Diplomacy and Commerce No.35 by Diplomacy&Commerce magazine

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January 2019 | ISSUE No. 35 | Price 350 RSD

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SERBIAN ECONOMY IN 2019- CHALLANGES AND MOTIVATIONS

MAJO MIĆOVIĆ

Chairman of Managing Board of Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) and CEO of Sky Express d.o.o.

FRENCH COMPANIES TRUST US

SANJA IVANIĆ

Director of French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

THEATRE IS ETERNAL CHANGE

07 DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE DEC

WALKING DINNER WITH THE MAYOR OF NOVI SAD

FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES AND REFORMS ZORAN DJORDJEVIĆ

Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs

MULTICULTURAL AFRICAN ARABS

H. E. SEYF-ALLAH REJEB

ZORAN DJERIĆ

Ambassador of Tunisia

Director of the Serbian National Theatre (SNP)

Switzerland

France

FOCUS ON

H.E. PHILIPPE GÉRALD GUEX

Swiss Ambassador to Serbia

H.E. FRÉDÉRIC MONDOLONI

Ambassador of France to Serbia

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

We, the Children of Concrete Utopia

FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES AND REFORMS ZORAN DJORDJEVIĆ

Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs

MULTICULTURAL AFRICAN ARABS H. E. SEYF-ALLAH REJEB

Dear readers, A student from Zagreb, born in Bijeljina, Mirko Ilić, has been living in New York for over 30 years. At his studio, in the 32nd Street, he shows me the sketched poster for his play “Croatian Faustus” which will premiere soon at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. After his poster for Chekhov's play "Uncle Vanya", Mirko is now playing with multilayered profiles of the human face. Last year, we staged his exhibition ‘Tolerance’ in Novi Sad, featuring over 50 posters on the topics related to tolerance, made by some of the best designers from around the world. It opened on December 10th, on the International Day of Human Rights, by the US Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Kyle Scott. Mirko is one of those rare artists from this part of the world whose artwork features in the MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) collection, I was told by the MoMA curators as they prepared the exhibition "Toward to Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia 1948 - 1980", astonished at the excellent female architects that the former Yugoslavia had. At that time, women architects in the West were a rarity. The next day, I went to the MoMA to see the exhibition which had been opened since mid-January. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world saw this exhibition at the MoMA, most of who probably could not find Yugoslavia on the map, or were completely oblivious to the countries that emerged from its disintegration following the wars in the 1990s. Today, they know what the hotels on the Adriatic, the Avala Tower, and the Tjentište and Kordun monuments look like. They also saw the famous kiosk K67, which is positioned at the very end of the exhibition. I commented on Facebook that more people heard about our cities thanks to this exhibition than from the expensive promotion ads that aired on CNN. Paradoxically, most of these buildings and monuments, judging by the latest photographs, are now in a very bad state. Things that made us famous are now totally neglected. My friend Teodora commented that the reason for that was not only our despise for socialism, Yugoslavia and its architects. The problem is, she says, and she has a point here, that we, i.e. poor societies, have this need for discontinuity which is evidenced in our treatment of the castles left by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, or the fortresses from the Ottoman times. In Italy, I saw buildings which bore the sign “built in the 9th year of fascism”since they counted time from the moment Mussolini took over power. In Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Morocco, I saw a monument raised in honour of Franco’s falangists, and a few blocks away, a museum dedicated to his Legion. Different societies have different ways of discontinuing themselves from the previous epochs. Undoubtedly, there were negative things in socialism too that we should be critical of, but there were also the things that we should be proud of like the blossoming architecture which obliges us to take better care of these buildings and monuments. I guess the validation that we received from the MoMA is a sufficient proof of it.

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

THEATRE IS ETERNAL CHANGE ZORAN DJERIĆ

Director of the Serbian National Theatre (SNP)

REMAINS OF THE REMAINS OF DANUBIAN GERMANS

History

Ambassador of Tunisia

TROUBADOUR OF TRAGEDY WITH A HAPPY END

WORLD IN 2019

MARKO LOUIS

Conference

Musician

Professor ZAHI HAWASS

TRAVELOGUE

ADVENTURIST, NOT A STAR

TINOS AND ANDROS, THE ISLANDS OF MIRACLES

Ph.D., Archaeologist and Egyptologist

By Nataša Nešić

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editor in Chief

tanja.bankovic@color.rs

ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD Art director

indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ

ROBERT ČOBAN

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Advertising manager

JELENA RANĐELOVIĆ

Photos

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GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

VANJA KOVAČEV

Translation

PR&Event support Nord Communications

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NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

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INTERVIEW

Further Implementation of Measures and Reforms The Ministry's plans for 2019 are closely related to the resolution of the aforementioned issues in regard to social inclusion of citizens and families who are faced with difficulties in exercising their basic existential rights od for which we had a comparable data series (2014-2018) and it stood at 49.2%, while the unemployment rate, in the same observed period, recorded the lowest value of 11.3%. Based on this survey, we can conclude that, despite the decrease in the total number of persons aged 15 and over, the increase in employment and the reduction in unemployment are the result of job creation and employment. Increased economic activities certainly had an effect on the creation of new jobs. According to the data collated by the Ministry of Economy, in the period from 2016 to October 2018, a total of 64 agreements on the allocation of incentives for investments were signed, and thanks to the projects implemented under the mentioned agreements, at least 31,090 new jobs will have been created.

ZORAN DJORDJEVIĆ Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs

We will intensify the work on building the capacities of social work centres and their links to the institutions that provide health care, education and employment services, as well as with the police, judicial authorities, civil society organizations and local

self-governments. We will continue with investments in social care institutions that are closely related to their obligation to meet the legally defined conditions and comply with the licence obtaining standards, that is, improving the quality and not increasing the capacity of these institutions.

At the end of this year, Serbia broke another new record in reducing unemployment. How much is this a result of creating quality jobs and how much is

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it due to a demographic change and a part of the workforce becoming passive?

— According to the Workforce Survey’s data for the third quarter of 2018, the employment rate has reached a new record for the peri-

Although there is a high number of unemployed and inactive persons in Serbia, companies often cite lack of quality workforce as the key limiting factor in regard to their growth. What can the Ministry do, in the scope of its authority, to satisfy this demand?

— The National Employment Ser-

THE EMPLOYMENT RATE HAS REACHED A NEW RECORD FOR THE PERIOD FOR WHICH WE HAD A COMPARABLE DATA SERIES (2014-2018) AND IT STOOD AT 49.2%

vice conducts an annual survey among employers in which they state the need for certain occupations, know-how and skills of the workforce. The data obtained from the survey are important for the planning and inclusion of the unemployed persons in the training process to suit the demands of the labour market. Investing in the quality of the workforce and bolstering human resources is an investment in the future and society’s prosperity. By introducing specialist training for the IT sector, a significant number of persons have been able to acquire the necessary knowledge and thereby increase their employment opportunities. During the preparation of the National Action Plan for Employment for 2019 (which is supposed to be adopted by the year-end) the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs gave priority to additional education and training programmes. In addition to the professional practice programme, the Ministry provided an additional support to youth employment with the two new programmes to be implemented in 2019 - a trainee programme for young people with completed higher education, as well as a trainee programme for the unemployed with high school education that ought to result in unemployed persons finding employment in private sector and the compensation for the trainee wage costs. I would especially like to underline that more funds are provided for the implementation of measures under the active employment policy in 2019 compared to 2018 (increase from RSD 3.65 billion to RSD 4 billion), while RSD 550 million was allocated for the promotion of employment of persons with disabilities. Do you think that the new Labour Law will closely follow in the changes brought on by digitization?

— Lately, the digital revolution and the rapid development of digital technologies have led to significant changes in the work organization, changes in the labour market, the emergence of new jobs and new flexible forms of work for both highly qualified and lowskilled employees. The Labour Law also regulates the work status and protection of employees working outside the employer's premises, which includes long distance work and work from

home. These categories guarantee all employment rights, and due to the specific nature of this type of work, working hours are the subject of a special agreement in line with the work norms. This means that employees who work outside the employer’s premises can work limited number of hours, have the right to rest during the day, and the right to daily, weekly and annual holidays, to which other employees are also entitled to, in accordance with the Labour Law.

of work has been changing so drastically?

— For years, together with the International Labour Organization, trade unions and employers’ associations, the Serbian government has been continuously working on planning and cooperation in the segment of dignified work. In the previous period, we implemented the “2013-2013 Dignified Work Programme in the Republic of Serbia”, and by the year-end, we expect the new agreement on

THE MINISTRY HAS DONE A LOT ON DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL PROTECTION SERVICES BY INTRODUCING A MECHANISM OF SPECIAL-PURPOSE TRANSFERS

ciations, as well as other interested associations and organizations, have been working on the draft of this law for over two years now. The draft text of the law is, for the most part, harmonized with the wishes of all society’s stakeholders, apart from a handful of issues. I don’t think that we should categorize legal solutions as good or bad. What we are talking about here is representing various interests and views regarding certain legal solutions. One side might think of one legal solution as being “good”, while the other might think of it as “bad” or “unfavourable”. We should keep mind that the adoption of this law is a major step towards improving the working conditions and protecting people who, in the previous period, were employed through various agencies and were treated as second-rate workers. This law, first and foremost, ensures that people who are employed through agencies have the same wages and the same working conditions, as well as that they are directly employed by the employer in question, and this is what will be upheld at all times. It seems that the European labour legislation is moving in the direction of defining a common set of rights for all job contracts, and not having special laws governing each type of a job contract. What do you think of this?

I believe that it is our duty to monitor and take into consideration all aspects of the impact that digitization has on work in order to adapt legal and other regulations to new work formats with the view of protecting employees and ensuring adherence to international labour standards. This also applies to the new Labour Law which is supposed to be adopted in 2020 the earliest. How can we maintain dignified work principles when the nature

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the 2018-2022 Dignified Work Programme to be signed. The draft Law on Temporary Employment Agencies has been more praised than criticized, but many are concerned that the good solutions that this law contains will be erased during the public debate. What can we expect?

— A task force, comprising the relevant state authorities and organizations, social stakeholders like trade unions and employers’ asso-

— Apart from job contracts, labour legislation also regulates contracts that govern issues related to people who work but are not officially employed, i.e. the issues that are limited by time, duration, subject of contract or persons who can conclude it. However, working while not being officially employed is becoming an increasingly frequent practice, and there are special laws that regulate other types of contracts that are concluded beyond the scope of employment, where the legal status of workers, as a contracting party, is not clearly defined. This situation is unsustainable and it is necessary to establish minimum standards for all types of work in order to ensure dignified work for all working persons with adequate compensation, which is also guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. Our labour legislation is in the process of compliance with the international standards of the European Union, hence the Labour Law will have to define minimum working conditions in accordance with these standards for all types

of work, and not only for officially employed persons. This relates primarily to limited working hours, daily, weekly and annual leave, protection of pregnant women and maternity leave. Regarding the right to safety and health at work, regulations guarantee this for all workers, regardless of the type and duration of the job contract. To what extent can Serbia apply inclusive solutions in the welfare segment?

— Social inclusion is one of the basic principles that the Ministry is guided by in drafting all strategies, laws and bylaws regulating the field of social protection. Maternity benefits, that are of crucial importance for the poorest families, are regulated by the Law on Social Protection, while the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children is also important, as it regulates the child allowance. The Law on Social Protection stipulates the competencies of the state and local governments in meeting the social needs of citizens. Social protection rights are exercised before and through social work centres whose experts should recognize the difficulties that a person has in fulfilling the basic existential needs and, in accordance with their assessment, instruct the user to use a certain service or to exercise a certain right. In addition to social work centres, local governments are an important factor in the realization of the social protection rights and in social inclusion of their citizens because they create the conditions for rendering support services. Through provision of services, users are encouraged to get involved in social activities, as well as to contribute to the improvement of their own and the well-being of their family through their work or activities. The Ministry has done a lot on development of social protection services by introducing a mechanism of special-purpose transfers through which funds from the

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES AHEAD IS THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW UNIFIED WORK ORGANIZATION OF SOCIAL WORK CENTRES state budget are transferred to the budgets of those local governments that govern in the areas that are below the state’s development level and that are intended specifically for the development of community services. So, after the decree on special-purpose transfers was adopted, a total of RSD 400 million was transferred in 2016, another RSD 700 million in 2017, and RSD 700 million in 2018. Considering all of the aforementioned, our focus is on increasing the availability of the right to material benefits, services and programmes from the social protection system, which be realized by the forming information links between different sectors and the introduction of a social card system, which we, in the Ministry,

consider a high-level priority. What are the Ministry’s plans for 2019?

— First and foremost, we are expected to adopt a new Social Protection Development Strategy that will focus on combating the effects of poverty, taking into account the best interests of children and families, and supporting our oldest citizens and especially people with disabilities. Establishing a new strategic framework will define the directions of the development of the social protection system and the improvement of the services provided under this system. We are also planning to adopt a Community De-institutionalization and Development Strategy, as well as a Strategy for the Preven-

tion and Protection of Children against Violence. Preventing and combating violence against children and protecting children from violence is one of the priorities of the national policy of the Republic of Serbia. Violence against children is a phenomenon that is present in all societies, cultures and parts of the world. A number of children suffer from violence every day, and violence against children represents a gross violation of the rights of the child. This is why a new multi-annual strategic framework for the prevention and protection of children against violence has been developed, as well as an action plan for the implementation of the Strategy. Furthermore, a new, improved General Protocol for the Protection of Children against Violence has been developed and all three documents are expected to be adopted in 2019. The Ministry will continue to actively cooperate with all relevant domestic and international organizations in order to promote children's rights through participation and support in various programmes and projects aimed at protecting and improving children's rights. The Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Family Law is one of a series of legislative activities that we plan to work on next year, as well as the Law on Amendments to the Law on Social Protection. I also have to mention again the Social Card Law that will help different sectors to establish information links in order to improve social protection and the adequacy of the financial provisions for financially vulnerable and other vulnerable groups in the population. One of the challenges ahead is the introduction of a new unified work organization of social work centres using the same model of organization for all services that will be linked at the territorial level which, in turn, will ensure equal treatment in all social work centres and provide the same quality of service to end users in the entire Republic of Serbia.

THE DRAFT LAW ON THE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS The draft Law on the Children’s Rights and the Children’s Rights Ombudsman was also drafted. This is a law that is considered quite unique in the European legislative practice, given that a single law contains formal and legal validation of the rights of the child and the relevant mechanisms, primarily related to promoting and respecting for

the rights of the child like the Children’s Rights Ombudsman. With this law, Serbia will meet its international obligation before the Committee on the Rights of the Child and create the basis for further promotion and respect for the rights of the child, regardless of the fact that we have already achieved significant results in this field.

BARTLEBY

If Consultants Ran Christmas An elf-and-safety nightmare

Memo from: Bognor Consulting Group. To: Santa Claus, North Pole HQ, Lapland. Thanks for asking us to have a look at your business model. Our staff have now recovered from their frostbite and have a number of significant suggestions for a revamp before next year. First, the brand name. The business seems to use several different monikers, including St Nicholas, Santa Claus and Father Christmas. We suggest settling on one of the three. Father Christmas is clearly paternalistic and gender-biased. St Nicholas is too overtly religious. Santa Claus is a much more inclusive term. Once trademarked, there is a ton of money to be made from merchandising rights, particularly from greeting-card companies and department stores. Frankly, your intellectual property is an underutilised resource. Making better use of it could help address your most glaring challenge: the lack of any revenue stream. Mince pies, carrots and glasses of brandy are not a sound basis of remuneration for a multinational organisation. And who pays for the raw materials needed to make the presents? Given the lack of paperwork about your funding, we are surprised that the authorities have not launched an investigation into money-laundering. Next, the distribution system. We admit you have an excellent record to date. However, in attempting to deliver millions of presents from a single point over the course of one night, you have been flying by the seat of your sled. It would take just one injured reindeer or a chimney accident and the whole system would grind to a halt. It is far from clear how you co-ordinate your flights with air-traffic-control systems. Outsourcing is the obvious answer. Amazon, Fed Ex and UPS would do the job just as efficiently. If the chimney-delivery route is still preferred, then small drones may be the answer.

