodina. Timisoara, the capital city of Banat, had the population of over 72,000 at that time, almost as Belgrade, which had 80,000 inhabitants. Novi Sad had the population of around 33,000. Banat was one of the more developed regions in the then Central and Eastern Europe. On November 1st, it was exactly 100 years since the renowned German-born politician Otto Roth declared the Banat Republic and its secession from Hungary from

the balcony of the Town Hall in Timisoara. Roth, otherwise a Social Democrat, became a Civil Trustee, or, de facto the President of the Banat Republic. Albert Barta was appointed military commander and

on the same day, the Banat People's Council was formed comprising of 20 members of the Timisoara City Council, 60 representatives of national military councils, 40 representatives of workers' councils

IN 1987, DURING THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA, VOJVODINA HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST AVERAGE SALARY, RIGHT AFTER SLOVENIA. DURING THE AFOREMENTIONED PANEL DISCUSSION, WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT, IN THE LATE 1970S, NOVI SAD’S GDP WAS HIGHER THAN THE GDP OF THE ENTIRE MONTENEGRO

and 70 representatives of traditional political parties. The Council immediately elected the Executive Committee, a kind of temporary Government of the Banat Republic that had five representatives of the four largest nations (Romanians, Germans, Serbs and Hungarians). Over the next few days, military detachments and civilian guard were formed by the newly established civilian government taking over the command of the existing national guard. In the meantime, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy officially capitulated on November 3rd. WOULD FERDINAND BE ASSASSINATED IN NOVI SAD?

Novi Sad, October 2018: A girl with the violin

Two weeks later, on November 15th, the Serbian Army crossed the Danube and abolished the Banat Republic which civilian authorities continued to function in part until February 20th, 1919. We all know the story of how Pupin had a decisive influence on Woodrow Wilson conceding to the Serb part of Banat joining the Kingdom of Serbs, Croatians and Slovenes. However, a lesser known fact is that a delegation from Banat attended the Paris peace conference in 1919, bringing a proposal to create a new state called Banatia which, in addition to the Serbian and Romanian Banat, would include Bačka. The conceptual creators of "Banatia" were, of course, thrown out of the

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conference by the representatives of the victors in ’the Great War’ and returned home, to Banat, empty handed. A hundred years later, the panel discussion titled "Inventory: Vojvodina - 100 Years Since the Annexation and 30 Years Since the Yogurt Revolution" was held at the Matica srpska Gallery, under the auspices of the regional literary conference “Book Talk”. One of the panel's participants, Tomislav Marčinko, formerly a “pro-autonomy official” from Novi Sad and the head of the HTV Zagreb in the 1990s, began his presentation with the following words: "What would happen to Vojvodina if it gained independence 100 years ago? It would have been a well-regulated small state with about three million inhabitants, multi-confessional, seven times wealthier than it is today, and would be both Europe’s favourite and the hand that feeds it." Even if such a state was created in 1918, which was completely impossible, as the ideological creators of "Banatia" found out in Versailles, it would certainly not have survived the Second World War. The fact is that since the revolution of 1848/49, when on June 12th, 1849, Novi Sad was completely razed to the ground thanks to the relentless bombing of the Hungarian garrison, stationed at Petrovaradin Fortress, there were no major ethnic tensions in Vojvodina in the 93-year-period prior to the Second World War. When a member of the audience at one of the earlier Book Talk conferences asked Aleksandar Gatalica, the author of the novel "The Great War", if Prince Ferdinand

would have been be assassinated if the maneuvers had taken place in the vicinity of Novi Sad and not in Bosnia, he replied honestly, arguing that the Serbs in Vojvodina, at that time, had a satisfactory level of emancipation in all areas, which was not the case with the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that was liberated from the Turks only 35 years earlier. DISAPPEARANCE OF JEWS, GERMANS AND WHITE RUSSIANS

