Diplomacy and Commerce No.42

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

August 2019 | ISSUE No. 42 | Price 350 RSD

9772466380002

SHADOW ECONOMY REMAINS BIG OBSTACLE YANA MIKHAILOVA

Foreign Investors Council President

12 JULY

THE BASTILLE DAY MARKED IN BELGRADE

THE UNIVERSITY’S VOICE IS NOW HEARD IVANKA POPOVIĆ

Chancellor of the University of Belgrade

WIMBLEDON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOODBYE!

by Nebojša Mandrapa

WE ARE CONTINUING TO REGULATE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK RASIM LJAJIĆ

Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications

REAL ESTATE IN SERBIA

ENHANCED COOPERATION WHICH IS GROWING RAPIDLY TANG XIAODONG

Economic and Commercial Affairs Embassy of China

THIS YEAR IS A TURNING POINT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ

Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Belgrade

India

FO C U S O N

S PEC I A L

E DI T ION

2019

H.E. SUBRATA BHATTACHARJEE Ambassador of India

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

Managerial "Death Squadrons" A few days ago, I met a friend who works in a big corporation, and after talking for a couple of minutes, we both touched on the topic that is rarely spoken about in the business circles of Belgrade and Serbia. It’s called a managerial "death squadron", a phenomenon that has been spotted in these areas in the past ten years. A similar “monster” has "attacked" many companies in the region; some have managed to pull out and some no longer exist today.

The model is always the same:

ACT 1

The proprietor of a domestic company, often a family-owned one, which has outgrown the size of the typical SME, is starting to expand, aside from his company’s core business, to those segments that he believes are profitable at the given time. However, he knows almost nothing about these business segments, except that he wants to engage in them and that, in theory, they can bring good profits.

ACT 2

The proprietor, mostly through a referral and sometimes after an extensive job search, picks a manager with great references for that particular job. The manager is hired and, after a short period of time, starts conditioning the proprietor – “I cannot work without a good financial director. I know the perfect guy – Pera. He is a financial genius. Let’s hire him.” Followed by: “The company of our reputation has to hire a top-notch IT professional. We need Dušan and we definitely need to buy this software.“ When it comes to marketing, it is usually the proprietor's daughter that does it, because that's a woman's job, right? If the proprietor has a grown-up son, he is usually appointed development director. Although, the son cares more about a sports car that daddy bought him and going to night clubs than actually developing the company.

The company's owner, spread thin by running the entire group and often suffering from the midlife crisis, agrees to the manager's requirements.

ACT 3

When forming a team, the manager moves into action, by discreetly looting the company mainly through purchases from "reliable suppliers", who are, of course, "his people". Since the manager produces no results in the first year, he starts complaining about the lousy job that the former management did. In the second year, the manager grumbles about "macroeconomic developments not benefitting the situation”. Come the third year, together with Pera, Dušan and others, the manager starts secretly looking for a new job, namely, a new company they will dazzle with their new suits, briefs, laptops and a fairytale about developing a corporation, and about the financial magician Pera and the IT genius Dušan.

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ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ

BRANKICA STANKOVIĆ

THIS YEAR IS A TURNING POINT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Belgrade

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ENHANCED COOPERATION WHICH IS GROWING RAPIDLY TANG XIAODONG

Economic and Commercial Affairs Embassy of China in Belgrade

SHADOW ECONOMY REMAINS BIG OBSTACLE YANA MIKHAILOVA

Foreign Investors Council President

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THE UNIVERSITY’S VOICE IS NOW HEARD IVANKA POPOVIĆ

Journalist

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OUR GOAL IS TO HELP PATIENTS DUŠAN VEŠOVIĆ

Specialist in Occupational Medicine and Doctor of Integrative medicine

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Chancellor of the University of Belgrade

ODESSA: TEARS AND TEDDY BEARS FROM KULIK'S FIELD Reportage by Robert Čoban

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RIGOLETTO IS MY FIRST REAL PRODUCTION AT SNT ANDREA SOLINAS

The conductor of the Serbian National Theatre (SNT) Opera

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ACT 4

What these “death squadrons” leave behind is almost totally ruined companies and even groups. As the rule of thumb, they leave the company with too much of unsold stock, bought from “reliable suppliers”. After he fired his director, a hotel owner was left with 3 tonnes of Belgian chocolate (“which the guests would love with a steak”) and two tonnes of various spices. A meat company was left with several tonnes of unsold prune and orange pâté. Once a “death squadron” left his company, the company owner found that his manager opened up another company in his friend’s name that did privileged business deals with his own. The owner of a supermarket chain came to her senses in the last minute and managed to avoid the situation that befell her much bigger competition from the neighbouring country.

EPILOGUE:

TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editor in Chief

tanja.bankovic@color.rs

SANJA ŠOJIĆ Journalist

sanja.sojic@color.rs

ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD Art director

indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

JOVANA MARKOVIĆ

Advertising manager

Victims of "managerial death squadron" are generally not small and medium-sized enterprises, where it is relatively easy to control employees and processes, neither are major international corporations with decades-old systems in place that prevent this kind of thing from happening. The victims are actually large domestic companies that, at one point started to disperse their businesses. You will probably recognize in this story some companies from the region. Some of them survived “the death squadrons”, some are dealing with them right now and some are no longer in the business.

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

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FREEDOM IS SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO US

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

jovana.markovic@color.rs

NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ

natasa.nesic@color.rs

ruza.ristanovic@color.rs

Advertising director

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ Advertising manager

dragana.radovic@color.rs

JELENA RANĐELOVIĆ

Magazine director

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

robert.coban@color.rs

Photos

Advertising manager

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

VANJA KOVAČEV

Translation SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

vanja.communications @gmail.com

ZLATNA KNJIGA

jelena.randjelovic@color.rs

PR&Event support Nord Communications

Print

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ISSN 2466-3808 = Diplomacy & Commerce COBISS.SR-ID 303269895

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INTERVIEW

This Year is a Turning Point for Infrastructure It is particularly important to mention that investments in infrastructure, together with implemented reforms, have contributed to the fact that, in the past two years, construction has become the main driving force behind the GDP’s growth

ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Belgrade

The total value of infrastructure projects in Serbia which are either being implemented or in the preparation phase is 14.5 billion euro. Investments in this area will be an important driving force behind the country’s economic growth in the future. We talked with the Minister of Construction, Zorana Mihajlović about important infrastructure projects and the overall construction industry in Serbia.

The Serbian government is entering its second year. Could you tell us about the most important successes accomplished in your sector?

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— In the past two years, more than 150km of motorways have been built. The entire road segment of the Corridor 10 from north to south has been completed and put into operation, and in August, we expect to officially open the Obren-

between Belgrade and Budapest has begun. When it comes to air traffic, the Belgrade airport of Nikola Tesla has been put under a concession that will result in new investments. The airport in Niš serviced over 350,000 passengers

THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITES IN SERBIA HAS INCREASED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, FROM ABOUT 13,000 IN 2015 TO MORE THAN 40,000, AND THIS IS THE BEST PROOF THAT THE REFORMS HAVE COME TO FRUITION ovac-Čačak motorway segments on the Corridor 11.