Now let us turn to working conditions. Basing your operation at the North Pole exposes your workers both to extreme cold and, thanks to climate change, melting ice. It is a health-and-safety (or should that be elf-and-safety) nightmare. Speaking of which, our human-resources department is unsure whether employing elves should be classed as an admirable diversity policy or discrimination against Homo sapiens. As with distribution, the operation could

tion. You tell us you have a “list” which records whether children are “naughty or nice”. We are afraid that checking it twice is simply not an adequate safeguard. Children, and their parents, have the right to inspect the list to see whether they agree with your assessment. Even keeping the list is a breach of data-protection rules around the planet. And how are the data compiled? The fact that you see children when they are sleeping, and know when they are

FATHER CHRISTMAS IS CLEARLY PATERNALISTIC AND GENDER-BIASED. ST NICHOLAS IS TOO OVERTLY RELIGIOUS. SANTA CLAUS IS A MUCH MORE INCLUSIVE TERM be outsourced. The elves could be retrained, perhaps as shoemakers. Our team was also very concerned about animal welfare. Asking reindeer to fly around the world in one night, pulling a heavy load, must put an enormous strain on their physiques. One of the reindeer has a very shiny nose and we recommend immediate veterinary attention. The next issue is data protec-

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awake, suggests surveillance on an Orwellian scale. This must be stopped immediately. If you insist on pre-gift monitoring, simply look at the children’s Snapchat accounts. That should tell you all you need to know. While we are on the subject, how do you know which families celebrate Christmas and which do not? In some jurisdictions, you may be liable to a religious-dis-

crimination lawsuit. We are also worried about succession planning. No insult intended but the white beard suggests you are past retirement age and your rotund physique does not bode well for your health. You need to hire a graduate, preferably from an Ivy League college such as Yule University. The good news is that you do live up to many of the precepts of modern business theory. Just-intime delivery, a flat management structure and a purpose-driven ethos are all things we recommend to other clients. And no one can say that flying reindeer are not “agile”. Finally, we need to talk about the terms of our bill. Our expenses were considerable; have you seen the price of a first-class seat on Lapland Airways? Your offer of a train set and slippers was very kind, but we prefer a bank transfer. Mind you, if you could drop a hassle-free Brexit solution down the chimney, the people of Britain would be very grateful. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

INTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Multicultural African Arabs First to change things, first to become stable

H. E. SEYF-ALLAH REJEB Ambassador of Tunisia

Tunisia was the first country to spark the Arab Spring and the first to deal with the consequences of it, while profiling itself as the most democratic Arab country, together with Lebanon. We are bringing you an exclusive interview with H. E. Seyf-Allah Rejeb, the Ambassador of Tunisia. Tunisia was the first country to spark the so-called Arab Spring, and 8 years later, it is once again the most democratic Arab country. How do you assess the country's development from 2011onward?

— Tunisia has successfully implemented its democratic transitional process while giving birth to a new constitution, and holding free and

transparent presidential and legislative elections in 2014. Owing to the national consensus, Tunisia succeeded in overcoming certain issues that threatened its internal stability in the past four years; the reason for which merited the country to win the Nobel Prize for peace in 2015. Active parties on the Tu-

lution, especially unemployment of university graduates. The first results of the efforts invested into resolving this matter have been very positive, but we still need more support from our partners and friends to reach our goals in ensuring a stable economic growth and sustainable development.

TUNISIA WAS THE PRECURSOR OF THE INITIATIVE INVOLVING ALGERIA AND EGYPT WITH THE AIM OF REACHING A COMPREHENSIVE POLITICAL RESOLUTIONS OF ISSUES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE CRISIS-WRACKED LIBYA nisian political stage have always played a positive rolein dealing with the social and economic problems. Currently, Tunisia is focusing on its economic transition to better tackle the socio-economic issues which erupted right after the revo-

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In the meantime, the big, mighty neighbour Libya plunged into chaos trying to do the same thing, but with nasty interference of the foreign factors. How does Tunisia cope with such cross-border challenge?

— Regarding the current situation in Libya, which is one of our most important neighbouring countries as we share 540km long common border, Tunisia has always tried to keep a close contact with all relevant stakeholders concerned by the conflict in Libya and played a very active role in bringing them to table to have a constructive discussion about the future of their country. Indeed, Tunisia was the precursor of the initiative involving Algeria and Egypt with the aim of reaching a comprehensive political resolutions of issues that have plagued the crisis-wracked Libya. The main goal of the initiative is that the three countries should step up their efforts to achieve comprehensive reconciliation in Libya through dialogue between all relevant parties and protect the territorial integrity of Libya while avoiding any military intervention, under the auspices of UN.

The conflict settlement, as intended by the UN, envisages a threestage action: first one implies creating a judicial framework, an electoral code and a constitutional text, the second one would be realized through holding elections in Liby, while the third and last one entails holding a round table to which representatives of all Libyan social categories would take part and discuss the possibilities of restoring security in Libya. The migrant crisis was something Tunisia was well-acquainterd with, experiencing the large influx of migrants from Sahel for years. Now, after the events from 2015 onward, the problems of migration have become the burning issue for Europe and even the USA, Brazil and Colombia, as it seems that the people are on the move everywhere. How do you manage the migrants and refugees from your neigbourhood and Sahel and prevent the illegal migration towards Italy?

— Migration is a traditional phenomenon that has been present for a long time. In 2011, in the southern part of the country, Tunisia accepted 2 million Libyan citizens and other nationals that fled from Libya, with the support of the UN and international organizations. Together we worked hard to ensure a safe return for them to their homelands. Regarding the resolution of issues related to migration, Tunisia believes that the international community should deal with the influx of the migrants from Libya, Syria and Sub-Saharian Africa in line with the policy that gives these young people good opportunities for living in their countries so that they stop looking for better options in Europe, risking their lives by

crossing the Mediterranean or by becoming prey to smugglers and human traffickers. Besides, Tunisia is managing the non-conventional migration to Italy by implementing the existing bilateral agreements for readmission and visa agreement, as well as jointly improving the protection of its sea borders. Our country is also negotiating with the EU about readmission and visa facilitation agreements which is sometimes very challenging for both parties. But beyond securing our borders and supporting EU in managing theirs, Tunisia's interest lies in creating hope for young Tunisians by investing in job creation, re-

expected to climb to 10 million by the end of 2020 especially after aboition of visa regime with many countries. The tourism development strategy, drafted during the Tunisia Tourism Debates in 2017, stipulates implementation of 25 projects under six priorities with the aim of boosting, innovating and further diversifying the Tunisian tourism products which will attract an even bigger number of tourists as the tourist infrastructure has been recording a notable development while the picturesque beaches, the historical and cultural heritage and the mild Mediterranean climate make Tunisia a beautiful destination all year around.

8 MILLION TOURISTS VISITED TUNISIA IN 2018, AMONG THEM 8,000 SERBS. AT THIS RATE, THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO CLIMB TO 10 MILLION BY THE END OF 2020 ESPECIALLY AFTER ABOLITION OF VISA REGIME WITH MANY COUNTRIES forming education and promoting regional development. Tunisia is now stable after the unrest and terrorist attacks and has experienced tourist growth recently. What awaits this economic segment in the future?

— Concerning tourism, there is an ever-growing confidence among tourism professionals that the sector is definitely and completely recovered. Since the beginning of the year all performance indicators were positive - Europe's largest tour-operators have returned; and during the first trimester of 2018, many tour-operators have issued stop sale notices for the summer season. 8 million tourists visited Tunisia in 2018, among them 8,000 Serbs. At this rate, that number is

Tunisia is sometimes described as “Switzerland of Africa” and it is the most “Europeanised” African and Arab country (the latter with the exception of Lebanon). How do you reconcile various traditions, the French and Italian past influences, Arab and Berber heritage and both Western and Islamic tendencies?

— Tunisia has always been diverse. Tunisian culture is a product of more than three thousand years of history and an important multi-ethnic influx. Ancient Tunisia was major civilization throughout history; different cultures, civilizations and multiple successive dynasties contributed to the country's culture over centuries with varying degrees of influence. This unique

mixture of cultures and its strategic geographical location in the Mediterranean made Tunisia the core of this great civilization. For Tunisians, appreciating diversity is a philosophy and a way of life as well. The important elements of Tunisian culture are diverse and represent a unique, mixed heritage. This heritage can be seen in the museums such as the Bardo Museum, in the contrast and diversity of city architecture such as Sidi-Bou-Said or the Medina of Tunis, in the national cuisine staples such as couscous which originates from the Berbers, in the music reflecting the Andalusian and Ottoman influences, religion, literature, cinema, etc. Recently, a Tunisian Jew, René Trabelsi, became the minister in Tunisian goverment. It is a great step towards the reconciliation of different groups in the Mediterranean and building a civil society. Can others use Tunisia as a role model in this and many other areas?

— As I have mentioned in my previous answer, Tunisia takes its essence from diversity and has always been a land of peace, tolerance and co-existence between cultures and religions. Judaism is actually one of the ancient religions that were practiced in Tunisia. The Ghriba synagogue is thousands of years old where Jews from all over the world come for pilgrimage. The recent appointment of Mr. René Trabelsi as the Tourism Minister of is not the first one in our history. We had Jewish ministers and high officials on several occasions since we were a kingdom and after independence. We are proud that because of this we can be a role model to other countries.

OLD FRIENDS Last but not least, Serbia and Tunisia have been friends for decades. We are thankful to Tunisia for its stance towards the Kosovo issue. What is your assessment of the billateral relations and what can we ecxpect in the future, including cultural cooperation? — Tunisia and Serbia have always maintained excellent level of bilateral relations based on friendship and cooperation. These relations resulted in the signing of several agreements in 2014 following the visit of the President of the Republic of Serbia to Tunisia. In terms of the depth of relations and cooperation between the two countries, I can say that 2017 and 2018

were very important for us, with the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Khemaies Jhinaoui visiting Belgrade in December 2017, after 26 years. The first joint session of the Economic Cooperation Committee was held in Tunis in November 2018. Moreover, Tunisia has tried to participate in the most important trade fairs in Serbia in order to increase the dynamic of exchange between different technical structures of both countries. In the field of culture, 2019 looks promising as the Embassy's goal is to organize a number of cultural activities in Belgrade in order to promote the Tunisian cultural life to the Serbian citizens.

GLOBAL POLITICS

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Naturally Multi-polar Not because we want it to be the single system, almost dystopian in its superiority - liberal democratic capitalism with consumers' markets. It did not happen as consumerism and clothes prevailed, with the poor people from Africa and Asia, dressed like Ronaldo or in Man Utd shirts, flooding Western Europe. Their countries didn't make it. Tzvetan Todorov gave us a different explanation of this emerging world.

There are interesting processes developing currently, and with American responses to the loss of the economic and political domination that became absolute in December 1991 being the most interesting of all. There is a new explanation for that. Lately, we have been worried and amused by Donald Trump's efforts to motivate the economic partners to renegotiate the deals they made long ago. It seems NAFTA will disappear and be replaced with something more adequate for the Americans, pretty effortlessly. However, the situation with China seems more complicated, since the mutual sanctions might harm everyone, even America. RISES AND FALLS

China abdicated in the beginning of the 19th century from the position of a superpower declaring that there was nothing else to be learnt from the outside world, since China, as “Chung Kuo”, or “Central Kingdom” would suffer losses, cultural and economic, if it interfered with the rest of the world. What a terrible moment to do such a thing at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution! The West revolutionized and grew richer while colonized, impoverished China and Russia took Manchuria with Vladivostok respectively. Many others (Russia included) took cities along the coast. Even Japan did that, which was isola-

tionist too until they decided to change. Britain fell abruptly after 1945 since it suffered the burden of the Second World War and America took over, with some struggle. Britain was contested by France all the time and by Germany twice, which all ended in world wars, while the USA was contested by the USSR. But after the Bieloviezha

APPETITE AND RESENTMENT

Prior to his death last year, Tzvetan Todorov, a French-Bulgarian philosopher, gave an interesting opinion in his book “The Fear of Barbarians - Beyond the Clash of Civilizations“. There are no more “metropoles and colonies”, “East and West”, “North and South” or “globalists and globalised”. There are 4 groups of countries. The first

THERE IS NO MORE EAST/WEST AND NORTH/ SOUTH BUT 4 GROUPS OF COUNTRIES, DIFFERENTLY ASSEMBLED Agreement, the USSR split, and America became the sole superpower; rich, armed and big. Now, since Fukuyama's predictions are dead, there is a new development. LIFE AFTER GORBACHEV

Globalization was meant to be a Western or an American thing. When we were kids in the late 1990s, we were under the impression that we would all eat the same food, have the same political systems and wear the same clothes after this process. The ideals would be liberal and American and our societies would converge towards

are the “appetite countries” - after long periods of colonial subjugation and poverty, they took their chance and emerged. BRICS is a good example of this; G20 maybe even better. There are plenty of such countries - from Turkey to China and Chile to Indonesia - trying to take over, or at least grab a bite. It was Japan which, several decades ago, first took this path, followed by several countries in South East Asia and, more recently, by China and India. China is at the helm and that makes Trump angry. In the second group of countries resentment plays an essential role.

“Resentment countries” are those who didn't make it. The targets of this resentment are the old colonial countries of Europe and, increasingly, the United States, held responsible for private misery and public powerlessness. They either start civil wars in their countries or they emigrate. There is no improvement there, but they would eagerly like to be like the first group. Unfortunately, they are predominantly Muslim.

The third group of countries is distinguished how much does fear prevail in them, and these are Western countries. They fear the appetite countries since they might overtake their superiority and the resentment countries since they export terrorism, poverty, immigration, and different cultures. That is why they are reacting with populism, right-wing parties and open racism. Finally, the fourth group of countries, spread across several continents, could be called “the indecisive countries”. They would like to join the appetite countries, but they are plundered by the nationals of the fear countries and sometimes by the appetite countries nationals, while being under pressure due to immigrants from the resentment countries. All of this happens “with the active complicity of their own corrupt leaders; with ethnic conflicts spreading desolation among them”. CEE is partially in the fear countries group, while still desperately wanting to emigrate to the West even after Croatia, Romania or Lithuania joined the EU, where they feel like second-class Europeans.

GLOBAL SOLUTION The end of this vicious circle lies in pacifying the resentment countries so they would build rich and functional societies and not emigrate. The fear countries need to realize that if they make the resentment countries rich, nobody would come, and to understand that the appetite countries have the right to rise. The indecision countries will resolve their problems by themselves along the way.