In the Second World War, Vojvodina lost three, at that time, most culturally and technologically advanced national communities - Jews, Germans and White Rus-

them also moved out of the country. The third community, which almost completely disappeared in the Second World War, was the White Russians who, fearing the retaliation from the Red Army, either withdrew with the Germans, or were also killed after the Soviet troops entered Vojvodina. So, if such “Vojvodina” or “Banatia” was formed in 1918, it is highly likely that it would not have survived the Second World War. And Serbs cannot be blamed for that in any shape or form. Serbs were certainly not responsible for the raids in Bačka, the killing of Serbs in Srem under the Independent State of Croatia (or NDH) and the Holocaust of the Jews, as

THE IDEA OF THE MULTINATIONAL AND MULTICONFESSIONAL "BANATIA" FROM A HUNDRED YEARS AGO HAS FAILED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE ALMOST ALL MULTICULTURAL PROJECTS IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE HAVE COLLAPSED sians. First, the Jews were killed in the Holocaust by the Ustasha and the Nazis in Srem and Banat in 1941. The Holocaust in Bačka ended in the spring of 1944. In the autumn of the same year, the German locals left their homes somewhat willingly while those German civilians who stayed behind ended up in the camps in Knićanin, Gakovo and Bački Jarak. Many of them did not survive, and most of those who did moved to Germany after the dissolution of the camp in 1948. The same goes for the very few Jews who survived the Holocaust; in 1948, when the state of Israel was founded, the majority of

Map of the Banat Republic from November 1st, 1918.

"the first blood" that was shed in 93 years (if we exclude minor incidents during the Great War). Although with the ethnically modified composition, the postwar development in Vojvodina resulted in the province being declared a developed region. In 1987, during the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, Vojvodina had the second highest average salary, right after Slovenia. During the aforementioned panel discussion, we also found out that, in the late 1970s, Novi Sad’s GDP was higher than the GDP of the entire Montenegro. So, how high are salaries in Vojvodina today? According to the

latest data collated by the Republic of Serbia’s Statistical Office, the average salary in Vojvodina in August this year amounted to 47,118 dinars, and it was 2,655 dinars lower than the state average for that month. 30 YEARS AFTER ‘YOGURT REVOLUTION’

This is where we come to the second topic of the aforementioned panel discussion, that is the 30th anniversary of the Yogurt Revolution which happened on 5th and 6th October, 1988 and which is branded by many of the local pro-autonomy supporters as the key moment in the downfall of the Vojvodinian economy and infrastructure. The fact remains that centralization had bad effects on the whole country, but this was probably the most pronounced in the very developed Vojvodina. The stories about the clogged and poisoned irrigation canals that were built by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late 18th century and the buildings they built which we did not even have the time to paint are part of everyday narratives in the Vojvodinian observations of the 100th anniversary of the Annexation. So, what kind of future does Vojvodina have in today’s Serbia and Europe? After Maria Theresa moved dozens of thousands of Germans, Serbs, Croats, Slovaks, Czechs and Ruthenians here, following the withdrawal of the Turks from the Pannonian Basin, her grandson built irrigation channels so that the swampy land here could be properly irrigated. It seems that today’s Vojvodina is ready for a new colonization.

Map of Banatia, as proposed at the Paris Peace Conference

TIMISOARA 1918: Banat’s capital - a city of the size of the then Belgrade

Just like back then, in the 18th century, our villages today are almost completely deserted, and our irrigation channels are either clogged or poisoned. However, this time around, the colonists will not come in the so-called Ulm’s Boxes via the Danube, as the Danube Swabians did, or by “trains without a timetable”, like the colonists after the Second World War, or on tractors, like the Serbs leaving the Krajina region in Croatia in 1995. Nobody from Schwarzwald has an even remote intention to move to some Vojvodina far away which has the average salary that is lower than the state’s, that is less then 400 euro. Even people from the mountains of Romanija and Grmeč are not keen on moving to Vojvodina. They would rather live and work in Slovenia, Austria and Germany. THE TIME HAS COME FOR A NEW COLONIZATION?