Concerning railway, the Žeželj Bridge in Novi Sad has been finished and close to 400km railroad has been renovated. Also, the construction of the first fast railroad

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in 2018, while in June 2019, Morava Airport near Kraljevo was opened for civilian transport as the third international airport in Serbia.

These are some of the most important and most visible results and give an impression of the govern-

ment’s overall work. It is particularly important to mention that investments in infrastructure, together with implemented reforms, have contributed to the fact that, in the past two years, construction has become the main driving force behind the GDP’s growth.

This trend will continue in the next few years too, because, in 2019, a new infrastructure investment cycle will be launched, which, among other things, includes projects in road, railway, air and water transport. Continued investments in infrastructure are important as it will provide Serbia with good connectivity to the region, the European Union and the rest of the world, new investments and a better quality of life for its citizens, which are all impossible without a developed infrastructure.

You said that this year was crucial for the infrastructure in Serbia, adding that the construction of 400 kilometres of new roads would begin. Could you tell us why is this year such a turning point?

— This year is a turning point, primarily because we are completing the largest infrastructure project in Serbia in the last few decades - the construction of Corridor 10.

The southern segment leading to North Macedonia and Greece was

released in May, and the complete eastern segment, leading to Bulgaria, will be completed in the autumn. Also, this year we will have completed a total of 120 kilometres of motorways on the Corridor 11, from Surčin to Čačak.

Along with the completion of these projects, we were preparing for new projects too, so this year and the next we are starting to build five new motorways. The works on the Preljina-Požega segment, on Corridor 11 in the direction of Montenegro, have already begun, and we expect to start in summer the works on the Sremska Rača-Kuzmin motorway segment, the Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway segment, as well as on the Moravian corridor, from Pojate to Preljina, that will connect the corridors 10 and 11 and about 500,000 people in central Serbia.

Besides, the works on the Ruma-Šabac-Loznica motorway and expressway are due to start this year too, while next year we will begin works on the first section of the Niš-Merdare motorway, from Niš to Pločnik.

In short, 2019 is a turning point, because, in terms of the infrastructure in Serbia, nothing will be the same anymore. We have built about 300 kilometres of roads in the last four years and completed the projects that had not been finished. We are also starting to implement new projects, which will completely change the image of Serbia and make it a real transit hub in the region.

What do you think about these sudden infrastructure activities in Belgrade in recent months?

— The fact is that Belgrade has been waiting for a long time for certain infrastructure projects to be completed; from the construction of a railway station in Prokop and the completion of the bypass to finishing the construction works in many city streets. All of these

projects are important to help Belgrade to grow faster. The biggest project of them all – the Belgrade subway – is yet to be realized. We are getting ready to engage in this project and are currently discussing the financing format.

There are close to 500 active construction sites in Serbia and it seems that the construction industry is gaining momentum.

Is it really so?

— There are over 400,000 active construction sites in entire Serbia, which also means that there are more construction sites in Belgrade too. The main reasons for this are that issuing of building permits is now much quicker, our economy is more stable and we have more investments. By implementing the building permit

being the most important driving force behind the GDP growth in 2018. We are facing new major infrastructure projects and perhaps the biggest challenge is for our construction firms to be ready to implement all those projects. One of the prerequisites for this is for them to join forces to be able to meet project requirements.

Is the entire Serbian government on the same page when it comes to the EU accession?

— Serbia's accession to the EU is a strategic goal of the Government, and I do not see how anyone could be a government member and advocate different views on the issue.

What do you think about the negotiations between Belgrade and Priština?

AFTER THE E-PERMIT REFORM, THE CADASTRAL REFORM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REFORM FOR CITIZENS, AND ALSO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REFORMS FOR IMPROVING THE OVERALL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT reform and introducing e-permits, passing the Law on Legalization of Buildings, the cadastral reform, and adopting other laws that regulate the construction segment, we have created prerequisites for the facilitation of construction in entire Serbia, not only in Belgrade.

However, this is the most visible in Belgrade because we are talking about the capital city and the largest city in Serbia. The number of active construction sites in Serbia has increased three times in the last three years, from about 13,000 in 2015 to more than 40,000, and this is the best proof that the reforms have come to fruition. The value of the executed construction works has been steadily increasing, as is the number of building permits issued, with construction

— The issue of Kosovo is an issue closely related to Serbia’s future and that is why these negotiations are important to find a compromise solution that will provide a better future for the Serbian and Albanian people and the entire region. As a result of introducing a tax (on Serbian goods), the Albanian side has stalled negotiations in recent months, but that does not change the fact that a viable solution can only be reached through dialogue and compromise, although we are not close to such a solution at the moment.

In terms of real estate investments, do you expect new market stakeholders to arrive?

— Serbia is a stable country politically- and economically-wise,

where foreign direct investments are growing year-on-year. Regarding manufacturing investments, i.e. construction of new factories, the development of infrastructure contributes the most, primarily the completion of Corridor 10. The fact that the overall regulatory and economic environment in Serbia is favourable and that we have a continuous economic growth indicates that we can expect continued investments in the real estate segment too.

At what stage is the Serbian real estate market today? Is the legislative framework in the real estate segment going to change soon?

— On the legislative side, we have done everything to regulate the construction segment, to facilitate construction and to allow the legalization of the already built houses and apartments. In the last few years, a whole set of construction-related laws have been passed - from the Law on Planning and Construction and the Law on Legalization and Conversion to the Law on Cadastre Registration and the Law on Construction Products.

After the e-permit reform, the cadastral reform is the most important reform for citizens, and also one of the most important reforms for improving the overall business environment. As of last year, citizens no longer have to visit five different offices to register their property, but can do so in one place, at a notary public office.

The next step is for the Cadastre to provide the citizens with efficient services as they have now when it comes to issuing building permits.

By the end of 2020, Serbia will have an e-cadastre.

Of course, we will continue to monitor the implementation of all laws that have been enacted to see which solutions need to be improved to yield even better results in practice.

THE WORLD BANK DOING BUSINESS LIST Who is responsible for Serbia’s having worse ranking on the World Bank's Doing Business List?

— Many people forget that, when it comes to building permits, Serbia has progressed on the Doing Business List in the past few years so much that it now competes with the best countries in the world today. This is a completely different situation from the one we had 4-5 years ago, when we were among the last in the world, and when it was easier to move forward.

All that was required was that someone wanted to deal with it and to have the entire government back it up, as was the case 3-4 years ago.

Thanks to the reforms we have implemented, in three years, we jumped from 186th to 10th place in the world and today Serbia is an example for other countries in this segment. Now, when it comes to building permits, it is up to us to maintain that position and further improve it, as well as to make faster progress in those areas where we have more room to advance.