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FEAR AND THOSE INBETWEEN

CONFERENCE

World in 2019

At the conference 'World in 2019', state officials, government ministers, ambassadors, business people and economists together gave an overview of the political, security and economic situation in Serbia and the region in 2018

What was the year 2018 like from the perspective of state officials, Serbian government and business people, and what challenges lie ahead of Serbia and the region in the upcoming period? These were the key questions discussed at the conference held on December 13th in the National Parliament of Serbia. The Serbian Parliament Speaker, Maja Gojković opened the conference and pointed out that no-one can forsee with complete certainty what the world will look like not only in ten years but even next year, adding that a decisive and effective response to global challenges was required, as well as that we needed to recognize our own role in the key processes of our time. “We would also like to express hope that the EU will succeed in reaffirming its enlargement policy. The unclear prospects for

membership of candidate countries has a major negative impact on developments in the Western Balkans region – primarily in terms of growing nationalism and radicalisation of the political scene in many countries of the region,”, Gojković added. The year 2019 will be difficult for Serbia, with numerous secu-

will be created, the year in which the migrant crisis will not grow but will also not diminish, and the year in which the superpowers will demand from small nations, like Serbia, to clearly take sides, although the Serbian people have decided that they will never take sides anymore or be a part of big upheavals”, Vulin said.

WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS HOPE THAT THE EU WILL SUCCEED IN REAFFIRMING ITS ENLARGEMENT POLICY rity challenges – Serbian Defence Minister, Aleksandar Vulin said, adding that, among other things, the superpowers will demand from small countries like Serbia to clearly take sides. “This will be the year in which we will face many security challenges, the year in which an army

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“In the future, Serbia can provide the best possible environment for the winning innovation companies”, said the Minister of Innovation and Technological Development, Nenad Popović at the World in 2019 conference. Popovic mentioned the launch of the train car production in

Kragujevac recently in partnership with Siemens, one of the most renowned German and world companies. “This is a great combination of Serbian engineering potential, great investment conditions created by our government and technological knowledge that Siemens brings to Serbia,” Popovic said, adding that there is enough reason to be satisfied since more new jobs have been created, especially those in “smart” hi-tech sector. Government officials agreed that the main priorities for the next year would be for Serbia to maintain its military neutrality and faster economic growth. Regina De Dominicis, director of UNICEF in Serbia said that not all children in Serbia have equal chances in life and that 115,000 children live in absolute poverty, while an additional 30% are at risk of crossing the poverty line.

Maja Gojković

De Dominicis added that Serbia devised good solutions that could be applied in other countries, and that UNICEF believes that Serbia could play an even more important role in the region. PANELS

The conference was opened by an ambassadorial panel called "Der gleiche Himmel: What's Next for the Berlin Process", with the participation of H.E. Radko Vlaykov,Ambassador of Bulgaria to Serbia, H.E. Frederic Mondoloni, Ambassador of France to Serbia, H.E. Gordan Bakota, Ambassador of Croatia to Serbia, H.E. Thomas Schieb, Ambassador of Germany to Serbia and H.E. Tomáš Kuchta, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Serbia. The panel was moderated by Tanja Miščević, Head of the Negotiating Team for Serbia's Accession to the European Union.

Zoran Djordjević

Ambassadors from the European countries spoke about boosting regional security and cooperation in order to solve common problems. Next was the panel on the Serbian economy and the 10-year-period after the onset of the global crisis. The panel was moderated by Milan Ćulibrk, editor-in-chief of NIN, with the participation of Stanka Pejanović, President of the Serbian Association of Managers, Dejan Turk, Vice President of the Foreign Investors Council, Jelena Pavlović, President of the American Chamber of Commerce

(AmCham) and Goran Kovačević, Deputy Chairman of NALED's Managing Board. Ten years after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers bank marked the beginning of the global economic crisis that many economies around the world have not yet recovered from - representatives of domestic companies, NALED, AMCHAM, FIC and DSW agreed during the discussion about the economic prospects of Serbia and the region in 2019. The discussion focused on the economic perspectives of Serbia and the region in 2019, the results

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AGREED THAT THE MAIN PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT YEAR WOULD BE FOR SERBIA TO MAINTAIN ITS MILITARY NEUTRALITY AND FASTER ECONOMIC GROWTH

Nenad Popović

Biljana Barošević

Aleksandar Vulin

achieved in the past ten years, as well as problems and challenges, growth areas and the economic environment in which these companies operate. Development from the perspective of large and small companies was the topic of the third panel, consisting of Predrag Milinčić, regional director of Mars BBA, Janko Pavlović, Digital Worx. Vladimir Čupić, Atlantic Group, Vuk Guberinić, CEO of CarGo and Sanja Popović-Pantić, PhD, President of the Association of Business Women of Serbia. The moderator was Radojka Nikolić, editor-in-chief Biznis and Ekonometar magazines. The third panel at the conference was "Bed, Breakfast & Much More: Perspectives of Tourism Development in 2019". The panel was moderated by the editor of 92 Trips, Tara Tomović. Assistant Croatian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Tel-

Regina De Dominicis

Aleksandar Jakovljević

Velimir Gavrilović

ecommunications, Dr. Renata Pindžo, Director of the Tourist Organization of Serbia, Marija Labović, founder of Discoveryserbia.com, Marta Aničić and editor-in-chief of Hello! Travel magazine, Žikica Milošević were the panelists. The topics that the panelists discussed were the comeback of Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia onto the tourism scene and its affect on the tourism growth of our region, have Croatia and Montenegro achieved their maximum in the season and now need to focus on the pre-season and postseason, what can we learn from the Slovenians, where the continental countries such as Serbia and Macedonia see themselves in the tourism sector and is Albania "a new tourism star“. A multiple-answer survey was conducted at the conference aimed at finding out the audience's opinion about the biggest problems of tourism development in Serbia.

IN ADDITION TO PANEL DISCUSSIONS, THREE CASE STUDIES WERE ALSO PRESENTED AT THE WORLD IN 2019 CONFERENCE 'What will the Balkans Look Like in 2029' was the topic of the last panel titled 'Back to the Future', where Lazar Džamić, writer, lecturer and creative strategist, Nebojša Djurdjević, CEO of Digital Serbia Initiative, Slavimir Stojanović Futro, designer, Dejan Ristić, historian, translator and screenwriter, Aleksandar Simurdić, from European Movement in Serbia and Bojan Djurić, co-founder of Serbia 21 were the panelists. The moderator was Aleksandar Djuričić. In addition to panel discussions, three case studies were also presented at the World in 2019 conference. Biljana Barošević, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs presented the first study titled „Serbia, Same for All“. The second study was presented by Aleksandar Jakovljević, from Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) on the topic of „Perspectives of electroenergy development in the Serbia and region“. The last case study was presented Velimir Gavrilović, from Energia Gas and Power, on the topic of „Roads Of Energy - Where Electricity is Going - Present, Future, Myths and Reality“.

Panel no. 1 – Der gleiche Himmel: What next for the Berlin process

Panel no. 2 - Inventory: Serbian economy 10 years after the onset of the global economic crisis

Panel No. 3 - Development from the perspective of small and big companies

Panel No. 4 – Bed, Breakfast & Much More: Perspectives on Tourism Development in 2019

Panel No. 5 – Back to the Future: How will the Balkans look in 2029?

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INTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Adventurist, Not a Star Revealing secrets of mummies Egypt is doing a lot to preserve and promote its treasuries. How would you describe your work there?

Professor ZAHI HAWASS Ph.D., Archaeologist and Egyptologist

Zahi Hawass is one of the most rewnowned and popular Egyptians. Even the great actor Omar Sharif said once that the only fellow countryman that was more popular than him was Zahi Hawass. Interestingly enough, Dr. Hawass hated archaelogy when he was kid. Nevertheless, that did not stop him from becoming something of a real-life Indiana Jones. When you think of ancient Egypt, you immediately think of him. He also goes by the monicker „The King Of The Pyramids“, thanks to discovering the secrets hidden under the Egyptian sand for centuries and presenting them in the most appealing way. Thanks to him, archaeology fans, from amateurs to experts, can now enjoy discoveries that the mankind used to only dream about. Dr Hawass is responsible for many recent discoveries, including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. At Giza, he also uncovered the satellite pyr-

amid of Khufu. This rarely gifted archaeologist, the former Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo and the first Minister of Antiquities, never ceases to surprise. With his team, he is on a verge of great discoveries that were exclusively presented at his lectures on December 7th and 8th, at the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre in Belgrade. We used this opportunity to do a short interview with him.

— I think that the work I have been doing is recognised globally. Probably the most important thing I did involved the construction of the Grand Museum, which is one of the most important institutions of culture, and the Civilisations Museum, i.e. the management programme I did for Phoenician, Jewish, Coptic, Greco-Roman,

How do you explain the damage and rage that the Islamic State did and showed against the ancient civilisations, since there was no such devastation in the history of Islam?

I AM JUST RECOGNISED AND COMPARED TO INDIANA JONES ON THE ACCOUNT OF MY ADVENTURES IN ACHAEOLOGY. AND, OF COURSE, FOR MY HAT

Many consider you to be a true Indiana Jones. Following your appearances on specialised TV channels like History Channel or National Geographic, you became a star. Is the life of an archaeologist really that glamurous?

— You know, it is very rare for someone to become a star. I don't know how I have become a star in the first place. I think Howard Carter is a star because he found the tomb of Tutankhamun. I think the people who discovered Tutankhamun's grave or the mummy of Hatshepsut are global stars. I am just recognised and compared to Indiana Jones on the account of my adventures in achaeology. And, of course, for my hat.

and Islamic cultures. It was really important for this to be acknowledged because today, the Government shows a great deal care for the monuments. Also, it supports the completion of the Grand Museum. Even our President is sup-

EXCAVATIONS IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS What are you working on at the moment and what are your immediate plans? — I am working on the excavations in the Valley of the Kings, in search for the tomb of the Queen Nefertiti and Annaksunamun, and launching the Egyptian Mummy Project at the Cairo Museum, with the aim of revealing the secrets of the mummie.

portive of this project, as well as of the transformation of the Gizeh Plateau into an open museum. Once this is done, the rest of the world will recognise the great work that Egypt has done in preserving its monuments.

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— Those people are not good Muslims. They are simply very bad terrorists. Please, let's not use the word Muslim when we are talking about them because Muslims are peaceful, wonderful people. Islam is completely against any form of violence. What these people are doing, with the destruction of monuments in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, is damaging history. Hence, the whole world is againts them, including myself, because you cannot steal artifacts and sell them to buy weapons to kill people. Only they should be blamed for this, not the entire Muslim population.

POLITICS

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Why Democracy at All?

When there is deep disregard for results

The Macedonian referendum about the name change has turned into something very strange. Despite being an utter failure, the government deemed it as successful. I am not claiming that the Prespa Agreement is bad; on the contrary, it is fantastic, but there are many reasons why it failed, and here are some of them. ELECTORAL ROLL

First and foremost, there is something deeply wrong with electoral rolls, not only in (Northern) Macedonia. There are 1.8 million registered voters in the population of 2.1 million. This means that close to 15% of the population (300,000) is underage which is simply impossible. The CIA World Factbook says that 19.5% of the population is under the age of 15, so this means that around 23% is under 18, which, in turn, means that there are around 1.62 million voters. In that case, the threshold is around 810k people, not 900k. But there is more… PEOPLE LEAVING

Out of the people over the age of 18, lots of them don’t even live in the country. Like in all other Eastern European countries, many people are leaving every day. In Croatia, the population fell under 4mln, in Serbia below 7mln, and

Ukraine is even worse – close to 4m people don’t even live in the country. The Biblical exodus is continuing, and if you want to hold a referendum, you should bear that in mind. From Estonia to Albania, we will all die out soon. Countries will become empty without immigration, which we, of course, deeply hate because, hey, they are not our kind! Our kind left us for Germany. WEDDINGS AND AJVAR

It may sound silly, but PM Zaev was in so much rush to verify the Prespa Agreement that he forgot that he held referendum during the wedding season, on Sunday, with the polls open until 7 pm. First of all, many people who had to attend a wedding did not go to vote prior, and certainly did not leave wedding reception to do so. Secondly, many people traditionally make ajvar on Sundays. Everybody who boycotted the referendum had a great explanation – “could not vote because...”. A referendum can be held over two days if needed. Also, you can leave polling stations open until 9 pm or so. In spite of all the difficulties with the Macedonians living abroad, Zaev made several beginner mistakes. FALSE AND MISLEADING QUESTION

Last but not least (in fact, the

most important), is the false referendum question which was totally misleading and offensive. The question – “Would you like to join the EU and NATO under the stipulations of the Prespa Agreement?” – is actually three questions in one. First of all, the basic issue was omitted. This was a referendum on the country changing its name, so why didn’t you formulate the question accordingly – “Do you agree that the Republic of Macedonia should be renamed into the Republic of Northern Macedonia according to the Prespa Agreement?” That is the proper question, just like you would ask - “Do you want Montenegro/Scotland to be an independent state?”, “Do you want the UK to leave the EU?” and similar. The first question you should have asked should have

“yes”, but you never know. It is, though, nice to be asked. Having this “3in1” question enraged some people, because if they said “No”, it was like “Oh, then you hate this country and a happy future for it”. So, they decided to abstain from voting. It was an emotional blackmail, and the people reacted, justly so. To make things worse, many proclaimed the referendum “a victory” since the 36% of the voters who eventually turned up, said YES. I would just like to remind you of one thing. The referendum on the integration with the United Kingdom was held in Malta on 11th and 12th February 1956. 77% of the people who voted, answered “yes” to the referendum question, and the turnout was 59.1%. Still, the referendum did not reach 50% of the registered voters. In Macedonia, this did

NOT ONLY DID PEOPLE SAY NO TO THE NAME CHANGE, BUT THEY ALSO SAID NO TO JOINING NATO AND THE EU ALTHOUGH THE NAME CHANGE AND THE EU MEMBERSHIP WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR MACEDONIA been about the name change. Then, you could ask people if they wanted to join NATO (probably they would want to), and when you finish and close all the chapters in the accession negotiations with the EU, in 5 to 10 years, you could ask – “Do you want Macedonia to be part of the EU?. Again, the answer would probably be

not matter at all. Zaev continued as if nothing happened since the referendum was “consultative” in nature anyway. However, not only did people say NO to the name change, but they also said NO to joining NATO and the EU. Strange, since both the name change and the EU membership would be beneficial for Macedonia.

WIDER PICTURE In one of the Western Balkan countries we had a situation where one of the three constitutive nations chose two members of the three-member Presidency, leaving one of them unrepresented, which, under the election rules, was deemed unconstitutional. This created the situation where the third member will represent two nations, trying to (once again, unconstitutionally) represent the entity’s flag in the confederate Presidency. The troubled member even declared his personal support for the independence of countries not recognized by his country. In another country, the government decided for the country

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to join NATO without even holding a referendum, knowing very well it would fail. With this travesty of democracy and a total disregard of people's wishes, no wonder people have stopped believing in democracy all together. So, it will not come as a surprise if we see a Duterte or Bolsonaro-like figure emerging. The Western democracy is all about "we will do whatever we deem appropriate for you and the power centres since you are anyway too immature to vote properly". This is so dangerous that it might destroy democracy in its entirety. And once this happens, I would have to say, with heavy heart: "I told you so".