So, who actually wants to move to Vojvodina presently? Even the migrants from the Middle East are not staying here. The Danish Refugee Council gives free Serbian language classes and yet none of them have applied. Vojvodina, as well as

the rest of Serbia, Bosnia or Croatia, are only transit stations on their way to Hamburg. The only thing I see as a relatively certain solution is that, in accordance with some kind of agreement between the EU and Serbia, Vojvodina will be inhabited by the migrants from Afghanistan

First World War, almost the same number of Muslims, Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish people lived in Sarajevo. Ladino, the language of the Sephardic Jews, was a native language spoken by every seventh citizen of Sarajevo. Today, the population of Sarajevo is 81%

NOBODY FROM SCHWARZWALD HAS AN EVEN REMOTE INTENTION TO MOVE TO SOME VOJVODINA FAR AWAY WHICH HAS THE AVERAGE SALARY THAT IS LOWER THAN THE STATE’S, THAT IS LESS THEN 400 EURO. EVEN PEOPLE FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF ROMANIJA AND GRMEČ ARE NOT KEEN ON MOVING TO VOJVODINA. THEY WOULD RATHER LIVE AND WORK IN SLOVENIA, AUSTRIA AND GERMANY and other countries whose population sees the 400 euro wage as a reasonable alternative to living with war, drought and hunger. The idea of the multinational and multi-confessional "Banatia" from a hundred years ago has failed, among other things, because almost all multicultural projects in the 20th and 21st century in Central and Eastern Europe have collapsed. At the end of the

Bosniaks, 4% Serbs, 5%Croats and less than 0.5% Jews. The fact remains that Gdansk, Thessaloniki, Rijeka or Tangier were the most prosperous ports in times when they were multicultural cities and had the free zone status. When the 20th century ended, so did such times, both in Europe and in the Mediterranean. Last weekend, on the corner of Zmaj Jovina and Dunavska streets,

in the same spot where the Serbian Army entered Novi Sad on November 9th, 1918, a girl, dressed in the Serbian national costume, was playing the title song from the “Salaš u Malom Ritu” series. One of the lyrics of the song goes – “Our meadows will flourish again, hey, granges of mine, I will be coming back to you”. It remains to be seen whether these lyrics will fall on deaf ears.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC THAT LASTED 15 DAYS: Otto Roth, a German politician from Timisoara

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CONFERENCE “THE FUTURE OF WORK – THE FUTURE IS NOW”

The Future Clings on Skilled Workforce The Public Policy Research Centre, a Belgrade based think tank focused on future of work brought leading domestic and foreign experts, entrepreneurs, trade unions, and professionals from the public and private sectors to reflect upon the answers to the challenges that Serbia faces in the digital age

Serbian export of “smart” services and products is rapidly increasing. The generator of change are companies relying on ICT solutions brought in by highly skilled professionals and talents. The availability of professional workforce is at the same time the biggest advantage and the biggest limitation of Serbia in its attempt to join the global wave of digital transformation of the economy. In order to keep the talent in the country and create space for smart education a number of policies in economics, education, R&D and employment should be lined up to create an environment conducive to growth and improvement in quality of life. It is a digest from the first annual conference on the future of work dubbed “The Future of Work – the Future is Now” held on Octo-

ber 23 -24 in Belgrade, and organised by the Public Policy Research Center (CENTER), a Belgrade based think tank which gathers innovative researchers and digital enthusiasts deliberating on the future of work in Serbia.

nity and civil society. Among them were Branislav Vujović, Founder and President of the New Frontier Group, Aleksandar Marković, Managing Director of Metalac Company, Sava Marinković, Co-Founder of start-ups mySkin, ScanZ and Teleskin, Nenad Milanović, CEO of Coing Development Company, foreign experts dealing with the new forms of work such as Janine Berg, and Chris Land Kazlauskas, from the International Labour Organisation from

AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE CONFERENCE, THE CENTER IS TO PROVIDE POLICY BRIEFS BASED ON ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEW ECONOMIC AND LABOUR DEVELOPMENTS AND RELATED POLICY INTERVENTIONS IN SERBIA The CENTER, which is recognized for its research on the gig economy in Serbia and female digital entrepreneurship, gathered for a day and a half more than hundred panellists and participants, including entrepreneurs, start uppers, public intellectuals, members of the donor commu-