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POLITICS

Boris Johnson’s Confusing and Contradictory Religious History From the Roman to the Abrahamic, the prime minister’s spiritual history is a mess Britain’s religious leaders, a relatively small and embattled community in an ever more secular land, are wondering what to make of Boris Johnson. As with many areas of his chaotic life, the new prime minister’s spiritual antecedents, and his present convictions, are a bundle of contrasts and confusion.

In a nutshell, he has Muslim, Jewish and Christian ancestors. He was christened a Catholic by his mother. He was confirmed in the Anglican faith (thus formally lapsing from Catholicism) while attending Eton College, Britain’s poshest school. In 2015 he told an interviewer it would be “pretentious” to call himself a “serious, practising Christian”. But as a guest on “Desert Island Discs”, a BBC radio programme in which celebrities imagine themselves as castaways, he said he would “sing a few hymns and march up and down” to keep his morale up. On the other hand, none of the music he chose to have played on the show was spiritual: it ranged from Brahms to punk-rock.

Seven Christian denominations, mostly non-conformist, have already written to him warning that no-deal Brexit, an option he is firmly keeping on the table, will exacerbate poverty and food shortages. Although not a signatory of that letter, Archbishop Justin Welby, the head of England’s established church and a fellow Etonian, is known to share that worry.

Catholics have observed that Mr Johnson is the first person baptised into their faith who has been master of 10 Downing Street, the prime ministerial residence, and that his godmother came from a fervently Papist family. But the Roman faith doesn’t seem to have left much mark on him, to judge by the prime minister’s professed indifference to monogamy.

Jewish commentators noted with approval that as foreign secretary, Mr Johnson visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem, spoke fondly of his Jewish roots, and praised Israel as the region’s only democracy. But his immediate

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IN A NUTSHELL, HE HAS MUSLIM, JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN ANCESTORS Jewish ancestors were not devout.

Mr Johnson’s great-grandfather Elias Avery Lowe, a Russian-American palaeographer, never practised Judaism and seemed more interested in Latin texts, including Christian ones, than in Hebrew ones. Lowe’s mother was said to come from a rabbinical line but the link is distant.

Meanwhile a Muslim businessman, Mohammad Amin, responded to Mr Johnson’s elevation by resigning from the Tory party in protest at the politician’s record of inflammatory references to Islamic face-veils (such as “letter-boxes”). Mr Johnson defends his stance by saying his own Mus-

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lim great-grandfather, the Ottoman politician Ali Kemal, admired England because it was a land of openness and tolerance: that is the spirit he now wants to preserve.

Over and above these more or less tenuous connections to the Abrahamic faiths, there is another worldview which, in the view of Mr Johnson’s biographer Andrew Gimson, holds much stronger personal appeal for the new prime minister: the polytheism of ancient Greece and Rome, whose literature he studied at Oxford University.

In fact, Mr Johnson has some sympathy with the view that Christianity, with its emphasis on guilt, meekness and self-denial,

sapped the strength of the Roman Empire. As Mr Gimson notes, “it is clear that [Mr Johnson] is inspired by the Romans, and even more by the Greeks, and repelled by the early Christians.”

The prime minister apparently shares the classical belief in omens and portents, along with a Homeric sense that great heroes should be free to act out their passions and break free from moral constraints. All that may sound like an utter contradiction with the conventional forms of Christianity that marked Mr Johnson’s upbringing and education.

But that contradiction is hardly unique to Mr Johnson. It pervades the entire cultural tradition in which he was raised. The educational ethos of 19th century Britain, which is still palpable in some private schools and ancient universities, aimed to revere both the classical tradition and the Christian one in equal measure. It therefore played down the many points of difference between the two.

Only a few people have been rude and clear-sighted enough to point this out. Edward Gibbon (17371794), the anti-Christian chronicler of Rome’s decline, was one; Mr Johnson may be another.

Yet that will not stop him belting out childhood hymns if he finds himself on a desert island.

Given Mr Johnson’s background, he will be perfectly at ease with ceremonial duties in which he and Archbishop Welby must rub shoulders as fellow members of the establishment. Indeed, under England’s quirky constitution he will have at least a formal role in choosing the archbishop’s successor. Mr Johnson may not be much of a Christian, but he is comfortable enough with Anglicanism—an easy-going tradition which, since the era of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), has never aspired “to make windows into men’s souls”.

From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

CORPORATE

Be a Part of the Modern World With the New NIS and Mastercard Service

This unique service is available at more than 315 NIS Petrol and GAZPROM petrol stations throughout Serbia Some of the world's greatest businessmen, as well as theorists, point out that the recipe for success in the business world of the 21st century is possessing one very important skill adaptability. All the major players in the market are trying to keep up with the latest technology, and it is inevitable to say that this fourth, digital revolution has brought us both new business opportunities and a number of challenges that we need to overcome on the road to successful business. Mastercard and NIS are among the leaders of modern and innovative business in Serbia, as evidenced by their most recent cooperation, which greatly contributes to saving one of the most important resources of each of us - time.

With both strategic thinking and great effort to increase the quality and efficiency of their services, these two companies have come up with the ideal solution

that entails numerous benefits.

Namely, customers at all NIS Petrol and GAZPROM petrol stations, who also use Mastercard, now have the opportunity to withdraw cash up to RSD 5,000 during purchases and payments, for the first time in Serbia. The flow of money is accomplished by adding to the account, the amount consumer has decided to withdraw, and it is important to note that this type of transaction is treated as a form of

standard payment. Therefore, the user is provided with default security measures, so during the transaction of the desired amount of money, the authorization is done by typing in a PIN code and can be tracked in his bank account. The purchase with cash back method allows consumers to resolve two obligations in one place in a single transaction quickly and efficiently.

The formation of this type of service results in saving considerable

time that customers would spend in going to the nearest ATM, which is another great step towards modernization. As the only company in Serbia to use the "purchase with cash back" payment method in its retail network, NIS has been proclaimed the groundbreaking company in implementing this type of banking service in the domestic market. This unique service is available at more than 315 NIS Petrol and GAZPROM petrol stations throughout Serbia.

Two companies have decided to take the opportunity to improve their business by implementing one of the most modern ways of handling money in our market. By creating this new level of convenience, NIS has ranked even higher on the list of innovative service companies, and with the skill of adapting to the fast-changing times we live in, NIS even faster keeps pace with some of the world's leaders when it comes to innovations for consumer.

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INTERVIEW

Enhanced Cooperation Which is Growing Rapidly Serbia is the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and is one of the most important participants in the “Belt and Road” Initiative

TANG XIAODONG Economic and Commercial Affairs Embassy of China in Belgrade

China and Serbia’s cooperation within the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative has fully reflected the characteristics of mutual benefit and winwin, and in the future, the “Belt and Road” Initiative will definitely continue to promote the development of bilateral relations.

China is one of Serbia’s most important trade partners. According to your data, what did the trade between China and Serbia amount to last year? In which fields can companies from the two countries establish cooperation?