16th BELGRADE DANCE FESTIVAL

Emotions for Fans of Finest Art Photo: Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company / courtesy of Belgrade Dance Festival

Artists from 11 countries will perform at the 16th Belgrade Dance Festival that will take place in March 2019

The 16th edition of the Belgrade Dance Festival will be all about “Emotions”. A total of 16ml of different, and yet equally precious ‘substances’ will form a ‘concentrate’ that will help both the fans of the finest art and absolute novices to regenerate their best emotions. A total of 16 ballet and contemporary dance companies from 11 countries will perform 20 choreographed pieces and 25 solos and duets in front of the audiences from March 22nd to April 12th. The troops come from Grenoble, Lyon, Antwerp, Rome, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Seoul, Philadelphia,

Tel Aviv, Nantes, Montreal, The Hague and Johannesburg. The main Festival’s programme will take place in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Vršac. Prior to the 16th Belgrade Dance Festival, there will be a traditional film review “Days of Dance” at the Yugoslav Film Archive (from January 25th to 29th), various workshops, master classes, exhibitions and presentations. The Belgrade Dance Festival owes its development to the support from the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, the City of Belgrade, the embassies and the cultural centres of participating countries. The long-standing cooperation with

the Provincial Secretariat for Culture of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the City of Novi Sad is significant for the affirmation of the artistic dance and the implementation of the Festival’s programme in Vojvodina. Also, for seven consecutive years, the EU Delegation to Serbia has been supporting the Belgrade Dance Festival. As the main partner of the Belgrade Dance Festival, Vip Mobile has introduced a recognizable model of investments by large companies in culture, with Erste Bank, Visa, Nivea and Nestlé Adriatic also sponsoring the event. The Hemofarm Foundation, DDOR Novi Sad, HEINEKEN,

Pardon Marbo Product, Vahali Production Services, Bojović Drašković Popović & Partners, Telegroup and others are the long-standing friends of the Festival. From the Festival’s very beginning, Diplomacy & Commerce magazine has been supporting and reporting about the Belgrade Dance Festival, underlining the great significance of this unique cultural event. We talked with the ambassadors of 9 countries in Serbia about the dance troupes from their respective countries performing at the Festival, and how important it is to support such artistic events.

Cultural Event of the Highest Rank H.E. CARLO LO CASCIO Ambassador of Italy

The Belgrade Dance Festival which, in the meantime has become a cultural event of the highest rank, brings the comprehensive global artistic dance scene in front of the fantastic audiences in Serbia. This year too, the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute of Culture will give their full support to Italy’s participation in the BDF. The Italian dance troupe “Spell-

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bound”, that will participate in the festival, is an excellent ensemble who knows how to breathe life into mesmerizing innovative projects. Their performance in Belgrade, Vršac and Novi Sad will be homage to music and contemporaienity of Rossini's personality and work. This elevation of beauty of life through imaginative choreography will take your breath away.

The World of Contemporary Dance H.E. FRÉDÉRIC MONDOLONI French Ambassador

In the spring of 2019, we will be celebrating 180 years of diplomatic relations between France and Serbia and culture is an essential element of this relationship. Following in the steps its predecessor - French Cultural Centre, The French Institute of Serbia, is strongly committed to promoting and encouraging contemporary dance in Belgrade. Consequently, the success of the Belgrade Dance Festival, devoted entirely to the contemporary dance and supported by a wide public, is the most beautiful of rewards for our previous efforts. Thanks to BDF, we are very pleased to announce three French performances

at the festival - Tordre from Rachid Ouramdane and its two astonishing, internationally acclaimed virtuoso dancers, Passo from Ambra Senatore, reflecting all the grace and subtlety of her choreographic work and, finally, Lobby from the Tie Break Company which mixes hip hop, the new circus and the musical comedy with great humour and dexterity. These three performances will give the audience an excellent insight into the vitality of the French contemporary dance, of its diversity and the universality of its language. I wish you a beautiful journey through the world of contemporary dance and the Belgrade Dance Festival.

I Hope You Are Intrigued

H.E. ALONA FISHER-KAMM

H.E.HENK VAN DEN DOOL

Ambassador of the State of Israel

Ambassador of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been very prominent at the Belgrade Dance Festival (BDF) since its beginnings. However, one group keeps coming back by popular demand of the audience - the famous Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) - that will open the Belgrade Dance Festival 2019. According to Le Figaro” five minutes of the performance is sufficient to be certain: this company is one of the seven wonders in the world of dance”. NDT will perform “Wir sagen uns Dunkles” [We say dark things to each other] by Marco Goecke, where “everything vibrates of sensual excitement”. Dancers move fast, virtuoso, gesticulate in peculiar ways. Darkness Spoken, without words. We will also see the creation of the NDT house cho-

Home to Almost 100 Different Dance Ensembles

reographers Paul Lightfoot and Sol León with their recognizable, but diverse, choreographic language, packed with emotions. “Sad Case”, created in 1998 when Sol León was seven months pregnant with her daughter, is one of the main pillars of the tandem’s oeuvre. To complete this triptych, NDT brings back a significant work by Lightfoot/León - “Signing Off”, originally created for NDT 1 in 2003. There will be another treat from the Netherlands during the festival. Actually, it is a Dutch-Serbian treat – the performer and choreographer Dunja Jocić will showcase her piece “Don’t talk to me in my sleep” produced by the Korzo Productions. I hope you are intrigued and I look forward to seeing you at the Belgrade Dance Festival.

In the recent years, Israel has positioned itself as one of the leading countries in contemporary dance. Home to almost 100 different dance ensembles, it has developed a profuse scene that is ever more diverse, creative and audacious. I am very proud that Israeli dance companies have been present in Belgrade since the very beginnings of the Belgrade Dance Festival as, during the three Festival weeks, Belgrade becomes the true centre of contemporary dance trends, gathering dancers and performers from all over the world. This year, as the Festival celebrates its 16th anniversary, we will be bringing to Belgrade one of the most renowned and critically acclaimed dance companies, Batsheva. This is Israel’s biggest company, with an incredible annual performance schedule consisting of over 250 performances both locally and internationally. Batsheva owes

its originality, audacity and grace to Ohad Naharin, choreographer and the company’s Artistic Director until 2018, as well as the creator of an original dance technique – Gaga. The answer to what Gaga is lays in the “definition” given by Naharin himself – “We become more aware of our form. We connect to the sense of the endlessness of possibilities. We explore multi-dimensional movement; we enjoy the burning sensation in our muscles, we are ready to snap, we are aware of our explosive power and sometimes we use it.” Belgrade audience will witness firsthand the Gaga “mystical” movement and its unique esthetic in Sadeh 21, a 75-minute-long performance that the critics labelled a hypnotizing, dream-like experience, bearing unmistakably Naharin’s distinctive choreographic signature. Sounds tempting? See you in the Sava Center on April 8th!

16th BELGRADE DANCE FESTIVAL

Exceptional Promotion Vibrant Shows that Of Canadian Dance Invite us to Reflect Theatre

H.E. KATHLEEN CSABA

H.E. MIGUEL FUERTES SUÁREZ

Ambassador of Canada

Ambassador of Spain

I am delighted that Canada will be represented at the Belgrade Dance Festival again this year! The Festival has become one of Belgrade’s best-known brands, and every year presents world-class dance companies and choreographers. Over the years, these have included Canadian companies. Three Canadian cultural figures, originally from this region, have been recipients of the “Vip Calling” award for their lifetime achievements: Aleksandar Antonijević, former principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada, Gradimir Pankov, Art Director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Branislav Henselmann, former Executive Director of BC Ballet and current Managing Director of the Cultural Services of the City of Vancouver. Montreal-based Compagnie Marie Chouinard is not new to Serbian audiences and we look forward to their new show Radical Vitality, Solos and Duets that had its world premiere at the 2018 International Contemporary Dance Festival of the Venice Biennale. Its Belgrade performance will take place on April 4 at the Opera Madlenianum. The "Jovan Ćirilov – for one step further" prize for the 2018 Belgrade Dance Festival will be awarded, based on the decision of the expert jury, to Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard, for the piece Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights. Marie Chouinard is a true

cultural ambassador for Quebec and Canada and her company enjoys an outstanding international reputation. Having greatly enjoyed this year’s BDF performance of Compagnie Marie Chouinard’s Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights (I liked it so much the first night that I came back the next night for the second performance), I can hardly wait to see their new production Radical Vitality, Solos and Duets on April 4, 2019. As Ambassador of Canada, I would like to thank the Belgrade Dance Festival, and particularly its director, Ms. Aja Jung, for exceptional cooperation and promotion of Canadian dance theatre in Serbia. I look forward to the 16th edition of the Belgrade Dance Festival and I would like to invite modern dance lovers from the whole region to join the excitement of this wonderful festival taking place in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Vršac.

Spain and Serbia have very close friendship. In 2016, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between our two countries. The Balkans will always included in the work of Blasco Ibáñez or of the music of Manuel Manrique de Lara in Spain, where also writers such as Jovan Dučić and Ivo Andrić lived. It was precisely in Madrid, in the late 1920s, that Andrić met Kalmi Baruh, the first great Yugoslavian Hispanist. Serving as the Ambassador of Spain to Serbia has allowed me to be a privileged witness of the deep interest which Serbs have in the Spanish culture. Their enthusiasm for learning Spanish and their love for Spanish literature, a treasure which we cherish and share together with our Latin American brothers and sisters, is a fitting proof of it. So is the vibrant activity in our Cervantes Institute in Belgrade. The 16th Belgrade Dance Festival will be held this year too. It

Photo: Tie Break, Lyon / courtesy of Belgrade Dance Festival

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has undoubtedly become a global reference, taking Serbian dancers and choreographers to the highest levels and bringing top global dance talents to Belgrade. Spain has taken part in the Festival since 2005, with talented artists such as Nacho Duato from the Spanish National Dance Company, and Sol Picó, who have had the opportunity to show the quality of Spanish dance in recent years. This year’s programme includes two Spanish performances from our beloved Barcelona, with the support of Acción Cultural Española and the Spanish Embassy in Serbia. Choreographer Pere Faura and his “No dance, no paradise” provide an interesting reflection on the world of dance – from awe to humorous self-criticism – through a personal interpretation of four iconic choreographies which have become part of the public imagination. Furthermore, Agrupación Señor Serrano – who won the Silver Lion Award to Innovation in Theatre at the Venice Biennale – help the audience confront the current world contradictions through their multidisciplinary. “Birdie” is a dance story about migrating birds which become an imaginary boundary between wealth and misery, war and peace. These are two vibrant shows that invite us to reflect. I have no doubt that all fans of dance will enjoy these performances at the Festival that, as usual, is a guarantee for both talent and quality.

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Guest Performances by Two Renowned German Dance Theatres

Discovering Fascinating Piece of Art

H.E. ADAM KOENRAAD Belgian Ambassador

H.E. THOMAS SCHIEB Ambassador of Germany

Contemporary dance can be challenging – both physically and emotionally. It pushes the boundaries of dance and forces the audience to think outside the box and open up emotionally. Therefore, I am proud that the Belgrade Dance Festival will this year host two remarkable dance ensembles from Germany: Eric Gauthier and his team from Stuttgart and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. Eric Gauthier – a dancer, choreographer, art director, and musician – is coming to Belgrade with his latest and last performance as a dancer. “The Gift” is a somewhat controversial title of a performance because in the English language it means “present” and in the German “poison”. This is, I can safely say, a masterpiece. Gauthier takes us on a journey of a psychological discovery of our deepest fears but also the happy moments of our lives. The ultimate goal of the show is to discover who we really are. Eric Gauthier has many talents, professions, passion, and interests – as do many of us. Sometimes, it is hard to grasp and come to terms with ourselves and the challenges that we constantly face. We´ll see whether Gauthier’s piece can help us surmount the obstacles on this difficult path. The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company – with its own experienced and sophisticated

choreographer, Jacopo Godani – presents a show that merges different branches of art. It is as if Godani and his team are confronting our senses with impossible tasks: to see the music, hear the movement, and sense the scenery. The performance offers such a perfect blend of images and impressions that, while enjoying the show, our senses fuse into sublime harmony. These two performances are visually exciting and entertaining, while at the same time emotionally demanding. One thing is for certain: every audience member will leave the theatre having witnessed a great and intense spectacle for the senses.

The Belgrade Dance Festival has already had the pleasure to host many artistic performances, be it for Geneva Ballet, Nederland’s Dans Theater, Introdans or Aakash Odedra from London. This time around, Sidi Cherkaoui will come to Belgrade with the Eastman Dance Company which he founded in 2010. Under his guidance, the company has become an exquisite ambassador of Belgian’s contemporary dance scene. As the recipient of multiple awards throughout his career, which culminated in numerous successful artistic collaborations, including the one with the Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovich, Cherkaoui will have the honour to open this year’s Belgrade Dance Festival with the performance of Fractus V. Inspired by the linguist

Photo: Company Eun-Me Ahn, Seoul / courtesy of Belgrade Dance Festival

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and political philosopher Noam Chomsky, his choreography is a reflection of how to approach the most fundamental of challenges that today’s society and individuals are faced with, namely how to cope with mass information, avoid media manipulation, and maintain freedom of speech. Space is needed for the renewal of identities, a process that passes through fractures and the ability to let go of the past. True to the cosmopolitan profile of Eastman’s hometown of Antwerp, a colorful ensemble of dancers and musicians of multiple identities and backgrounds will participate in the performance of Fractus V. As a newcomer to this city, I am looking forward to discovering together with you this fascinating piece of art, on 22nd March, 2019.

THE ECONOMIST EXPLAINS

Why Lebanon Struggles to Form Governments Deep divisions mean agreeing on anything takes time

Lebanon's politics operates slowly. It took two and a half years for the country to elect its current president, nine years to hold parliamentary elections and 12 years to pass a budget. The forming of a government appears to obey a similar temporal rule. Lebanon has spent nearly two and a half of the past 13 years without a government, and talks to form a new one have dragged on for over seven months. The country’s Sunni prime minister, Saad Hariri (pictured left with President Putin), said this month that he was hopeful that a new cabinet could be formed before the end of the year. Why does it take so long? Lebanon’s sectarian political system lies at the heart of the problem. Based on a power-sharing agreement that dates back to French colonial rule, seats in parliament are shared out proportionally among the country’s 18 religious groups. Government posts and public-sector jobs are also divvied up among the sects. The president, for example, is always

a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni and the speaker of parliament a Shia. Cabinet decisions must be passed by a twothirds majority, but thanks to an agreement reached in 2008 Hizbullah, the Shia militia-cum-political party, and its allies have a guaranteed third of cabinet seats, which gives them a veto. Reaching a conclusion on anything, includ-

roughly one-third of its seats. Hizbullah, which receives funding and military support from Iran, consequently wants Mr Hariri to hand one of his cabinet seats to a Sunni MP from Hizbullah’s camp. This would undermine Mr Hariri’s claim to be the only leader true of Lebanon’s Sunnis while empowering Hizbullah and their allies. Some see foreign hands at

LEBANON CAN ILL-AFFORD A LENGTHY PERIOD WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT. IT HAS DONE SO IN THE PAST, BUT CONFIDENCE IN THE SHAKY ECONOMY IS ALREADY LOW ing the formation of a cabinet, requires confessional groups to put aside their differences. In a society divided along sectarian lines, this takes time. The causes of the latest political crisis are no different. The squabble pits Mr Hariri against Hizbullah. Mr Hariri’s bloc, which is broadly pro-Western and backed by Saudi Arabia, took a drubbing at elections in May, losing

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work. By stalling the formation of a new Lebanese government and limiting Lebanon's ability to act as a bulwark against extremism and terrorism in the region, Iran may be using its proxy to hit back at America, which recently reinstated sanctions on Iran. Lebanon can ill-afford a lengthy period without a government. It has done so in the past, but confidence in the shaky

economy is already low. Moreover, fears are growing of another war with Israel, given that Israel is continuing to bomb Iranian and Hizbullah targets in Syria, and has begun blowing up what it says are Hizbullah tunnels on the Lebanese border. Such fears risk weakening the flow of remittances that Lebanon relies on to finance its fiscal deficit. This could ultimately see the country default on its debt, which in comparison with GDP has one of the largest ratios in the world. Institutions such as the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have pledged to help with $11bn in soft loans and grants. But without a government, Lebanon will fail to enact the reforms required to unlock the money. But the risk is that the bickering over cabinet seats continues into 2019, and that the economy collapses before a government can be formed. From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

CORPORATE

JUPOL, THE SERBIAN RED CROSS AND CITIZENS OF SERBIA GAVE HAPPINESS TO THE CHILDREN WHO HAD THE HARDEST OF LIVES

Let's Add More Colour to Life

In its advertising slogan, JUB says that it changes homes, and through its socially responsible activities, it demonstrates that it can change lives too

During 2018, JUB and the Serbian Red Cross implemented an important and comprehensive, socially responsible project for children from socially endangered environments, children pedestrians and children who use soup kitchens. The moment has come to summarize what has been done and to thank you all, particularly the loyal customers who purchased 15-litre packages of JUPOL products and by doing so, donated 10 dinars from each purchase for humanitarian purposes. When we asked children about something that they will definitely remember, they unanimously said their stay at the Krista Djordjevic summer resort in Baošići, Montenegro, under the auspices of the Serbian Red Cross. In Baošići, they were involved in a ten-day programme which included a range of educational and creative workshops - fine arts, drama and music. In addition, they also learned about the promotion of human values, fight against human trafficking, first aid, verbal communication, etc. „There is no gift more valuable than their smiles“, said Jelena Zdravković, Head of Marketing Department at JUB and added:

“We believe that, like us, this socialization and recovery programme had marked this year, as well as made it much nicer. The children have formed friendships that will last for a long time." Inspired by the results of the project and the energy of these magical little and big people, JUB decided to dedicate next year to socially responsible activities. But

"Colours Change Life". To celebrate 50 year of JUPOL, and in cooperation with the Red Cross, 50 young people will undergo training at the well-known JUB Academy. The idea of the project is for licenced professionals to enable socially vulnerable young people from the city of Belgrade to become independent painters and decorators. In small groups of up to 7 students, and within 3 to 5 days, they will learn everything that they need to know about painting and decorating - from creamcoating and general painting and decorating to painting wooden and metal substrates.