Geneva, as well as researchers and practitioners involved in different types of education, coming from the European Training Foundation in Turin, British Council, Startit, Microsoft Development Center, Vojvodina ICT Cluster and University of Belgrade. “At the center of new economy

are people as creators of knowledge and innovative solutions. Smart education and good quality work are intrinsic to the economy in a digital age. But, new economy can also be a generator of inequality in society and these are the challenges that should be addressed. The CENTER wants to contribute to the creation of public policies and programs based on evidence and research. Understanding the challenges and potentials of the new forms of work from the perspective of different stakeholders and their different interest is a must if Serbia wants to jump on the new economy bandwagon”, says Branka Andjelkovic, co-founder and program director of the CENTER. The conference held in Fabrika event space, was opened by Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, Minister without Portfolio in The Government of the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Jan Lundin, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Serbia, Steliana Nedera, the Deputy Coordinator, UNDP Serbia and Yngve Engstrom, Head of Cooperation for the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia.

ROUND TABLE

"Without Quality Raw Materials No Quality Products" Round table "Without quality raw materials no quality products" attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, food products and raw materials producers, as well as a representative of the consumer association, was held today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, organized by PR agency Pristop

Andrej Bele, General Manager of Atlantic Group’s Strategic Business Unit ‘Coffee’, Miloš Marković, Marketing Director of the Don Don Company, Predrag Nenin, Quality and Environment Manager ar Dijamant, Miodrag Jelić, General Manager at Lesaffre for Serbia, Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria, Nenad Dolovac, Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management

At the opening of the meeting, Nenad Dolovac, food safety advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in the Government of Serbia, supported this type of panels of the three sides and pointed out that as far as the quality of products on the Serbian market is concerned, two aspects should be separated. "Often people identify quality with security. There is no compromise in food safety, and what is not safe can not be found on the market. As far as quality is concerned, the obligation of the subject and the inspection service is to control the products in accordance with the rules. The Regulations are based on the Food Safety Law, and there are about 25 regulations governing the quality of products being marketed. The products are compliant with these policies. For what is not harmonized, an order for alignment or, if that is impossible, an absolute withdrawal from production is given. The Regulations are in line with the legal regulations applicable in the territory of the EU. Often they are updated annually and often have changes, so that's why we are doing these alignments. On the ba-

sis of the Food Safety Law, all business entities are responsible for the food they place on the market, and with the help of various tools, the state controls and examines health safety, ie. safety and quality of food on the market. "

Quality and Environment Manager, Miodrag Jelić, General Manager Lesaffre for Serbia, Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria and Vera Vida, President of the Consumer Center of Serbia (CEPS), emphasized that serious producers are devoting

THERE IS NO COMPROMISE IN FOOD SAFETY, AND WHAT IS NOT SAFE CAN NOT BE FOUND ON THE MARKET During the panel discussion, panelists Andrej Bele, General Manager of the Atlantic Grupa Strategic Business Area, Miloš Marković, Marketing Director Don Don, Predrag Nenin, Dijamant

significant efforts to ensure their product is of high quality - from the purchase of quality raw materials and strict control of the production process, as this is a prerequisite for a qualitative and com-

petitive product on the market. The conclusion of the meeting is the recommendation and the need of the contractor that the state further stimulates the quality of the products, and there was also a proposal to appoint an institution that would take an official stand on all food issues in all disputed situations, eliminate possible concerns about the implementation of legislation, and it would have an important role in consumer education. Also, the opinion prevailed that the state should more strongly support brands that are quality bearers, among other things, in order to better position domestic brands in markets outside Serbia. The task of consumer associations is to educate consumers more about how to recognize quality, how to get information about standards and what they mean for consumers, as well as the composition of the product itself, where the declaration is the first mark that transmits a quality message. Also, the association should monitor communication about the brand itself, because information in messages to consumers can mislead the consumer.