— In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between China and Serbia has been enhanced, and the bilateral trade volume is growing rapidly year by year. According to the statistics of the Chinese side, the China-Serbia trade volume in 2018 totaled 950 million USD, up by 25.8% compared with 2017. China’s export to Serbia was 730 million USD, up by 33.5%; the import from Serbia

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stood at 730 million USD, up by 25.8%. The main goods China imported from Serbia were timber and non-ferrous metals, and China’s main export goods include electrical appliances, electronic communication devices and mechanical equipment. For now, relevant government departments of the two countries are actively strengthening cooperation in the field of agro-food inspection and quarantine, and promoting the entry of Serbia’s high-quality agro-products and dairy prod-

as an investment destination to potential investors?

— I’m receiving investors from China almost every day. Serbia is the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and is one of the most important participants in the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Thanks to our excellent bilateral relations, companies from both countries have been increasingly keen on cooperation with each other in recent years, and more and more

WE WELCOME SERBIAN COMPANIES TO USE THE CHINA INTERNATIONAL IMPORT EXPO AND OTHER PLATFORMS TO STRENGTHEN EXCHANGES WITH CHINESE COMPANIES ucts into the Chinese market. We welcome Serbian companies to use the China International Import Expo and other platforms to strengthen exchanges with Chinese companies, and to further upgrade the level of trade cooperation between the two countries.

How often do China businessmen turn to you for advice as to how to reach the Serbian market and how do you present Serbia

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Chinese companies are coming to Serbia, searching for cooperation opportunities and exploring the Serbian market. Nowadays, the Serbian government is committed to economic reforms, strives to improve the business environment, attracts foreign investment, provides preferential policies, and creates a favorable environment for corporate investment. Besides, Serbia is located in the hinterland of CEE, with convenient access to

transport facilities and to a wide neighboring markets, and the land and labour costs are relatively low.

These are also Serbia’s major advantages to attract foreign investment. Many Chinese companies such as HeSteel Group, ZiJin and LINGLONG have set good examples for investment cooperation in Serbia, and we believe more Chinese companies would choose to investment in Serbia and conduct cooperation in the future.

How important is the Belt and Road project for the Chinese-Serbian relations?

— The “Belt and Road” Initiative responds to the calls of the era of generalization. Since more than 5 years ago when it was proposed, considerable achievements have been made in all aspects, and it has brought substantial benefits to people of countries along the routes. Serbia is one of the first countries to join the “Belt and Road” Initiative, and has proposed the docking of its own “Re-industrialization Strategy” with the “Belt and Road” Initiative, bringing new momentum to the economic and social development. By entering the market of Serbia and striving to adapt to the European standards, the Chinese companies have also

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opened up new paths for their own development. Moreover, the two countries have made great achievements in people-to-people cooperation in fields such as culture, education and tourism.

students are beginning to learn Chinese. The exchanges between universities of the two countries are being strengthened, as well.

Shanghai Jiaotong University has signed cooperation agreements with the Ministry of Education of Serbia and several Serbian universities such as the Universities of Belgrade and of Novi Sad. Chinese festivals, music, and food are popular in Serbia, and Serbian sports stars also enjoy a large number of fans in China. "The friendship between peoples is the foundation of state-to-state relations", and the deepening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries will further promote the stable development of bilateral relations.

What areas of cooperation between the two countries does this project open?

— China has always adhered to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Within the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, we encourage companies from both countries to carry out all-round cooperation in trade, investment, finance, infrastructure construction and other fields, to upgrade the comprehensive level of cooperation between the two countries.

What are the common economic goals two countries may pursue in the international arena?

— As a staunch defender of economic globalization, China has always adhered to trade liberalization, promoted the establishment of multilateral systems, and promoted win-win cooperation among all countries of the world.

However, volatility and uncertainties have significantly increased in the current international environment, a trend of de-globalization has risen, and the economic growth lacks new impetus. How to further enhance new momentum and promote the sustained and stable growth of the world economy is a common concern of all parties. China is willing to work with countries around the world including Serbia to promote economic globalization, safeguard free trade, oppose protectionism, promote the building of a community of a shared future for mankind, and advance the shared prosperity of all countries in the world.

Do you expect the Chinese Serbian cooperation related to Huawei and the Serbian state tele-

CHINA AND SERBIA HAVE MADE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE COOPERATION IN FIELDS SUCH AS CULTURE, EDUCATION AND TOURISM communication company to be affected in line with the some disputes elsewhere in the world?

ical and economic relations affected tourism and cultural exchange?

— The United States uses state power for political purposes to suppress Huawei, but it turns out that the rumors without evidence are untenable. Up to now, Huawei has signed cooperation contracts with a number of countries to continuously promote the application of technologies such as 5G to social development. Huawei regards Serbia as an important partner in the Balkan region, and has located its Balkan Research Center in Serbia.

Thanks to the support from the relevant departments of the Serbian government and all sectors of society, the several cooperation projects jointly implemented by Huawei and the Serbian side are progressing smoothly at present. I believe that Huawei's cooperation with Serbia can achieve greater success.

— With the in-depth development of the political and economic pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, the people-to-people ties are getting strengthened.

In January 2017, the Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption for Ordinary Passport Holders between China and Serbia took effect, and Serbia became the first country in Europe to exempt visas for ordinary passport holders from China.

It has not only facilitated business and cultural exchanges, but also promoted tourism cooperation.

In 2018, more than 100,000 trips were made by Chinese tourists in Serbia. The Chinese people can be seen in places such as the city center and Kalemegdan fortress.

The Chinese language lessons have been available in nearly 100 primary and secondary schools in Serbia, and more and more Serbian

How the development of polit-

AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY Do you consider that there might be possible challenges in bilateral economic cooperation having in mind the obligation Serbia has within the EU accession process?

— Serbia is currently an active candidate member country of the EU. When joining in the EU, Serbia will fully implement the more stringent standards of the EU, and adapting to these standards may be a challenge for Chinese companies in the short term. However, in the long run, learning and

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adapting to EU standards can help the Chinese companies constantly improve their development capacity and adaptability, which would be an excellent opportunity. We encourage the Chinese companies to embrace the challenges, seize the development opportunities, evolve together with Serbian companies, and thereby, to improve the quality of cooperation between the two sides, and further advance the high-quality development of bilateral relations.

How in that respect do you estimate regional joint tourism offer for Chinese tourists? How we should further differentiate our tourism offer toward younger generations of the Chinese travelers?

— Every Western Balkan country has its own unique, pearl-like tourism and cultural resources.

We hope that all countries can work together to launch a joint tourist route to Chinese tourists, and to string these beautiful pearls together, in which regard lies huge potential.

Serbia has rich and unique tourism resources, with numerous mountains, spas, canyons, wineries and monasteries, etc. However, in order to attract more young tourists from China, it is necessary to strengthen tourism infrastructure construction, promote the mutual recognition of driving licenses, launch mobile payments, and simplify tax refund procedures, by which more amenity and convenience would be available for tourists.