INSPIRED BY THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT AND THE ENERGY OF THESE MAGICAL LITTLE AND BIG PEOPLE, JUB DECIDED TO DEDICATE NEXT YEAR TO SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ACTIVITIES

JUB will provide an advanced level of training to those students who demonstrate a great dedication and strong interest, where they will have the opportunity to learn and apply decorative techniques. The most successful students will receive references from JUB so they can find employment faster, while each student will receive materials and tools as a gift to decorate their homes. JUB's great birthday celebration will also be in the spirit of this project, because it is planned to take place at the very end of JUB Academy, so that everyone can celebrate – children can celebrate new friendships, students their graduation from the Academy, and all of us together can celebrate life. In its advertising slogan, JUB says that it changes homes, and through its socially responsible activities, it demonstrates that it can change lives too.

since next year is not exactly a typical year for this brand, because it marks a big JUBilee, the company has decided to expand its socially responsible activities. 50 years of operations is no small fete, hence JUPOL decided to use this JUBilee to expand its activity scope with socially reponsible campaigns. In 2019, we will continue to implement a project for children from socially disadvantaged environments, as well as launch a new project called

JUPOL CELEBRATES 50th ANNIVERSARY IN 2019 50 years of operations is no small fete, hence JUPOL decided to use this JUBilee to expand its activity scope with socially reponsible campaigns. In 2019, we will continue to implement a project for children from socially disadvantaged environments, as well as launch a new project called "Colours Change Life".

PEOPLE & EVENTS

06 THE EMBASSY OF DEC

FINLAND CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY

and cultural figures, members of the diplomatic corps and other guests. Finland celebrates its Independence Day in memory of December 6th, 1917, when the country declared independence from the Russian Empire.

H.E. Augusto José Pestana Saraiva Peixoto, Portugal Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Perti Ikonen and H.E.Oana-Cristina Popa, Ambassador of Romania to Serbia (far right)

H.E. Perti Ikonen

th 09 IWC HOSTS 17

DEC

The Finnish Embassy in Belgrade held a reception in honour of its Independence Day. The Ambassador of Finland, H.E. Perti Ikonen welcomed the guests at his residence in Belgrade. The reception was attended by public

CHARITY BAZAAR

The International Women’s Club held the 17th Charity Bazaar at the Hall 2 of the Belgrade Fair. This year, under the slogan “Imagine what we can do together”, this traditional event celebrated the spirit of

community and the wonderful practice of donation. As usual, in cooperation with several other organizations in Serbia, many members of the diplomatic community in Serbia contributed greatly to this charity event.

Tanja Bošković, artist

10 CELEBRATION OF 70th DEC

ANNIVERSARY OF UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

The Human Rights Day and 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were marked at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, with the support of the United Nations Team in Serbia, the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and the

H.E.Andrea Orizio, Stelian Nader, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia and H.E.Sem Fabrizi

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Council of Europe Office in Belgrade. The guests were greeted by the reception’s hosts Ms. Stelian Nader, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, Head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Andrea Orizio, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and the Head of the Council of Europe, Mr. Tobias Flessenkemper.

H.E. Branislav Mićunović, Ambassador of Montenegro to Serbia, H.E.Kathleen Csaba, Ambassador of Canada to Serbia and Gordan Bakota, Croatian Ambassador to Serbia

07 DIPLOMACY & COMMERCE DEC

WALKING DINNER WITH THE MAYOR OF NOVI SAD

The Mayor of Novi Sad, Miloš Vučević and the magazine "Diplomacy and Commerce", hosted ambassadors and deputy ambassadors of ten countries in Novi Sad on December 7th: Russia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Cyprus and Ukraine. Within the framework of the concept called "Walking Dinner with the Mayor of Novi Sad", the ambassadors first visited the "Novi Sad Winter Fest" at the Trg Slobode, then the restaurant "Athens" was once called "Kod Dornštetera", "Moscow" and "Zagreb", then "Lazin salaš" where, along with Vojvodina specialties, and finally, a dessert grain with cream in the oldest Novi Sad pastry shop "City", which was located at this location since 1933.

H.E. Alexander Chepurin ,Russian Ambassador to Serbia and Miloš Vučević, Mayor of Novi Sad

H.E. Marco Antonio GARCÍA BLANCO , ambassador of Mexico, H.E. Constantinos ELIADES, Ambassador of Cyprus, H.E.Isabela Cristina de AZEVEDO HEYVAERT, Brazilian Ambassador and Robert Čoban

H.E. Radko Todorov Vlaykov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Serbia and Branislav Mićunović, Ambassador of Montenegro to Serbia

Ambassadors of Mexico and Cyprus

12 ST. LUCIA CELEBRATION DEC

H.E. Jan Lundin

Joachim Waern, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, Slavica Marković Sandić, Embassy of Sweden and H.E. Jan Lundin with spouse

AND ABBA PARTY IN BELGRADE

The Swedish Embassy and Color Media Communications held the St. Lucia Celebration and Abba Party on December 12th at Bitef Art Cafe. The Ambassador of Sweden in Serbia, H.E. Jan Lundin and President of the Color Press Group, Robert Čoban warmly welcomed the guests. Ambassador Lundin also expressed his satisfaction that St. Lucia, the traditional Swedish holiday that is celebrated in December, is marked in Belgrade along with the celebration of ABBA, one of the top selling, most iconic groups in the world.

Joachim Waern, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, Mrs. Milica Lundin ,Mrs. Alessandra Scalici Gesolfo , H.E. Jan Lundin and H.E.Carlo Lo Cascio

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

10 NATIONAL DEC

Qatar’s Statehood Day was celebrated on December 12th in Belgrade. On the occasion, the Qatari Ambassador, H.E. Mubarak bin Fahad Al-Thani said that Serbia and Qatar were two brotherly states that were bound by friendly relations, adding that Qatar had been devoting special attention to strengthening the bilateral co-operation with Serbia. The Ambassador

DAY OF QATAR MARKED IN BELGRADE

Minister Rasim Ljajić, H.E. Mubarak bin Fahad Al-Thani and H.E. Mohammed K. M. Nabhan

H.E. Mubarak bin Fahad Al-Thani

11 CANSEE DEC

CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL

The fifth consecutive CANSEE traditional Christmas reception was attended by more than 120 distinguished guests, CANSEE members, partners and associates, as well as the representatives of the diplomatic corps, and Serbian political and economic leaders. The CANSEE Christmas

Minister Nenad Popović and H.E. Kathleen Csaba with her husband

12 SAM ANNUAL DEC

AWARDS

For the seventh consecutive year, the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) gave out its SAM Annual Awards at the already traditional SAM Gala Ceremony. The prestigious award ended up in the hands of the best in their respective fields with Dejan Turk, CEO of Vip Mobile,

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reception marked the end of another very successful year for the CANSEE Association. At the reception, the Canadian Ambassador, H.E. Kathleen Csaba extended a warm welcome to the guests underlining that she was honoured to be the ambassador of Canada to Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro.

Nebojša Djurdjević, Brankica Janković, Mirjana Beaton and H.E. Kathleen Csaba

Winners of SAM Annual Awards

also underlined that Qatar welcomed the efforts of the Serbian Government on achieving progress, economic development and ensuring a stable life for its people, as well as in bolstering the credibility of Serbia in the international community, and implementing the policy of moderation in dealing with all regional and international challenges.

winning the Manager of the Year Award. The SAM Annual Award ceremony was attended by the prominent business people from Serbia. The ceremony was officially opened with an impressive acrobatic performance that, thanks to the special effects, created a unique experience for all guests.

13 AHK DEC

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

Representatives of the AHK member companies, friends and associates gathered in an informal atmosphere to mark the end of this business year at the traditional Christmas celebration of AHK Serbia in the Rubin restaurant in Belgrade. The guests were greeted by Dr.

H.E. Thomas Schieb , Ambassador of Germany

13 UKRAINIAN DEC

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATED WITH BALLET PERFORMANCE

Ronald Seeliger, President of the AHK Serbia and CEO of Hemofarm, who gave a brief retrospective of all the activities that the Chamber carried out in the past year and pointed out that next year, AHK Serbia would continue to provide strong support to all activities of its member companies.

Sanda Savić, Hemofarm, Zoran Baranac, Prva TV, Doris Danilović, AHK and Suzana Djordjević, Hemofarm Foundation

The National Day of Ukraine (and the Armed Forces Day) was celebrated of December 13th at the National Theatre in Belgrade with a sophisticated ballet performance, a combination of classical ballet and modern dance. The performers were illustrious Ukrainian ballet dancers who danced against the musical

backdrop of Vivaldi's “Four Seasons”. H.E. Oleksandr Aleksandrovych, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Serbia, welcomed the guests and sang the anthems of the two countries himself. After the anthems, he told a background story about the Ukrainian anthem. Following the performance, the guests enjoyed cocktails.

H.E. Oleksandr Aleksandrovych and H.E.Isabela Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert, Brazilian Ambassador

H.E. Oleksandr Aleksandrovych with spouse

14 NEW YEAR'S PARTY AT DEC

THE RESIDENCE OF SEM FABRIZI

H.E. Sem Fabrizi with spouse and H.E.Ruth Stewart,Austrian Ambassador to Serbia

Ronald Seeliger, President of the AHK Serbia and CEO of Hemofarm

in Belgrade. On the occasion, he said that although 2018 was an important year for Serbia's EU accession process, there was a still a lot of work to do.

On the occasion of the end of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, held a reception at his residence

H.E. Archbishop Luciano Suriani,H.E. Ilir Boçka,H.E. Tomáš Kuchta and H.E. Andrea Orizio

H.E. Sem Fabrizi, Dubravka Negre EIB and Rebecca Jane Fabrizi

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

17 PROMOTION OF THE BOOK DEC

"THE SERBIAN MILITARY CEMETERY IN ALGERIA"

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the ceasefire in the First World War, and in cooperation with the Serbian Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and the support of the National

H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub,Algerian Ambassador and Minister, Zoran Djordjević

21 BEL MEDIC DEC

PARTY

26 NEW YEAR'S

Photo: Government of Serbia / Slobodan Miljević

DEC

RECEPTION FOR JOURNALISTS AND MINISTERS

Marko Jelić, President of the Association of Friends of Algeria and Ruža Ristanović, Director of D&C magazine

Bel Medic celebrated the end to another successful business year by holding a New Year’s Party at the Kalmegdanska Terasa restaurant for many guests and associates. Founder and Director of Bel Medic, Jasmina Knežević wished everyone a happy New Year and a lot of

health, happiness and success in 2019. On the occasion, the company handed out its Best of the Best awards with a number of professors, doctors and medical staff among the recipients. Some of them received two awards, like Dr Vladimir Vajs, the head of Bel Medic Maternity Hospital.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabić hosted the annual Christmas and New Year’s reception for ministers and media representatives. On the occasion, she underlined that one of the most important events in 2019 would be a public debate on the Draft Media Strategy, as well as the preparation of a set of media laws. As the biggest challenge in the year before us, she highlighted

regional stability and relations between Belgrade and Priština, adding that she hoped that the dialogue between the two would continue. She stated that the Serbian Constitution would undergo changes and that that would be one of the most important things for the country. The reception was attended by a number of media representatives in Serbia.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabić with Government Ministries

Museum in Belgrade, the Algerian Friendship Society and the Algerian Embassy, held the promotion of the book "The Serbian Military Cemetery in Algeria ", on Monday, December 17th, 2018.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Delta Holding

WPK (WIENER PRIVATKLINIK) ACADEMY‘S CANCER CENTER The goal of the Cancer Center at the Wiener Privatklinik is to be the right place for the cancer patient care. The Centre disposes of top notch diagnostic equipment and its staff has an excellent collaboration with a variety of medical specialists to deliver cancer treatments of university hospital quality in the discreet, elegant and luxurious surroundings located in one of the most attractive cities in Europe. Immunotherapy is a newer treatment whereby, through the use of antibodies. The cancer-induced paralysis of the immune cells which can destroy tumour cells is reversed thereby activating the regular function of immune cells which, in turn, can lead to the elimination of tumour cells. Immune Oncology is a particularly novel and revolutionary approach to treatment of

OUR VILLAGE - THE NEW PROJECT

cancer with the best results achieved in the treatment of lung cancer, metastatic malignant melanoma, ear, nose and throat tumours, gastric cancers, cancers of the bladder and renal cancers. In breast cancer, a very recently published study has demonstrated the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with metastatic, so-called “triple-negative” disease, which, in combination with chemotherapy, yields results that have not been accomplished until now.

Belgrade Waterfront

WINNING SOLUTIONS FOR A SMARTER BELGRADE

It is quite likely that soon we will be able exercise in a smart gym, and create energy simply by working out - once Energym team, the winner of “I have a solution for a smarter city” prize, starts implementing their project. The contest was organized by Belgrade

Waterfront, to reward the most innovative ideas for enhancing the quality of life in cities. Among 172 teams and individuals that initially applied, ICT Hub chose 10 finalists that competed in front of a jury which awarded three winning ideas at the final event. The Smart Light team is one of the award recipients for their concept of smart street lighting, as is the Smart Solutions team for the idea of smart containers that help communal services in more effective waste treatment. To further develop or apply the best solutions, Belgrade Waterfront has also secured additional 25,000 euro.