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DINE & WINE

Discover the World in Belgrade! Enso is introducing new restaurant trends to the Serbian culinary scene

MIŠA RELIĆ The owner of Enso restaurant and Bitefartcafe

Enso has established itself as one of Belgrade's leading restaurants of modern cuisine. They have invested their focus and effort into creating gastronomic masterpieces by combining diverse flavours with original recipes. The Enso team follows the latest fashion but it is also setting new trends. Chefs Nedeljko Jerković and Uroš Ivošević have, through their skill and creativity, created a menu which raised the bar in Serbia’s culinary scene, reaching dizzying heights. We talked with the restaurant owner in order to discover in what way is Enso's new menu contributing to the Belgrade restaurant scene.

Enso is known on the Belgrade culinary scene for introducing new trends. Can you tell us more about them?

— I like to think that Enso is known in Belgrade for exceptional service and amazing food. We are trying to introduce different

for an experience worth savouring, with curated ingredients, a carefully selected wine list, and an option to choose either a la carte or to compose the tasting menu of 5, 7 or 10 courses yourself. We believe that great food doesn't go down well in a stiff

BEING A MUSICIAN, IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND OUR CHEFS AS ARTISTS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE tastes, combinations of different cuisines and modern cooking techniques. Combining an innovative approach with fresh homegrown ingredients, you get the essence of Enso. The new trend we promote is all about a combination of fine dining and a casual atmosphere. Fine/ casual is an upscale table service

atmosphere. Instead, it should always be comfortable so that people can relax, just hang out, and take their time to enjoy themselves. Our main focus is to ensure that you comfortable while providing world-class content. The new menu is coming soon. Can you reveal to our readers

what will be the concept of it?

— It's a very busy and stressful time, both for our chefs and myself. You can call it brainstorming, but it actually feels like a little war, a skirmish, as it always is when preparing a new menu. It's natural, we have different views, different tastes and vision. But that is exactly why every new menu, in the end, raises Enso to another level. Being a musician, it makes it easier for me to understand our chefs as artists because that's what they are. I can just give them ideas, offer solutions, help them explore, and hope they will come up with another amazing menu as they always do. The new menu will introduce different types of meat. We are currently experimenting with pheasant, venison and wild boar. We will continue exploring Serbian cuisine, giving a creative twist to

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the traditional way of cooking. The menu will be out in two weeks, so come and see for yourself what we have accomplished. The thing that you are very passionate about is ensuring the high quality of food and service. What is the price of quality and what's your secret?

— It's so hard finding the right staff and then keeping that crew, by far the most important ingredient in maintaining the same level of quality. So, once I assembled this crew, my job now is to talk to them and make them aware of how important they are for Enso. I believe that they are all special and, to be honest, I strongly believe that our service is of a very high standard. Same thing in the kitchen. It's not just about having amazing chefs. Every person in the kitchen needs to be up to the task, motivated and willing to be on top of their game every day. It's like a sports team. Michael Jordan or Lionel Messi wouldn't win without the team behind them. The quality of the food is a different matter. We are really strict about picking the products and the suppliers and it all has a price. But we will never settle for anything less. What differs Enso from other fine dining restaurants in Belgrade?

— As I said at the beginning, we like to think that we combine fine dining with casual dining. So, you can choose a tasting menu, but you can also eat a la carte and feel totally relaxed and comfortable. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. People often have a certain degree of prejudice regarding fine dining, about the size of portions and the unusual tastes. That makes us feel even better when seeing how happy they are after the meal, and ultimately, that's what counts I guess. I think it's also very important that you can have any wine by the glass. It turned out to be the best thing I’ve done because it would be a crime not to have the perfect wine with every bite of heaven. Last, but definitely not least, what is special about us is that Bitefartcafe, the famous live music club, is located just next door to the restaurant. So, as soon as you finish your dinner, you can just take a few steps and enter this amazing club for a perfect night out. Also, Enso has its own parking lot, so there is really no stress involved. It's all about comfort.