Of course, the most important issue is to strengthen the advertisement and promotion of Serbian tourism and let more Chinese people know about Serbia.

CORPORATE

Let's Make China Even Closer Serbia could be a regional hub for the distribution of goods

us Port and the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, and we subsequently rounded off the project with the links with Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. This concludes the connecting of the markets of Southeast Europe and the Far East.

Can you tell us how important is the launch of the One Belt, One Road project for this entire process?

ERICH COSSUTTA President of Dragon Maritime Group

Chinese company COSCO SHIPPING and its new services have been present in the domestic market for several years already. Dragon Maritime Group is the general representative of this company for the market of Southeast Europe.

Erich Cossutta, President of Dragon Maritime Group, talks for Diplomacy&Commerce magazine about the importance of cooperation with the Chinese company, the One Belt, One Road project, and also the future of logistics in this part of Europe.

What plans does COSCO SHIPPING have for our region?

— COSCO SHIPPING is China’s largest shipping company, owner of the Greek port of Piraeus and also of the world's third-largest container shipping company. The company’s goal is to get more involved in projects in Serbia, and aside from increasing the frequency of the direct Piraeus-Belgrade line, they are also interested in developing multimodal terminals and railway infrastructure. After the launch of the One Belt, One Road project, the Chinese company slightly shifted its focus and moved it to the mainland. They

are now focused on cooperation with the railway, which is of vital importance for them because we perform a large part of our operations via this form of transport. Our expansion is based on the development of multimodal transport.

Serbia is interesting to the Chinese company because it lies at the intersection of corridors. Two years ago, we established the first service and connected the Piraeus Port with European markets. In the first phase, we established railway connections between the Pirae-

— This project is one of the greatest infrastructural projects in history.

Its value is measured in hundreds of billions of dollars. In the range of this project, our region is right at the end or is one of the destinations along the road, which means that it is right in the middle of the strongest possible focus. The One Belt, One Road project has also enabled the goods to travel 10 days faster thanks to our service, which is very important for the economy.

This makes this transport mode the most economically viable, and such a connection attracts new investors. Apart from labour costs,

WE BECAME LEADERS NOT ONLY IN MARITIME BUT ALSO IN RAILWAY TRANSPORT, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE

the flow of goods is also very important. We see the potential and we are aware that Serbia attracts 50% of total foreign direct investments in the region. Serbia is becoming a big industrial centre. The fact that Serbia lies on Corridor 10 and is one of the key locations for the One Belt, One Road project, just puts a strong focus on Belgrade.

The city is perfectly connected via a network of motorways, airports and railroads. Neighbouring countries are nearby, hence we see Belgrade as one of the more relevant centres in the region.

What were the previous results of your service?

— Like the entire market, we too are growing. Today, COSCO is one of the strongest market stakeholders with double-digit growth rates across our entry corridors – Koper, Rijeka and Piraeus. We became leaders not only in maritime but also in railway transport, and I believe that this trend will continue in the future.

How satisfied are you with the entire business environment in Serbia?

— We are extremely satisfied with the work done by the Serbian government, which understood the gravity of the project of connecting the Far East and Serbia via Greece. They also support the great focus on corridors, the Belgrade-Budapest railroad, as well as the improvement of transport links between North Macedonia and Belgrade. Consolidating the logistics aspect should be one of the priorities for the Government.

It is important that Vinci entered the Belgrade Airport as this will certainly boost air cargo transport.

The planned intermodal centres are also very important. Centres in Serbia are important because they are the most significant factor in development of business environment and prosperity

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CORPORATE

Ever-Growing Number of Tourists

We have come up with so many high-quality amenities on Zlatibor in the last few years so today, our tourist offer has something for everyone

VLADIMIR ŽIVANOVIĆ Director of Zlatibor Tourist Board

Zlatibor is one of the most visited destinations in the country and a leader in mountain tourism. Tourists have been coming to Serbia for 126 years, with the past few seasons setting new records in terms of arrivals. At the same time, the number of visitors to Zlatibor is constantly growing, and in 2018, overnight stays grew by 12% compared to 2017. We talked to the Director of the Zlatibor Tourist Board (ZTO), Vladimir Živanović about further plans for this tourist destination.

It is noticeable that tourists from China quite like coming to Serbia, with Zlatibor being one of the must-see places along the way. The fact that Chinese tourists are the biggest tourist group on Zlatibor, after the guests from the Republic of Srpska and Montenegro, really speaks in favour of your willingness to attract guests from all parts of the world with your tourist activities and offer. What are your impressions and plans regarding this, and how much have you already done to promote Zlatibor in the Chinese market and beyond?

— Zlatibor is the most visited mountain in Serbia and is recording an increasing number of tourists year-on-year. The interest from foreign tourists has been growing, and now foreign guests make up a third of the total number of visitors here. As for tourists from China, their number on Zlatibor is increasing too. They are attracted to our nature, amenities,

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food and attractions. In order to promote Zlatibor in China, we have already made several promotional films in the Chinese language, which are available online. We also hosted Chinese TV crews who filmed this destination and later broadcasted it to the big Chinese audience. Our plan is to take Chinese tourists more seriously in the coming year. We also plan to open pages on their social media so that we can directly communicate with them, in their language.

It is a well-known fact that Zlatibor, besides its natural beauties, has an excellent geographical location and climate, and is one of the very few mountains that offers numerous opportunities for tourists throughout the year for both active and peaceful family vacations. What activities do you have available here and which one of them appeal the most to the Chinese tourists?

outdoor swimming pools, impressive excursion sites, vistas, youth facilities, sports fields, and a rich cultural and entertainment programme. All these attractions also benefit Chinese tourist. Their ever-growing number on Zlatibor is a proof that they have heard about our good reputation. We usually have individual guests from China who, in addition to relaxing and having fun here, want to get to know our food, customs, culture, as well as the attractions located around Zlatibor.

Each year you have something new to offer. Zlatibor will soon have the biggest cable car in the world. How are the works progressing and how much will this whole project contribute to an

THE ZLATIBOR GOLD CABLE CAR IS CURRENTLY THE MOST IMPORTANT TOURISM PROJECT IN OUR COUNTRY — We have come up with so many high-quality amenities and activities on Zlatibor in the last few years so today, our tourist offer has something for everyone – from the dinosaur park which is the biggest amusement park in the Balkans to several adventure parks, the Tornik Centre which is open both in summer and winter (and has a sightseeing cable car, a rollercoaster, a tubing track, mountain bike tracks, etc.), many diverse hiking and biking trails, the attractive Stopić Cave, great

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increase in the number of visits and enhanced enjoyment of the natural beauty of Zlatibor?

— The Zlatibor Gold Cable Car is currently the most important tourism project in our country.