Our Village is the title of the new Delta Holding’s project through which the company wants to start the development of agriculture in undeveloped areas and restructuring of villages in Serbia. At the initial stage, the villages Dubočane and Mala Jasikova in Zaječar area will participate in the project. The villagers received this news directly from the president of Delta Holding, Miroslav Mišković and the mayor of Zaječar, Boško Ničić. Delta will help the population in the two selected villages to significantly improve their level of agricultural production, as well as social and cultural life in their villages. The plan is to ensure that the quality of life in these villages is tantamount to those in the developed parts of Europe. Delta Agrar experts will advise farmers about protection, cultivation and selection of fruits, the selection of animal breeds and their proper breeding, as well as in every other segment that is the crucial for the success of agricultural production. To make this project sustainable, Delta will guarantee the purchase of manufactured goods, because the placement of goods was one of the biggest problems for manufacturers in this region so far.

GLO SECRET CONCERT

Atlantic Group

SAM AWARD FOR THE BEST TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Atlantic Group is the winner of the Serbian Association of Managers Award for the Best Talent Programme in 2018, which is yet another recognition of the company’s commitment to achieving high standards in human resource management. At the ceremony, the SAM awards were given in a total of 12 categories. Dragomir Kostić, General Manager of Atlantic Brands, received the award on behalf of the Atlantic Group as one of the SAM members. This year, the SAM marks its 12th anniversary with 450 members which advocate the improvement of the Serbian economy across the globe. "This

recognition is very important for us, because this year we have mark the tenth year of continuity in excellence of human resources management in Atlantic Group and today we stand shoulder to shoulder with the best companies in the market", said Dragomir Kostić.

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The new glo 2.0 device in gold and pink, as well as the luxurious limited edition black color, has been spectacularly introduced to the domestic public at the first glo Secret Concert event. The long awaited premiere of the “secret concert” has gathered more than 200 chosen celebrities including Jovana Joksimović, Ivan Ivanović, Dragan Bjelogrlić, Biljana Tipsarević, Olivera Kovačević, Slaven Došlo, Nataša Miljković, Minja Miletić, Andrija Kuzmanović and many others, with stars like Marija Šerifović, Toni Cetinski and Lepa Brena singing at the concert and entertaining the audience with their greatest hits. The second generation of glo has an elegant, premium design, as well as intensive colours. It doesn’t generate smoke and ash and it considerably reduces the amount of unpleasant odour on the skin, hair, clothes and in closed spaces where the device is being used.

CORPORATE

CONFLUENCE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT:

Market Retail Property - Short Overview Q4 2018

Summarizing the Serbian retail real estate market (shopping centers, retail parks, department stores and other specific facilities) we can say that it achieved moderate growth in 2018. The total area for rent in Serbia covered by retail outlets larger than 5,000m² is close to the figure of 1,000,000m² and

currently stands at 962,293m². Market centers today account for 39% of the area, retail parks 27.6%, department stores 9.1% and other types of buildings 24.3%. And in the next couple of years you can expect an increase in the presence of modern shopping centers, which will certainly contribute to the level of market development.

Belgrade remains a center for retail real estate, and such a trend will continue in the future. It has a little more than half a million m², or slightly more than 55% of the total space in retail real estate in Serbia. Representation of shopping malls in Belgrade is more significant compared to Serbia, and they account for 45% of the total retail space.

CNC MACHINE PROCESSING · SCRAPING · MILLING

Production of individual and small-sized parts in the field of maintenance of transport systems, power transmission systems, food and laboratory equipment, parts from the auto industry, parts of agricultural mechanization, systems of conustrations, elements of various plants and utensils. Aledjo doo Borčanskih žrtava 1914, 53 Beograd, Borča Tel: + 381 11 33 22 486 · Direktor: + 381 65 28 28 069 · Tehnički direktor: + 381 64 28 28 069 Fax: + 381 11 27 21 222 · E-mail: office@aledjo.rs · Web: www.aledjo.rs

BUSINESS NEWS

Grand Kafa

WINNER OF BEOGRADSKI POBEDNIK AWARD

Thanks to its exceptional business results, Grand Kafa was given the Beogradski Pobednik award, a prestigious award that the Chamber of Commerce of Belgrade traditionally gives at the end of the year to the most successful companies and individuals. "This award is a pinnacle of another successful business year for Grand Kafa, which for us, as a leader in coffee production, is another validation that the Serbian market appreciates and recognizes the quality of products and our investments in every segment of our business - from procurement and the control of coffee beans to production and consumer relationships, which are particularly important to us. Also, Grand Kafa continuously supports efforts to improve living and business conditions, and besides investing in brand development, our efforts are also focused on investing in people," said Andrej Bele, General Manager of the Strategic Business Area ‘Coffee’ at the Atlantic Group, under which the Grand Prom Company operates.

Telegroup

TECH HUB IN BANJA LUKA

Under the auspices of its Tech Hub Programme implemented at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Banja Luka, TeleGroup has opened doors for students of the new generation. As previously announced by TeleGroup, the ETF TG Tech Hub will become a tradition with the goal of introducing students to business processes in a large tech company, provide them with a practical and applicable knowledge and ensure professional practice through four modules - software development, cyber security, telecommunications and electrical energy. With the help of this six-month long practice programme, the students who achieve best results will be able to participate in the implementation of commercial projects together with TeleGroup. The cooperation between TeleGroup and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering is a long-standing one, with the TeleGroup Tech Hub being just one of the joint project activities. www.telegroup-ltd.com

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

CLOSING GENDER GAP HAS ECONOMIC REASONS Closing the gender gap has not only humane reasons, but also economic ones, so companies have been increasingly focusing on promoting gender equality. Since coming to the Serbian market, IKEA has been focusing on equality in salaries of employees working in the same positions, equal representation of women in leadership positions and equal opportunities for career development. The company has also recently introduced one-month paid leave for new fathers, which contributes to the well-being of

both parents and children. IKEA’s goal is to raise the quality of business through gender equality.

SIEMENS ACHIEVES ITS GOALS FOR 2018

At the end of the current business year, Siemens d.o.o. has achieved its goals and accomplished good results, while participating in capital projects in the Republic of Serbia which positioned the company as a reliable partner to the Serbian economy. “This year, in Serbia, we have implemented a number of projects in all areas in which we operate, and I am confident that we will continue in the same direction, namely to stimulate Serbia’s economic growth with our

innovative technologies and solutions,” said Udo Ehlinger, General Manager of Siemens d.o.o. Belgrade, adding that the company’s focus was on promoting and implementing digitalization and digital solutions. “Siemens is a pioneer in the field of digitization in Serbia, and our goal is to present our customers new products and solutions in this field, as well as to explain how digitalization affects to improve business and competitiveness in the market,” Mr. Ehlinger added.

FIRST CONCERT OF COMPANY BANDS, BIZBENDOVI IN SERBIA A unique charity concert called BIZbendovi 2018, held by company bands in Serbia for the first time ever, took place at the Youth Centre in Belgrade. Employees of the leading companies in Serbia - Vip Mobile, Microsoft Development Center Serbia, Direct Media, Unicredit Bank and Apatin Brewery - performed for the National Association of Parents of Children with Cancer - NURDOR in front of the packed audience, at the concert organized by the media company BIZLife. On the occasion, Danica Stupar, the director of the media company BIZLife, said that all good ideas

come from good communication and clear visions, adding that there was a growing global trend of companies moving away from a strict corporate image and that that trend was spreading into Serbia as well.

EVENT

Gala Dinner: “The World in 2019"

Gala dinner: “The World in 2019" held at the Hilton Hotel in Belgrade, closed the seventh conference "The World in 2019", which discussed the results of 2018 and the development forecasts in 2019 H.E. Sem Fabrizi, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia and Mrs. Dubravka Negre, Head of European Investment Bank for the Western Balkans spoke at the panel "Serbia in 2019". Negre pointed out that the EIB is pleased with the year that we leave behind, because in 2018 only in Serbia, the EIB Group has signed

contracts for investments worth more than 500 million euros, the highest amount since 2011. "The EIB and the Government of Serbia are working on capital infrastructure projects, but we are also helping the private sector. In the year after us, our group has identified more than 300 million euros to help small and medium-sized enterprises, which helped the

business to entrepreneurs with innovations, enabled the employment of 40,000 workers, "said Negre. Fabrizi said that the future of the Western Balkans is in the EU, and said that this year was very important for the EU when it comes to legislation, and that ahead of Serbia and other countries of the region there are many challenges

on the road to the EU. The session's moderator was Mrs. Tanja Miščević, Head of the Serbian negotiating team. Gala dinner gathered representatives of economic and diplomatic community, as well as many guests from international and domestic companies, cultural and society life in Serbia.

H.E. Sem Fabrizi, Head of EU Delegation, Tanja Miščević Head of the Serbian negotiating team, adn Dubravka Negre, Head of EIB

Jelena and Brent Sadler

Ruža Ristanović, DC magazine and Dragan Penezić, BAT

Lambis Kounalakis, Greece embassy, Vlatko Sekulović, Sekulović Law office

Robert Čoban, CPG, Snežana Rožnov, DDOR, Giorgio Marchegiani, CEO of DDOR osiguranje

Duško Krsmanović, Flagship, Dubravka Negre, Head of EIB and Radivoje Petrikić, Head of CMS

Goran Pitić, President of the BoD, Societe Generale Serbia and Stanka Pejanović, CEO of Gorenje

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Dragan Radić, owner of Ninamedia company

Robert Čoban, CPG, Andrea Radonjić and Vladimir Tipsarević, Coca-Cola Hellenic, Biljana Barošević, Minister assistant

Sotirios Kostouros, CEO of BAT Vranje

Borislav Miljanović, CEO of Represent with Miodrag Kostić, President of MK Group

Mr. Svetozar Janevski, President of the Managerial Board of Tikveš Winery

Svetozar Janevski, Tikveš, Gordan Bakota, Croatian Ambassador, Biljana Barošević, Minister assistant, Zoran Avramović and Sandra Čoban, CPG

Zoran Đurić, CEO of Miele with Jovana Marković, DC magazine

Ingo Nissen, CEO of MPC Properties

Nada Filipović, Coca-Cola Company, Ruža Ristanović, DC magazine and Dragan Filipović, CEO of Generali osiguranje

H.E. Adam Koenraad, Belgian Ambassador and H.E. Anders Christian Hougård, Danish Ambassador to Serbia

Sandra Čoban, CPG, Robert Čoban, President of CPG with Svetlana Glumac, Moji Brendovi

Jasmina Knežević, Ceo of Bel Medic and Tomaž Orešič, CEO of Resalta

Mirjana Beaton Dončić and Aleksandar Obrenović, Cansee

MORE PHOTOS ON

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SAME STORY, NEW SONGS

“Mary Poppins Returns” is a Faithful Tribute to the Original The film-makers take parts of “Mary Poppins” and change them a tad. They might have been more ambitious

The place is London. The time, according to a caption, is “The Great Slump”. A widowed father of three has spent everything he has and more on his late wife’s medical care, and is now about to lose his house to the bank. To twist the knife, he works at the bank himself, having abandoned his dreams of being an artist. Not only that, but his father worked there, too—and his surname is actually Banks. “Everything’s falling to pieces,” he sobs. Those of us living in Britain in 2018 may be inclined to mutter, “Trust me, mate, I know how you feel.” Surprisingly, this bleak scenario does not appear in a Ken Loach drama. It appears in “Mary Poppins Returns”, Disney’s long-awaited sequel to its most beloved live-action musical, the magnificent “Mary Poppins” (1964), starring Julie Andrews as the magical nanny from P.L. Travers’s books. The widowed father (Ben Whishaw) is John, who was one of the two children Mary cared for in the original film, and who has since had his life ruined by a lying, cheating banker. The other child, Jane (Emily Mortimer), now spends her time

campaigning for workers’ rights. But the film doesn’t stick with the political themes introduced in its early scenes. “Paddington 2”, another sequel based on a series of children’s books set in London, was overtly in favour of welcoming immigrants and, more generally, being kind to strangers, whereas “Mary Poppins Returns” makes do with the all-purpose Disney bromide that “anything is possible, even the impossible”. And it is determinedly not about

bath of nostalgia. Their film has moved the Banks family on from the 1910s to the 1930s, but you will struggle to think of a sequel which takes such pains to imitate its predecessor. It is as much a remake as it is a reboot, so if you have seen “Mary Poppins”—and you should—you will know the story. A brusquely enigmatic super-nanny (now played by Emily Blunt) floats down from the skies to 17 Cherry Tree Lane, where she takes charge of the Banks children. She has a

“MARY POPPINS RETURNS” MAKES DO WITH THE ALL-PURPOSE DISNEY BROMIDE THAT “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, EVEN THE IMPOSSIBLE” the present day. The film’s only concessions to the passage of time since 1964 are the inclusion of a couple of non-white actors and a regrettable sequence involving BMX bikes. Maybe that is the point. Maybe the director, Rob Marshall (who made the Oscar-winning “Chicago”), and the screenwriter, David Magee, felt that the only way to wash off the grime of the 21st century was to plunge into a bubble

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Cockney sidekick played by an American (Lin-Manuel Miranda) who can’t do a Cockney accent. She takes the children on outings to their father’s bank in the City, to the house of an eccentric relative (Meryl Streep), and to an enchanted realm where live-action actors interact with animated animals— animated, no less, in the same hand-drawn style as they were in the 1960s. It is impressive to see how,

again and again, the film-makers take an element from “Mary Poppins” and then change it ever-so-slightly. For example, the animated sequence in the original film takes place in a chalk pavement drawing; in the sequel, the characters dive into the glaze on a Royal Doulton bowl. It is impressive, too, to see how close everything comes to the wondrous standards set by “Mary Poppins”. “Mary Poppins Returns” is packed with snazzy costumes, bright-eyed performances, and polished song and dance numbers. Unlike so many sequels, it doesn’t position itself as part of a continuing franchise. It aims to be nothing more than lavish, sweet-natured family entertainment—and it succeeds. It might have been better, though, if the film it had tried to be more than just a meticulous tribute to a superior antecedent. True, it was never likely that a Disney movie would explore the dark clouds that hang over the opening scenes, but it could have been more ambitious and imaginative in other ways. Once you twig that it is following assiduously in the footsteps of “Mary Poppins”, it starts to feel oppressively predictable. Mary tells her charges that “anything is possible”, but it seems to be impossible for them to do anything that wasn’t done in another film, 54 years ago. There is one other issue. Throughout “Mary Poppins Returns”, Michael and Jane are searching high and low for a share certificate which might just save them from penury, so why doesn’t Mary help them? We all know she can tidy a room with a click of her fingers. Would it really have killed her to use her witchy powers to find one piece of paper? From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

CULTURE

In the Name of Musical Talents Liszt Fest in the Hungarian Culture Weeks Valentin Magyar

This year's Liszt Fest closed the concert season in Zrenjanin with a concert in the Chamber Hall of the City Hall on December 15th, where works by Franz Liszt, whose name the festival carries, were performed. Franz Liszt Fest was held in cooperation with the following companies: Generali Osiguranje, Schweppes, Art Link Fest, Embassy of Hungary in Belgrade, Collegium Hungaricum Belgrade. The very idea of establishing the festival stems from the fact that the greatest composer - pianist, the famous Franc Liszt, performed in the Ečka Castle near Zrenjanin, as a child. This interesting fact served as an inspiration to the Association of Business Women from Zrenjanin “Sofia” to launch a festival, which the Color Media Communications successfully implemented in cooperation with its partners for the second time. Besides its revue element, the Liszt Fest also has a competitive character and the young artists are selected for some of the prizes awarded in cooperation with partners.