ENSO OFFERS NEW CULINARY TRENDS, A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON TRADITIONAL DISHES, AMAZING FOOD, AND PERFECT SERVICE So, you offer an interesting concept of going out that includes dining and live music. Could you explain how it works?

— Oh, that’s easy. I mean, we all have a glass of wine or two when having dinner, don’t we? And then after dinner, everyone usually wants to continue the evening in a bar or a club somewhere else. And you have to drive somewhere or take a taxi, again. But, when in Enso, after you

finish your dinner, we just open our “secret” door and you enter Bitefartcafe, the best live music club in town. You do not have to move your car from our parking lot and you can actually leave it there till next morning. All you have to do is enjoy the evening with these amazing live bands Bitefartcafe hosts. You are one of the rare restaurants that recycle and care about

PERFECT NIGHT OUT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER Why should people visit Enso? — Because of an ideal combination of relaxation and indulgence. Enso offers new culinary trends, a fresh perspective on traditional dishes, amazing food, perfect service, a parking lot (never to be underestimated in Belgrade!), a wonderful crowd and a leisurely step into the Bitefartcafe, making it a perfect night out of the highest order.

environmental sustainability. Why do you think this is important nowadays?

— I think it is up to every single one of us, as individuals, but also as companies, to contribute to our environment in order to reverse the damage we have done to our home, the Earth. The first thing is to try to reduce pollution by taking certain measures, like recycling, for example. Environmental sustainability is all about the maintenance of various factors and practices that contribute to the quality of the environment on a long-term basis. We do our best to contribute to alleviating environmental issues, and not to exacerbate the existing problems. How do you cope with pressure when it comes to following trends you do not agree with when it comes to Enso, but also, your club Bitefartcafe?

— That's one of the biggest challenges I have. There is a lot of growing competition year by year. Doesn't it seem to you that everyone in Belgrade has either a cafe, a restaurant, a bar or club? It sure seems that way to me. But we do what we do best and work hard to follow the existing and new trends, but without ever compromising our strengths and qualities. And how do we do that? I think by paying close attention to every single detail and, most importantly, by doing what we think is creative, what brings us joy. We never do something just to follow a trend, if we don’t believe in it, we don't do it.

KOLARAC

Concert hall

CALENDAR & NEWS

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

NOV

20:00

LOVE 2

CONCERT PROGRAMME November 2018

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Daniel Raiskin Soloist: Milan Savić, saxophone

NOV

20:00

DARKNESS 2

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloist: Sergej Krylov, violin

Sunday, 11th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: ARTIST & EDITORVISIT

NOV

20:00

UkiOvaskainen, piano Guests: Katarina Jovanović, soprano,Jan Pietkiewicz, Magdalena Szczepanowska, violins, Natalia Reichert, viola, Vuk Ovaksainen, cello, Ognjen Popović, clarinet Programme: Brahms Production: Music Centre

CLOSING CONCERT:

PHILCADEMY 3

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic, Soloist: Boris Brezovac, viola

„The sound of German culture “in Belgrade

Wednesday, 14th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN ARTIST

Ksenia Dyachenko, piano Programme: Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Liszt Production: Music Centre

Wednesday, 14th at 20.00 Concert Hall

RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR

Conductor: Bojan Suđić Soloists:Irina Iordaschescu, soprano Ivana Srbljan, mezzosoprano Dejan MaksimilijanVrbančič, tenor JakaMihelač, baritone Programme: G. Rossini: Stabat Mater Friday, 16th at 20.00 Concert Hall

The German Tourism Organization (GNTB) will promote Germany as a country of music from November 6th to 24th with live interactive street events in Prague, Budapest, Belgrade and Vienna. These music events will attract the attention of the people who pass by and events will help “convey” and illustrate the culture of Germany. The event in Belgrade will take place on Friday and Saturday, November 16th and 17th, from 17.00 to 21.00 in Knez Mihailova Street 9. A special attraction will be the unique opportunity which will be provided to the visitors - namely everyday people who pass by will be able to conduct the famous Leipzig

Gewandhaus Symphony Orchestra. A tri minute video will be played on the large LED screen and in this video the orchestra will perform the parts of the First Symphony in D major by Gustav Mahler who composed this peace in Leipzig. "The Conductor" will move on the interactive surface of the conductor podium. The virtual orchestra will react to the movements of “the conductor” with the help of the flexible dialogue media and the orchestra will accelerate or slow down the music performance in accordance with those movements. “The Conductor” will later, through a personalized website receive, a video of their great live conducting performance.