The municipality of Čajetina has spent €13 million on purchasing the latest French cable car equipment. This nine-kilometre-long cable car (the longest single-cable car in the world) will soon connect the tourist centre of Zlatibor with the attractive Tornik centre. The cable car will provide the most

beautiful panoramic view and our tourists will be able to fully enjoy the beauty of the ''golden mountain''. The construction is nearly done and many pillars have been erected. The plan is for the cable car to become operational by the end of this year. This will mark a new phase in tourism on Zlatibor, and this attraction will transform this mountain one of the important European tourist destinations.

What are your further plans and what are you going to focus on the most in preparing for the new season?

— We always have plans. Zlatibor experiences a surge of tourists when it offers something new. In the beginning of this season, we opened a new building that houses the Cultural Centre, which is an ideal space for various cultural events.

An international sports film festival, featuring films from all over the world, has already been held there. We also have premises for art exhibitions, gatherings, theatrical performances, cinema screenings, book lovers, etc. Zlatibor also has new sports grounds, promenades and children playgrounds.

Major environmental and waste management projects have been announced and there is also a plan to build a water park here. The crowning achievement is definitely the cable car which is supposed to become operational this year. Then comes the winter season, which I hope, will be successful, and with it probably yet another new attraction on Zlatibor.

DRAGON MARITIME SEE D.O.O. Vladimira Popovića 6 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

+381 11 630 24 80 +381 11 630 23 67

sales-belgrade@dragonmaritime.net www.dragonmaritime.net

NATIONAL DAYS

in August & September

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

H.E. ALEXANDER BOTSAN-KHARCHENKO New Ambassador of Russia

The newly appointed Ambassador of Russia to Serbia, H.E. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, handed over a letter of credence to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and officially started the diplomatic mandate in Belgrade. Addressing President Vučić in the Serbian language, AmbassadorAlexander Botsan-Kharchenko said that he was honoured to have been appointed to this duty. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko (61) comes to Serbia from the position of chief of the Fourth European Department

of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others, in charge of Serbia. From 1997 to 2002, he was a minister-advisor at the Russian Embassy in Croatia. From 2004 to 2009, he was a Special Representative of Russia’s Foreign Minister for the Balkans. From 2009 to 2014 Harchenko was an ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Graduated from MGIMO (the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Moscow State Institute of International Relations) and embarked on a diplomatic career in 1979.

AUGUST

09

SINGAPORE National Day

10

ECUADOR

Independence Day

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PAKISTAN

Independence Day

15

INDIA

Independence Day

15

SOUTH KOREA Liberation Day

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Dr DAVID LANDSMAN New Chairman The British-Serbian Chamber

The British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce is delighted that from 11th July 2019 Dr David Landsman OBE is their new Chairman. Dr Landsman joins the current Board of Directors: Mr Petar Orlić, Ms Jadranka Dervišević Kitarić, Mr Igor Orlić and Ms Mila Korugić Milošević. David Landsman's career spans senior positions in government and business and will add to the already wide-ranging portfolio of skills of the board of directors. His connection to Serbia dates to 1997 when he joined the British Embassy in

Belgrade. He subsequently served as Ambassador to Albania and Greece, and Foreign Office Balkans Director.

In business, he worked for De La Rue plc and most recently was Executive Director of Tata Limited, the Indian conglomerate's European subsidiary. He now serves on a number of Boards including DocuChain and the UK-India Business Council. He recently launched Agora Envisioning, a design thinking-based strategy consultancy and is a Visiting Fellow of Cambridge Judge Business School.

INDONESIA

Independence Day

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HUNGARY

St. Stephen's day

24

UKRAINE

Independence Day

27

MOLDOVA

Independence Day

30

KAZAKHSTAN Constitution Day

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MALAYSIA

Independence Day

SEPTEMBER

01

SLOVAKIA

Constitution Day

07

BRAZIL

Independence Day

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ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

All Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council to Appoint New Ambassadors to Belgrade in 2019

H.E. Chen Bo, Ambassador of China

H.E. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Ambassador of Russia

H.E. Sian-MacLeod, Ambassador of United Kingdom

Photo: Wikipedia

France will soon appoint its fourth ambassador to Serbia in the past two and a half years

H.E. Jean-Louis Falconi, Ambassador of France

H.E. Entoni-Godfri, Ambassador of USA

sador to Serbia as soon as possible.

"With this appointment, the head of state wanted to further stimulate the French international trade, as explained to the Serbian authorities," the statement said.

Ambassador Christine Moro, who was the French ambassador for three years (20142017), preceded Christophe Lecourtier in this position. The pundits say that that President Macron was very pleased with how his visit to Serbia was organized and that Mr. Lecourtier’s new position in the Foreign Office was, in fact, a reward for his service. This summer, the French Embassy’s First Secretary, Maxime Rey-

naud, will also leave her position.

France is the fifth major power to change ambassadors in Serbia this year, after China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia.

Practically, all permanent members of the UN Security Council will send their new ambassadors to Belgrade in 2019.

The Ambassador of China and the new Ambassador of Russia have already assumed their duties in Belgrade. As things are at the moment, experienced high-level diplomats were appointed in all five cases, and this may indicate that this region will be in the focus of great powers in the next few years.

Christine Moro

Christophe Lecourtier

Frédéric Mondoloni

Photo: usembassy.gov

The news that the French Ambassador Frédéric Mondoloni is leaving his post has surprised diplomatic circles in Belgrade. Ambassador Mondoloni submitted his accreditation letters to President Aleksandar Vučić on December 11, 2017, just over a year and a half ago. As we learn, an experienced diplomat, Jean-Louis Falconi, who has represented France in the EU in Brussels and the UN in Vienna, will replace Ambassador Mondoloni.

Perhaps this news would not be that unusual if the previous ambassador had not been in the ambassador position only for a few months, during the summer of 2017. His term was so short that he barely got to speak at the celebration of the Storming of the Bastille Day on July 14th that year. A month later, it was announced that "the French President has appointed a new French Ambassador to Serbia, Christophe Lecourtier, to head Business France, a business institution responsible for supporting French international trade and promoting foreign investments in France," the French Embassy in Serbia said in a statement.

The statement also underlined that the appointment had nothing to do with the French-Serbian bilateral relations and that the French authorities would appoint a new ambas-

17

INTERVIEW

Shadow Economy Remains Big Obstacle It is very difficult to understand the salary slip , the new law should simplify this

additional value to the workers. It is very difficult to understand the salary slip , the new law should simplify this.

YANA MIKHAILOVA Foreign Investors Council President

We talked about labor law and business environment with Foreign Investors Council President Yana Mikhailova.

You are president of FIC, independent association that has over 120 members, who invested more than €33 billion and employ over 100.000 people.

Moreover, it gathers companies which are amongst best employers on the Serbian market. What is the current status of the reforms in labour field which is one out of your 5 priorities?