Petar Pejčić

This year's second edition was realized in cooperation with the Department of Culture of the Embassy of Hungary in Serbia, which supported the performance of the young virtuoso from Hungary – Valentin Magyar, within their project Hungarian Culture Weeks together with the ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival, which will enable the award-winning young pianists to perform in several concert halls across Serbia.

September. In addition to Magyar, selected young talents from Serbia, students of several music schools and students of the Faculty of Music Arts, also performed. Color Media Communications is dedicated to supporting the most talented young artists, which is very important for their presentation to the general public and in particular for the promotion and popularisation of artistic music and performance in Serbia.

LISZT FEST ALSO HAS A COMPETITIVE CHARACTER AND THE YOUNG ARTISTS ARE SELECTED FOR SOME OF THE PRIZES AWARDED Valentin Magyar is an exceptional young pianist who performed very demanding works by Liszt in Zrenjanin, including the famous Transcendental Études and the Mephisto Waltz. Magyar has won several awards and is currently attending a special program for young talents at the Franc Liszt Academy in Budapest, where he will continue his regular studies from

Maša Dragičević

ArtLink Award “The Most Promising Young Artist in 2018” The prestigious ArtLink Award for the Most Promising Young Artist in 2018 goes to a great sixteenyear-old cellist Petar Pejčić. The first in the series of concerts by the new laureate Petar Pejčić is the traditional New Year's Concert in the Great Hall of the Kolarac Endowment, on 2 January,

2019. This concert, like every year, is the first concert in the new calendar year. ArtLink has established the annual award "Most promising young artist" in 2005 in order to create the opportunity for the most talented young musicians to improve their knowledge and to master the scene, as well as to perform with outstanding musicians, present their talents to the audience and build their professional biographies. Young Petar Pejčić was selected in the ArtLink Young Talents’ Program for in 2013 and since then he has had the opportunity to perform at the ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival with great names such as the renowned violinist Stefan Milenković, cellists Istvan Vardai and Jan Vogler, as well as to perform with the “ArtLink Young Virtuosi Ensemble”. Petar Pejčić begun his studies at the Felix Mendelsohn Bartholdy College of Music and Drama in Leipzig (Germany), as well as at the State Music Gymnasium Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden (Germany), in the class of prof. Peter Bruns.

Jovanka Višekruna Janković, Franz Liszt Festival’s selector

INTERVIEW

Theatre is Eternal Change The main role of theatre has always been to purify and enrich the audience, as well as all the participants in theater acts, and to bring, as Laza Kostić once said, "the harmony of spheres" in our life. Indeed, owing to both classics and the new repertoire for 2019, the Serbian National Theatre manages to do this year-on-year ZORAN DJERIĆ Director of the Serbian National Theatre (SNP)

Since the appointment of Zoran Djerić as the head of the Serbian National Theatre, this cultural institution has changed both internally and externally. These days, the theatre is breathed in the spirit of Christmas and New Year's festivities, and next year, we cannot wait to see the classic plays like "Na Drini Ćuprija" (“The Bridge on the Drina”), which, last autumn, thrilled the South Korean audience, as well as a number of new and beloved drama, opera and ballet performances. Behind the scene, the SNP is also embarking on a new year of financial struggle to keep this prestigious theater going. You have recently participated in the conference titled "The Future of Performing Arts in Serbia". What is the future of the SNP and performing arts in general?

always been to purify and enrich the audience, as well as all the participants in theatre acts. The theatre is not and cannot be perceived only as a job, because it also has exalted goals, which we recognize as artistic achievements in drama, opera and ballet, through text, music, play, through "harmony of spheres" , to quote Laza Kostić. The main role of theatre has not changed for thousands of years and maybe it is more pronounced today than ever, because we live in cathartic times. However, I do not agree with Aristotle that art and theatre

Ever since you came at the helm of the SNP, the theatre’s budget increased. How much did these funds help you with ensuring proper functioning of all three ensembles and their repertoires?

— The Serbian National Theatre was and should be a cultural institution of national significance. It significance must not be overlooked, nor abolished, by law or some regulations. It is a historical institution that has been proving its worth for over one and a half

I BELIEVE THAT THE NOVI SAD 2021 EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE FOUNDATION WILL CONTINUE COUNTING NOT ONLY ON SPATIAL BUT ALSO ON THE ARTISTIC POTENTIAL OF THE SERBIAN NATIONAL THEATRE

— The main problem of contemporary theatre is that it attempts to solve its crisis at the beginning of the 21st century using formats that were formulated at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. These formats were once effective, but today, in the face of the challenges of our time, they do not possess the necessary plasticity, they are resisting change, and they are rigid and irresistible, just like the systems from which they originated. The main role of theatre has

should mimic our reality, but it should rather create it.

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century. Therefore, institutions, national and artistic, such as the SNP, must not be equated with any kind of troupes, ad hoc groups and the like, in order to get some money from projects. Both domestic and foreign foundations are aware of this, and count on us, not only in terms of distribution of funds, but also in devising programmes. We cannot imagine any European capital of culture without a theatre. We are not talking only about spatial capacities, which are undoubtedly important, but also about the artistic potential that the Serbian National Theatre definitely has. The last premiere this year, “Smrdljiva Bajka” ("Stinky Fairytale") is the first performance on the renovated Chamber Stage that talks about homeless people who inhabit an abandoned factory. To what extent are theatre audiences willing to watch something that does not resonate with their everyday lives?

— Theatre reflects not only our present, but also our past, and our future depends on it too. Audiences know that theatre is temporal art, and it is much more than just a reflection of reality, or what is, or what we believe will be. This project is supported by the Novi Sad 2021 - European Capital of Culture Foundation under the auspices of the "Audience in Focus" programme and the city of Novi Sad - City Administration for Culture. What role does the

SNP play in Novi Sad’s preparation for the 2021 European Capital of Culture?

— I believe that this will not be a one-off example, namely that the Novi Sad 2021 - European Capital of Culture Foundation will continue counting not only on spatial but also on the artistic potential of the Serbian National Theatre. As you have already noticed, the Serbian National Theatre has Drama, Opera and Ballet, but it also has Technical Department, three halls of different capacities, infrastructure, and creative potential. We regularly apply to all competitions. Several international projects are underway in which our theatre plays a key role. There is no reason for this not to continue until 2021, when the SNP celebrates its 160th anniversary. What would you recommend to our readers to see from the existing and new SNP repertoire in 2019?

— In terms of drama, I definitely recommend "Blood Wedding" by F. G. Lorca, directed by Igor Vuk Torbica, a play that was made in co-production with the Budva City Theatre. Then there is Arthur Miller’s "Witches from Salem", directed by Nikita Milivojević. When it comes to established performances, they should definitely see Ivo Andrić’s “Na Drini Ćuprija” (“The

Bridge on the Drina”), directed by Kokan Mladenović, as well as the musical "Fiddler on the Roof", which is staged in co-production with the Novi Sad Theatre, and directed by Atila Bereš. At the beginning of 2019, we are going to have two drama premieres - "Antigone 2018", directed by Milan Nešković and “Komično u Klasičnom” ("Comical in Classical"), authored and directed by Igor Vuk Torbica, in co-production with the National Theatre from Sombor. When ballet is in question, as in previous

as the destiny of this part of the world. How did the South Korean audience understand this motive that is deeply ingrained in us, since you staged three performances there?

— Ivo Andrić’s novel "Na Drini Ćuprija" has been translated into Korean. So, both the writer and his work are already known and appreciated in South Korea. There is a Serbian language lectorate in Seoul which is attended by 150 students. Otherwise, the students were the main audience at all three perfor-

THE MAIN ROLE OF THEATRE IS MORE PRONOUNCED TODAY THAN EVER, BECAUSE WE LIVE IN CATHARTIC TIMES years, Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker" has always been a hit during Christmas and New Year’s holidays. As for the opera, I recommend "Pop Ćira i Pop Spira” (“Father Ćira and Father Spira”), directed by Dejan Despić and Rossini's "Cinderella". One of the most popular SNP plays is definitely "Na Drini Ćuprija". Kokan Mladenović, who directs the play, said in an interview that while he was preparing for it, he was constantly thinking about cycles of evil

mances that we staged during the international theatre festival. Due to the complexity of the theme, the show was subtitled in Korean, and actors performed this play the Turkish, German, Hungarian and Serbian languages. The end itself is in English. Even our audience needs a translation, let alone the South Korean one. But this did not affect they reception that we got in Seoul. It is not just the motive of evil and violence that characterizes this play, but the play is very layered, with the topics such as tragic love, play and seduction, dance, constant compe-

tition between good and evil, the removal from power, the passage of time... Since the performance is visually and audibly striking, I believe that this was the first thing that the South Korean audience noticed. They felt the acting energy, and the extraordinary passionate potential of our ensemble. When you were appointed the director of the SNP, you said that you would put domestic authors first. How often, besides the classics, do you come across good young playwrights?

— J.P. Sterija, Nušić. Jakov Ignjatović and Dušan Kovačević are our staples but we also have an inclination towards new domestic playwrights like Božidar Knežević, whose plays are on our repertoire, and then also young playwrights like Tijana Grumić. In collaboration with Sterijino Pozorje we staged plays that were award winning or received special jury recommendation for the best original script. I believe that we will continue with this practice. The dramatization of the scripts of contemporary Serbian writers such as Vladimir Pistal, Franjo Petrinović and Miodrag Kajtez are in progress. And we are open to cooperating with other talented young and contemporary domestic playwrights.

CONTINUATION OF RESTORATION IN 2019 It seems that the situation at the SNP is improving, but there is still a broken and a rather ugly looking pavement in front of the theatre. Is there any chance that this will be fixed? — The stairway in front of the main entrance was restored before the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the accession of Vojvodina to the Kingdom of Serbia. A new road was paved, as was

the access road leading to the building’s official entrance and the parking lot. We also put up street lights and planted shrubs. I believe that next year we will start restoring the remaining area that surrounds our building, arranging it and removing all defects. This, of course, requires certain funds, but I believe that we will get them, because our building is in the city centre, and the Theater Square is one of the priorities in the 2019 plan.

HISTORY

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Remains of the Remains of Danubian Germans Those who stayed and those who disappeared

The Germans were one of the largest ethnic communities in the Pannonian region, with many of them living in Vojvodina. They settled in this area following the plan that the Austrian monarchy had, and brought immense growth and development to this part of the world. After 1918, and especially in 1944, they suffered a horrible destiny – they fled or were expelled from the area, or ended up in concentration camps. But some stayed. This is a story about Germans, their settlement and their disappearance – a story about three families from Bački Jarak who were allowed to stay.

were „fit to work“ and those that were „unfit to work“, i.e. women, children and elderly people. A total of 166,970 Germans were subject to internment, and 48,447 of them died. The Germans who had mixed marriages, who declared themselves Croats or Hungarians, who were partisans or communists, or leaders of the workers' unions, were the only ones that were not under the internment. The camps were closed in March 1948, when the survivors were finally allowed to emigrate or return home. But most of these Germans did not support the Nazis at all. Today, there are close to 3,000 Germans living in Vojvodina.

ARRIVAL

Before the Second World War, in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, there were about 500,000 Germans (350,000 in Vojvodina), mostly the Danubian Swabians. There were even more of them in 1918, but the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes did not cater to them too much. Dissatisfied with the new status, many Germans became members of Kulturbund - they were quite taken with Hitler and the strength of the new Germany, and even declared that they were citizens of the Reich. From 1941 onward, about 95,000 of them joined the German, Hungarian and Croatian military units. Most, however, withdrew once the Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans took charge, with over 200,000 Germans remaining in their properties. None of them were volksdeutchers, sympathizers of the Wehrmacht, or war criminals. They withdrew with the German army in fear, alone or with their families. The relevant historical data show that „245,000 Germans were evacuated to Germany before the restoration of Yugoslavia under Tito's rule“. The history also says that, from that point on, the Yugoslav partisans started to engage in unscrupulous behaviour – 7,000 people were killed immediately with work camps forming between 1945 and 1948 where additional 50,000 Germans died. The

DORF JAREK

Soviet forces transferred 30,000 Germans to Ukraine (Donbass) to do force labour, with 5,683 of them reported dead.“ Those who survived subsequently moved to Germany, Austria and overseas countries. After March 1945, the Germans were transferred to the the camps, their furniture was removed from their houses, and they were given straw-

filled mattresses with 25 to 30 people sleeping in one room. Around 20,000 people were sent to villages that could take only up to 2,000 people. This was a tragedy making. They had to deal with all sorts of bugs, head lice, rats, typhoid, hunger... They never received medical treatment, food was scarce, and the work extermely strenous. Families were divided into members that

EVERYTHING SEEMED PERFECT - 40 YEARS OF PEACE, LARGE AND FERTILE FIELDS WHEREVER YOU LOOKED, MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS, TRAINS...

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The German world for village is dorf, while the word Jarek is a Germanized form of the Slovenian word Jarak. It was first mentioned in 1267. The village took its modern form when it was colonized by the Germans in 1787 (up until that point, it was uninhabited). The aim of this colonization was to intesify agricultural production, with Bačka being very scarcely populated at that time. The 1900 census shows that there were 2,137 people living in the village - 2,124 of them Germans. The houses were built in the German Pannonian style, beautiful and decorated with elements of Belle-epoque and Secession, which were then the prevalent styles in this part of Europe. Everything seemed perfect - 40 years of peace, large and fertile fields wherever you looked, medical developments, trains that connected you to all parts of the empire, living in one of the 5 or 6 largest global superpowers, and on top of all of that, you were a member of the ruling German nation in a multinational empire. What more could you have wished for? But all of that was short-lived. Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire started the First World War and subsequently losz it, while as a result, Jarak was far away from the German speaking area - the Austrian border had been moved, and the Slavs were

in chrage – the South Slavs, that is. Germans did not have the right to vote but continued to live well, still being farm and business owners. Things did not change until a lunatic from Munich who wanted not only a revenge for the German-Austrian defeat but also to conquer the world and exterminate other nations. His toxic propaganda found a fertile soil in Vojvodina, where folks became organized into a cultural society called Kulturbund, which eventually became openly pro-Nazi and pro-Great Germany. Eventually, they paid a steep price for that - in 1944, the freedom finally came for most, but not for Germans. THE BAČKI JARAK CAMP

Although the Jarak camp for Germans in Bački Jarak was not as big as the one in Rudolfsgnad, or as horrendous as Svilara in Mitrovica, it was still terrible, with between 6,000 and 7,000 people ending up dying in it. Magdalena Abel from Gajdobra recalls: "Gajdobra was a purely German village of 3,000 people. When the Partisans arrived, only women, children and elders remained in the village. My husband and father were mobilized by the Wehrmacht. One day, the Partisans dragged us out of our houses and lined us up in the square in front of the church, pointing guns at us. A partisan snatched a basket of bread from my hand and threw it onto the ground, angrily saying to me: “You won't need bread where you are going.“ We slept in the square, on the ground, without water and food. In the morning, they forced us to march to the railway station, where we were boarded up in a train that was used for transporting livestock. Fifty people fit into one train car. When the train finally reached its destination in the evening, the sign read Bački Jarak and we were

housed in a terrible extermination camp, with several thousands of other Swabians. The people at the camp were thin as a rail, there were no toilets or bathrooms, they were all dirty and full of head lice, the food was horrible (we ate mostly watered down soup), everybody suffered from excruciating hunger and death was a daily occurence." THOSE WHO REMAINED

Ksenija Wallrabenstein tells us a story about her family, who after the war, had a monument erected

in their honour for their cooperation with the Partisans. The family was allowed to stay because they had not joined the Kulturbund and the axis forces. Thanks to the same choice, many families remained in their homes, but they are only a fraction of those who were killed. "The Wallrabenstein family was one of the first settlers in Bački Jarak (in 1787). After the Second World War, the families Valrabenstein, Kathari and Krumm, who were all connected through marital (family) relations, remained in the village, that is, they fled to their

THE WALLRABENSTEIN. KATHARI AND KRUMM FAMILIES DID NOT EMIGRATE IN 1944 BECAUSE NONE OF THEM WERE MEMBERS OF KULTURBUND

„DISLOYALS” FOR KULTURBUND, “LOYALS” FOR NEW GOVERNMENT The Wallrabenstein, Kathari and Krumm families did not emigrate in 1944 because none of them belonged to Kulturbund which members actually often broke their windows and drew the star of David on their houses during the war. Still, the descendants of these emigrants were keen to see the Wallrabenstein house when they returned to their „old country“ and „homeland“ for a visit. The family remained here, because, as they say „Veliki Rimski Šanac is our destinty, as long as they we are together.“

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farms outside the village They were not persecuted for their nationality, because they were very friendly with their Serb neighbours (mostly living at Pejić's farms and in Čenej), whom they helped and protected against the occupation forces. They also helped with fighting against the fascists and were involved in the resistance movement, as written in an authentic official document issued by the Military Administration. Due to this, they were excluded from the proceedings against the German population, they were not deprived of their civil rights, and were allowed to keep their property (houses and land).“ However, in the years after the war, the older members of the Kathari and Krumm families went to live and work in Germany, while only Johannes (1921-2004), Eva (1923-2001) and Jovan (1941-) Wallrabenstein remained. Jovan had completed his German language and literature studies and worked for 30 years in the Novi Sad Archive and the Archive of Vojvodina. He has two daughters - Ksenija and Silvija – from his marriage to wife Biljana. Another interesting thing about the Wallrabenstein family relates to the visit of King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic, who in 1932, travelled through the village and wanted to visit a German household while there. The locals sent him to the Wallrabensteins, where he was warmly welcomed and served lunch. There was even a plaque hanging on the local government's building that tells about this event. Also, in 1944, when the Red Army forces passed through this area, a Tolbukhin's officer by the name of Aker (of Jewish origin), his wife and a young son lived in the house of Franz Kathari for about a month. The legend says that even Marshal Tolbuhkin spent the night at Kathari's house.