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

KAMMERSYMPHONIE

(Vienna) String Quintet Programme: G. Mahler, E. Krenek, Einem, Korngold 500, 700 RSD Tuesday, 20th at 18.00 Music Gallery

RAGAZZA MIX /ALL WOMEN COMPOSERS CONCERT

Carollina Better, flute Goska Isphording, harpsichord & Anja Djordjević Programme: Anja Djordjević, Ljubica Marić, Barbara Strozzi, Jasna Veličković, Weronika Rtusinska, Hana Kulenty, Franceskca Caccini, Anna Jedreyevskaja Wednesday, 21st at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: MUSIC WORKSHOP

Production: Music Centre Admission free Monday, 26th at 20.00 Concert Hall

ART ENSEMBLE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE STANISLAV BINIČKI

Conductor: Pavle Medaković Production: Binički Tuesday, 27th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CHOIR OF FACULTY OF MUSIC

Thursday, 22nd at 20.00 Concert Hall

Wednesday, 28th at 18.00 Music Gallery

Conductor: Stanko Jovanović Production: RTS Music Production

Jelica Gligorijević, piano Production: Music Centre

Friday,23rd at 20.00 Concert Hall

Wednesday, 28th at 20.00 Concert Hall

RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC/ DARKNESS

Sunday, 17th 140thANNIVERSARY OF KOLARAC FOUNDATION 11.00 – Concert Hall

SMALL SCHOOL OF BONTON/HOW TO LISTEN

WIENER

Katharina Uhde, violin Sanja Uhde, cello Michael Uhde, piano Programme: Haydn, Nölck, Joachim, Beethoven

Conductor: Biljana Radovanović Programme: Rachmaninoff, Handel, Gretchaninov Production: Faculty of Music

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloist: Sergej Krylov, violin Programme: W. A. Mozart, S. Prokofiev, T. Adès Production: Belgrade Philharmonic

The best young artist in 2017, in collaboration with UMUS FilipTomić, cello Jovana Radovanović, piano Admission free Hall - Exhibition of photographs from the archive of the Kolarac Foundation Admission free 20.00 – Concert Hall

CYCLE: KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Igor Vasiljević, violin Željko Ivović, cello Program: B. Bartok, A. Rolla, W.A. Mozart, J. Halvorsen Production: Music Center

Love 2 Conductor: Daniel Raiskin Soloist: Milan Savić, saxophone Programme: P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. Prokofiev, Ivan Brkljačić Production: Belgrade Philharmonic More information 011.2630744

CEREMONY AND ANNUAL AWARDS

Sunday, 25th at 11.00 Concert Hall

Saturday, 24th at 11.00 Concert Hall

to a Concert Children's studio Magicflute Host: Miloš Milovanović Production: Music Centre Saturday, 24th at 20.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC/ YOUR MUSIC WORLD

Stefan Milenković, violin Roshan de Silva, piano Programme: Brahms/Sonatas Production: Music Centre

CYCLE: AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN ARTIST

STEINWAY CONCERT SEASON

ArcadiVolodos, piano Programme: Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin Production: Piano Land Thursday, 29.u 20.00 Concert Hall

LEVEL UP CONCERT SEASON

Muzikon Chamber Orchestra Miloš Petrović, violin Damir Oraščanin, viola Conductor: Aleksandar Sedlar Programme: Prokofiev, A. Sedlar, Mozart Friday, 30th at 20.00 Concert Hall

FILHADEMIA

Conductor: Uroš Lajović Soloist: Boris Brezovac, viola Aleksandar Latković, cello Programme: Mozart, Strauss Production: Belgrade Philharmonic More information 011.2630744