— Labour regulations and improvements in this important area are amongst our top five priorities for the future. Although discussed many times in different forums with many stakeholders , further reforms in this field did not happen yet. First, I need to confirm your statement that FIC gathers companies which are amongst best employers on the Serbian market. As such, FIC member companies are the role model and we would like others to follow

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our lead: respect the laws, pay full taxes and benefits, protect employees and invest in people. Foreign investors recognise that Serbia has great people and excellent employees. However and in order to advance further in business climate evolution and continue to attract investors, acceleration of reforms generally speaking is necessary and in particular in this area. Investors who target to develop the business in Serbia, want to have the similar environment they used to have elsewhere in the developed countries of European Union and

Human capital is very important for the success of each company.

What is the status of reforms in this field and what do you suggest should be improved?

— The already adopted National Qualifications Framework provides the possibility for the economy to shape the educational system through formal and informal education. This solution might largely contribute to the modernization of old syllabuses and study programmes while creating a competitive workforce in the market that satisfies needs of the economy and keep abreast of its development. With the adoption of the Law on Dual Education, students of vocational (trade) high schools

FOREIGN INVESTORS RECOGNISE THAT SERBIA HAS GREAT PEOPLE AND EXCELLENT EMPLOYEES therefore we believe that three things are needed: a) to modernize the regulations; b) to introduce digitalization; c) to make sure that that all players on the market respect the regulations. There are many examples of needed modernization of laws but I would mention one: Current Labour Law has a very complex model of salary calculation, which overburdens the companies and doesn’t give

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have been given the opportunity to spend part of the total number of classes at schools, and the other part of their classes at the employer’s, i.e. at companies in a special employment and training arrangement. In this manner, students of vocational schools are going to “learn while working” and acquire not only theoretical knowledge but also the necessary practical skills in a relevant economy branch. This

is useful at several levels – both for accelerating and facilitating youth employment and from the aspect of company competitiveness, as companies have the opportunity to hire young workforce that already has the qualifications for working in the relevant economic sector.

Although we recognized positive developments, there is still a room for improvement. We believe that improvements of the educational system should be continued and that based on an analysis of needs of the economy and the real sector, new educational profiles should be created and implemented and the university enrolment quotas should be adjusted in line with the market needs. Then, there is the need to define the legal framework for the employer-student relation to simplify implementation of vocational internships in parallel with regular education, define the legal framework for preparing persons with high education profiles to work independently in their profession, regardless of whether they fulfil the requirements for taking an expert exam that is conducting internship program. The National Employment Action Plan should clearly define, redefine and widen the range of educational profiles that are going to be included into the action plan and employment policy, i.e. be attuned to the needs of the market and employers.

Are the foreign investors satisfied with Serbia workers?

— Serbia employees have a solid professional education, and

through good working conditions, competitive benefits and educational programs they are motivated to continually improve their productivity and efficiency. However, the educational structure and the labour market indicate that finding the candidates who meet the requirements of high-level, expert and strategic positions is challenging. Retention of high-skilled workers and development of own resources are still very popular trends, having in mind market conditions. In order to address the problem, Serbia needs to work on creating market environment and conditions in which young and talented professionals (Serbians and foreigners) choose Serbia as the place to live and work. And further modernize of educational system which better fit market needs will be a good contribution to strengthening Serbia’s competitiveness What is FIC position on dual education?

— In November 2017 the Law on Dual Education, was adopted in Serbia, regulating the content and implementation of dual education, as well as mutual rights and obligations of all participants, material and financial security of students, and other issues relevant for the dual education system. The adoption of the Law on Dual Education led to some progress relative to the previous situation, setting the general legal framework for the future implementation of this kind of education system in Serbia. Thanks to the support of and cooperation with European countries that have developed a successful dual education practice, a large number of vocational schools in Serbia introduced this model of education into their programmes through various projects over the past years, and an increasing number of large companies are taking part in such

LABOUR REGULATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA ARE AMONGST OUR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE projects. In addition, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce initiated and organized the training and licensing of trainers. We think that by-laws should be adopted to regulate certain aspects of the Law in more detail and enable a more efficient implementation of the Law in practice. A sustainable dual education funding model and possible incentives to attract companies in Serbia to join this system should be defined. Provisions on payment of students by the employer should be regulated in more detail, especially in terms of evaluating the performance of the engaged students and the possibility of

introducing a pay for performance compensation system.

Finally, we come to the one topic that is also very important for FIC – fighting against illicit trade. Linking it to the topic of labour, can you tell me what is FIC view on labour market practices, especially informal employment (shadow economy)?

— Thank you for this question.

Shadow economy remains big obstacle to the strengthening Serbian economy, that’s why FIC is willingly participating in initiatives targeting fighting shadow economy. Shadow economy Includs informal employ-

ment, it creates uneven playing field and disable protection of employees' rights. Besides creating more flexible regulations (like with changes of the Labour Law), the state should ensure strict supervision of implementation and thus protect the rights of both employees and employers in practice. This is especially important in the area of employment where in the past years we have witnessed significant number of ill practices. These practices in first affect right of employees, but also create unfair competition between companies who register their employees and pay all contributions and those who employ in the shadow economy. This is why FIC constantly indicates how important it is to establish a system, in this case efficient labour inspections, and improve capacity of public administration.

THE LAW ON STAFF LEASING The Law on Staff Leasing has been in public focus for many years. It seems that the positions are different among the key stakeholders regarding this topic. Some argue that the Law is not needed and on the other hand you think that this area should be regulated. What are FIC key positions regarding this important Law? — We do not see here the dilemma. We strongly advocate for regulation of staff leasing and Serbia should adopt a separate law on staff leasing in accordance with the best EU practices and in line with the UN Convention that Serbia signed. The

current situation, in which we have staff leasing in practice, but without regulation, is creating uncertainty. Our key recommendations are the following: The law should specify all important issues, incl. relationship between all 3 parties, occupational health and safety, etc. It should make a clear distinction between the concept of staff leasing and employment relationship and make sure that relationship between employee and the company user does not result with in creation of an employment relationship. Work and licensing of agencies, incl. licensing fees should be regulated by the law and not the by-laws in order to ensure legal certainty.

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INTERVIEW

The University’s Voice is Now Heard The University can give support to the formation of public opinion by providing expert information, not by engaging openly in political issues

goals has been accomplished so far?

IVANKA POPOVIĆ Chancellor of the University of Belgrade

In the interview for Diplomacy&Commerce, the Chancellor of the University of Belgrade, Ivanka Popović talks about the problems that she encountered when she was appointed chancellor last year, the University’s plans and future and many other issues.

To remind, the Chancellor was the recipient of the French Order of the Academic Pact, given to her by the French Embassy in Serbia for her contribution.

How much can the recent events surrounding certain doctoral thesis harm high education in Serbia and the University of Belgrade?

— Current events have opened a discussion about the University’s role and influence of in society.

The public expects the University to be more engaged in issues of public interest. The voice of the University is now heard more than before, but still not enough

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regarding all issues. The University can give support to the formation of public opinion by providing expert information, not by engaging openly in political issues. The insistence on turning the affair regarding a certain PhD thesis into a political one has damaged the position of the University.

Are you satisfied with this year’s enrollment? Are this year’s enrollment quotas and scholarships realistic enough?