CULTURE

Troubadour of Tragedy With a Happy End If I am enjoying myself, so is the audience too. Musically speaking, I wanted to combine different genres that some people might think are incompatible. I love to set my own musical boundaries.

MARKO LOUIS Musician

Marko Louis has just embarked on the promotion of his third solo album called “EURIDIKA” which came out. The new album has 12 songs, including 3 duets. Last summer, the audiences had an opportunity to hear two of the songs from his new album – the eponymous „EURIDIKA“ and the single „KADA JE NOĆ“. Marko, we noticed that you like collaborations with other artists so this album also has wonderful duets such as those in the song „SANJAO SAM“ which you sang with one and only, Božo Vrećo, the song „IDI“, which you recorded with a young band from Sarajevo, Helem Nejse, and a duet with your sister Maja in the song „SVET JE TVOJ“. How did these collaborations come about?

— These two collaborations – with Božo and Helem Nejse - are just a continuation of our friendship. This is the third single that I recorded with Božo, and I also produced some of the songs on his last album, as well as his new album „Melek“. It comes natural to us to have a duet every year and I am glad that the song „Sanjao Sam“ is on both of our albums. Regarding the collaboration with Helem Nejse, „Kabadahija“ was the song that got us together and made us closer. We became really good friends, and in terms of music, we collaborated on several levels. Tihomir Klepić wrote lyrics for several songs on my new album, I help them with producing their

album, and last by not least, we are also friends who drink copious amounts of coffee. For some time now, Maja and I wanted to record a song together. And now, we have this premiere. We collaborated on songwriting in the past, and I am really glad that the same can be said for my new album. Together, Maja and I write and arrange our songs and she also writes lyrics. Arrangement-wise we made an innovative step forward. I cannot wait to share this album with everyone and sing live the songs from it at concerts. You did manage to go a step further compared to the music your father used to make. You even took his last name which is considered an iconic stage name both here and abroad. How did you come up with that idea and this fusion?

— Allow me to correct you. I did not take the stage name „Louis“ as my surname and this is a general misunderstanding. My surname is actually Stojanović-Louis, which I share with my father and my sister. We grew up in Germany and everybody had trouble pronouncing our surname –Stojanović – there so we went by „Marko Louis“ and „Maja Louis“. When I entered the world of music, I started using that name

Why did you name your album „Euridika“? Do you consider yourself to be a modern-day Orpheus?

— The song „Euridika“ came about when my friend Maja Radivojević was inspired by music and wrote lyrics to my song that was influenced by that well-known Greek tragedy. Basically, the lyrics are very relatable – this is a tragedy, but we have interepreted it as a tragedy with a happy end. I named my album after it with the first single sending out a message that despite something being tragic in the beginning, it always ends on a happy note.

You became known by singing at big festivals like EXIT or Arsenal Fest, where I performed too. What is the difference between performing on a big stage and performing at a club? Do you have a different approach? Do you have any plans regarding performing at both types of venues?

— It is quite different to perform on a big stage, in front of the audiences that came to see just you. When you perform at a club, people who come to see you are there mostly for fun. At festivals, they came to see you and listen to your

DESPITE SOMETHING BEING TRAGIC IN THE BEGINNING, IT ALWAYS ENDS ON A HAPPY NOTE You were quoted as saying that, as a kid, you listened to hiphop and soul. Your dad Ljubiša probably instilled in you the love for the Balkan ethno music and jazz that he mixed. Is this the direction that your future music will take?

— Yes, I did grow up listening to hip-hop, but my father, both directly and indirectly, influenced me to love the sounds of the Balkans and gypsy music, their interpretations and melodies. This

THE FUTURE IS IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH? Future plans? — My plan is to promote my new album throughout the region at concerts and festivals, but anyone who knows me also knows that I will start recording something new soon. At the moment, I plan to record something in the German language – could be one or a few songs - and maybe something in English. But for now, the most important for me is to promote „Euridika“ in as many venues as possible.

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doesn't necessarily mean that it will determine the future direction of my music. Every album is a new discovery and a new mix for me. Maybe one day I will record something totally different; a techno album, for instance.

music. I don't think much about the difference between the two. I try to enjoy myself from the beginning to the end, dance to the music and connect to the audience. It is very important for me that I enjoy my performance, because when I enjoy it, so does the audience. I want to continue in this direction and perform in front of crowds of people, on big stages. There is no greater thing then hearing a chorus of people in the audience singing your songs.

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TRAVELOGUE

Tinos and Andros, the Islands of Miracles

Following the kind invitation from the Greek Tourist Board, we visited two delightful Greek islands – Tino and Andros, which exude beauty, peace and fantastic energy Text: NATAŠA NEŠIĆ Advertising Manager of DC magazine

TINOS ISLAND - THE AEGEAN MUSE

Tinos is one of the largest islands in the Cyclades, situated about 120km from Athens. The closest island is Andros in the north, while 20km down south, there is the hugely popular Mykonos. The locals have a saying – Mykonos is for fun and Tinos is for repentance. Tinos is considered the island of the Virgin Mary, and is known for the famous pilgrimage of Orthodox believers. Its church - Panagia Evengalista - is located in Tinos, the island's capital and harbour. Every August 15th, on the day of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, the island hosts tens of thousands of pilgrims who come to visit the temple of Virgin Mary. As soon as they step on the island, people from all over Greece and abroad fall on their knees and then climb a very awkward path to the temple to see and touch the

image of the Holy Virgin Mary, which is considered miraculous. Tinos has forty or so picturesque villages, more than 700 churches and monasteries, unusually decorated dovecots and beautiful sandy and gravel beaches. In the villages Pyrgos, Isternia and Kardiani, and especially in the unforgetabble the colours white and blue dominate the landscape. Looking from a distance, white, one-storey buildings with blue trims and local churches resemble a Greek flag. All buildings are under state protection and their owners need an approval from the Greek Ministry of Culture to do even the smallest reparations or

alterations on them. This is not a coincidence, because all the villages here are little masterpieces. Pyrgos is one of the largest and prettiest villages on Tinos with great architecture and a long tradition in sculpture. Marble is the favourite material here and is absolutely everywhere. There are many craft workshops that process marble in Pyros. Janulis Halepas, one of the most famous sculptors in Greece, originates from this village.

PYRGOS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND PRETTIEST VILLAGES ON TINOS WITH GREAT ARCHITECTURE AND A LONG TRADITION IN SCULPTURE

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Isternia is like a balcony to the Aegean Sea. Built on the mountain Meroviglia, it has a marvelous view of Syros and it is one of the largest villages on the Island. The beauty of Isternia lies in the fact that artists have created many sculptures and works of art here that are visible everywhere: on the house doors and courtyards, churches, stairs, belfries or even the floors. Kardiani is a special village situated on the mountain Pateles, in northwestern Tinos. The village has running water, plethora of fountains (even in houses) surrounded by trees, and it is designed in the Cycladic architectural style, with white arched houses. DyoHoria village is a tradi-

Photo: Zoran Tošić

tional settlement made of old white-stone houses with coloured windows and doors, stone-paved narrow alleys and superb stone arches and arcades forming little passages in which light creates magical shades. It is one of the most beautiful villages on Tinos with a strong medieval character and the breathtaking view of the neighboring Cycladic islands. Volax is definitely the most bizarre village on Tinos, famous all over the world. Huge spherical stones and granite rocks of volcanic origin surround the village, which is known for its traditional white houses with colorful gardens. There is an outdoor theatre made of stone. Volax is also the place where basketry is still widely popular among the population. ANDROS, THE ISLAND OF DREAMS AND CULTURE

The Andros Island is the northernmost island in the Greek archipelago of Cyclades and one of the Greek islands that are nearest to Athens. It is 40km long, with beautiful beaches and rich history, and is a very popular weekend destination for residents of the Greek capital. Andros is an island made for walking. It has a unique landscape, full of surprises. Four mountain ranges prevail, with the highest peaking at 997 metres. Ten small rivers constantly flow forming important wetlands on the coast. Almost half of the island’s surface is a nature reserve, hosting rare and endemic species. But Andros is not just about beautiful nature. The picturesque villages of different sizes, secluded chapels, historic monasteries clinging on rocks, and ruins of ancient cities and temples reveal the uninterrupted human presence on Andros since antiquity. We went hiking to the Valley of Dipotamata, a beautiful natural area on the southeastern coast of Andros. Here you can find oak trees, fig trees, blackberries, ivy, oleanders and different kinds of

PALEOPOLIS WAS THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF ANDROS. ITS NAME MEANS OLD CITY AND IT FLOURISHED FROM THE CLASSICAL AGES UNTIL THE ROMAN TIMES bushes, as well as badgers, snakes and various bird species. There are also 22 watermills here, some in ruins and others well-preserved. Batsi is the most attractive tourist destination on the island of Andros and is surrounded by beautiful beaches, including the Golden Beach and Agios Petros. The Batsi beaches became famous as movie sets. Make sure that you visit the Zorko beach too, although it is quite uneven. Swim in turquoise waters that surround the Vitali beach, and, by all means, go to the refined Niborio, cosmopolitan Hrysi Ammos and quiet Fellos beach. The Chalkolimionas beach is located almost 24 km south

from Gavrio (Andros’ port), on the west coast of the island. The beach is part sandy, part pebble, with crystal clear and calm waters, as it is naturally protected from strong northern winds. Its name, meaning the port of brass in Greek, comes from the mines that were open here in the ancient time. Grias to Pidima beach, meaning “the place where the old lady jumped” in Greek, is located on the southeast coast of Andros. The legend says after the Ottomans were unsuccessful during the siege of the Castle of Faneromeni here, they sent an old lady to the castle to ask for help. The castle’s gates were opened, resulting in the slaughter of its in-

habitants. The old lady regretted her decision and committed suicide by going up to a rock and jumping into the sea. Despite this "unpleasant" legend, the beach has a very beautiful cove and is quite popular among visitors and locals. The capital city of Chori has many interesting art museums that often stage world-renowned exhibitions. The island's picturesque capital is located on a narrow peninsula on the east coast. The main road has many cafes and small shops selling local products, and it stretches through the whole city, all the way to the Statue of the Unknown Sailor. I recommend that you visit the Andros Museum of Contemporary Art, that hosts top exhibitions every year. Paleopolis was the ancient capital of Andros. Its name means old city and it flourished from the Classical ages until the Roman times. This ancient city is known for the remains of its ancient wall that once surrounded the area. Archaeological research has shown that the city had a thriving marketplace, a theatre and a few temples. MONASTERIES

Zoodohos Pigi is the largest monastery on Andros. It used to be a school during the Byzantine Era before becoming a monastery in 842 A.D., following a decree by Empress Theodora. It was renovated in the 16th century and again in the 20th century. In 1928, it was transformed into a nunnery. The monastery has a library, an exhibition of utensils and vestments and a collection of prehistoric tools. The Panachrantou Monastery is located on the slope of Mount Gerakones and it is considered the most beautiful Byzantine monastery on Andros.The monastery houses the miraculous icon of Virgin Mary, rendered by St Luke. This monastery also possesses the relic skull of St. Panteleimon, which was transferred there from Constantinople in 1705.

CALENDAR & NEWS

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

JAN

11:00

KOLARAC

Concert hall

CONCERT PROGRAMME January 2019

BABY CONCERTS Belgrade Philharmonic Hall

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic, Soloist:Sergei Nakariakov, trumpet

Wednesday, 2nd at 12.00 Concert Hall

NEW YEAR’S PROM CONCERT

The Most Promising Young Musician in 2018 –ArtLink Award Production: Music Centre & AltLink Tuesday, 8th at 19.00 Concert Hall

ETHNO MUSIC EVENING OF GUSLE

JAN

20:00

WISDOM 2

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic, Soloist: Sergei Nakariakov, trumpet

Saturday, 12th at 19.00 Concert Hall

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CANTORS

Christmas & New Year Concert of Serbian Traditional Music Sunday, 13 th at 11.00 Concert Hall

FINAL CONCERT/ OPERA MASTER CLASS OF DJORDJE NEŠIĆ

Production: Music Centre Tuesday, 15th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CHARITY CONCERT

JAN

20:00

DARKNESS 3

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Hans Graf, Soloist: Andreas Ottensamer, clarinet

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Friday, 18th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Sunday, 20th at 11.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Heroines & queensof the Baroque Production: Music Centre Wednesday, 23rd at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: MUSIC WORKSHOP

Anime Trio/ String Quartet Production: Music Centre Friday, 24th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Friday, 25th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Saturday, 26th at 11.00 Concert Hall

SMALL SCHOOL OF BONTON

How to listen to music/The Beatles The Best Beat Production: Music Centre Sunday, 27th at 11.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT „ENLIGHTENMENT” Orchestra of Faculty of Art/ Pristina Production: Music Centre Monday, 28th at 18.00 Music Gallery

FINAL PIANO CONCERT OF MASTER CLASS STUDENTS

by Professor JokutMihailović Production: Music Centre Wednesday, 30th at 18.00 Music Gallery

PIANO QUINTET

Production: Music Centre Thursday, 31st at 20.00 Concert Hall KOLARAC YOUR MUSIC WORLD

PIANO DUO: ALEKSANDAR MADŽAR/ ALEXANDER MELNIKOV

Programme: Sergei Rachmaninoff Production: Music Centre