— Enrollment was satisfactory this year. However, we do see

would be beneficial to both Serbian and foreign students. Tuition fees are revisited every year and adjusted when necessary. The actual costs of many curricula are higher than the tuition fees, especially in natural and technical sciences. Our students have shown the greatest interest in traditional professions, especially in medical sciences, engineering and IT. Students are very practical, they realize that the job market is very competitive and choose study programmes that will provide the best employment opportunities.

THE INSISTENCE ON TURNING THE AFFAIR REGARDING A CERTAIN PHD THESIS INTO A POLITICAL ONE HAS DAMAGED THE POSITION OF THE UNIVERSITY declining numbers of potential freshmen due to decreasing demographics. As a result, enrollment quotas need to be adjusted. We are trying to increase the number of foreign students studying at our University. We find that internationalization of the University

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You were appointed the Chancellor of the Belgrade University last year. Some of your priorities included work transparency, reconsideration of the Bologna process and devising a longterm development strategy for the University? Which of these

— I became the Chancellor of the University on October 1, 2019. We have been quite busy, working on tying up some loose ends from the previous administration and starting on our priorities. We have achieved greater transparency in the University’s operations. We have also accumulated a certain amount of data regarding student performance that will assist us in improving the teaching process at the University. We have done this together with the UB Student Parliament. Nowadays most universities in the world are strongly focusing on the quality of teaching. Our international visibility has also increased due to our greater engagement in international networks and associations. We are raising awareness about the importance of academic integrity in this age when information is so readily accessible online. In the upcoming school year, all students of the University of Belgrade will be taking online courses on academic integrity. These courses are the result of a project coordinated by the Council of Europe, specifically the courses were developed in cooperation with the University of Gothenburg.

To what degree has the autonomy of the University of Belgrade preserved today? What is your relationship with the line ministry like?

— The autonomy of the University

is guaranteed by law. However, in terms of the system of funding of higher education in Serbia this autonomy is quite fragile, as the Government is the main source of financing of state universities. The University can maintain its autonomy by becoming stronger as an institution through strict adherence to its rules and guidelines. We have a good working relationship with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. The Ministry has been quite engaged in providing better conditions for the enrollment of foreign students and is committed to improving the academic infrastructure. Several faculties of the University of Belgrade still do not have their buildings.

Are you happy with the University’s position on the Academic Ranking of World Universities (the so-called Shanghai List)?

What challenges does the Belgrade University have to overcome in comparison to other universities in the world?

ings are mostly based on scientific research performance and are not affected by daily events. We have great expectations regarding the new Law on the Science Funding and the new Law on Science and Research. New funding schemes will hopefully revitalize the scientific research in Serbia. These future results should stabilize our position in the rankings.

How big of a problem is the brain drain in Serbia?

— Brain drain is one of Serbia’s key issues, as well as for the whole region. It is a complex problem that can only be dealt with at the national level with clear priorities and actions. It cannot be solved quickly or easily. The Serbian government has set up an interdisciplinary working group that is dealing with this problem. Experts from the University of Belgrade are engaged in its activities.

Many professors from the Belgrade University support the protests. What is your view re-

SEVERAL FACULTIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE STILL DO NOT HAVE THEIR BUILDINGS

— Our University is doing quite well in the rankings considering the very modest financing of research in the previous period. It is a tremendous result that we are in the rankings at all; the general public is not aware of this fact.

Many countries have national programmes for supporting their universities on their way to the top 500 world universities, which is not the case in Serbia. The rank-

garding this?

— I have spoken frequently about the individual rights of citizens, including academic staff, to express their political opinions. The role of academic staff in public life is very important because it should serve as a model for the exchange of different opinions in a tolerant manner. This task is of great importance for the development of democracy in Serbia.

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ECONOMY

A New Age of Space Exploration is Beginning It will need the rule of law and a system of arms control to thrive The moment when, 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong planted his foot on the surface of the Moon inspired awe, pride and wonder around the world. This newspaper argued that “man, from this day on, can go wheresoever in the universe his mind wills and his ingenuity contrives…to the planets, sooner rather than later, man is now certain to go.” But no. The Moon landing was an aberration, a goal achieved not as an end in itself but as a means of signalling America’s extraordinary capabilities. That point, once made, required no remaking. Only 571 people have been into orbit; and since 1972 no one has ventured much farther into space than Des Moines is from Chicago.

The next 50 years will look very differen. Falling costs, new technologies, Chinese and Indian ambitions, and a new generation of entrepreneurs promise a bold era of space development. It will almost certainly involve tourism for the rich and better communications networks for all; in the long run it might involve mineral exploitation and even mass transportation. Space will become ever more like an extension of Earth— an arena for firms and private individuals, not just governments. But for this promise to be fulfilled the world needs to create a system of laws to govern the heavens—both in peacetime and, should it come to that, in war.

The development of space thus far has been focused on facilitating activity down below—mainly satellite communications for broadcasting and navigation. Now two things are changing. First, geopolitics is stoking a new push to send humans beyond the shallows of low-Earth orbit. China plans to land people on the Moon by 2035.

President Donald Trump’s administration wants Americans to be back there by 2024. Falling costs make this showing off more affordable than before. Apollo cost hundreds of billions of dollars (in today’s money). Now tens of billions are the ticket price.

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SPACE WILL BECOME EVER MORE LIKE AN EXTENSION OF EARTH—AN ARENA FOR FIRMS AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, NOT JUST GOVERNMENTS Second, the private sector has come of age. Between 1958 and 2009 almost all of the spending in space was by state agen-

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cies, mainly nasa and the Pentagon. In the past decade private investment has risen to an annual average of $2bn a year, or

15% of the total, and it is set to increase further. SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket firm, made 21 successful satellite launches last year and is valued at $33bn. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, sells off $1bn-worth of his shares in the company each year to pay for Blue Origin, a space venture.

Virgin Galactic plans to go public this year at a valuation of $1.5bn.

As well as capital and ideas, the private sector provides much greater efficiency. According to nasa, developing SpaceX’s Falcon rockets would have cost the agency $4bn; it cost SpaceX a tenth of that.

Two new commercial models exist or are within reach: the big business of launching and maintaining swarms of communications satellites in low orbits and the niche one of tourism for the rich. The coming year will almost certainly see Virgin and Blue Origin flying passengers on sub-orbital excursions that offer the thrill of weightlessness and a view of the curved edge of Earth against the black sky of space. Virgin claims it might carry almost 1,000 wealthy adventurers a year by 2022.

SpaceX is developing a reusable “Starship” larger and much more capable than its Falcons. Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese fashion mogul, has made a down-payment for a Starship trip around the Moon; he intends to go with a crew of artists as early as 2023.

Such possibilities could see the annual revenues of the space industry double to $800bn by 2030, according to ubs, a bank. Still further in the future, space development could remake how humanity lives. Mr Musk hopes to send settlers to Mars. Mr Bezos, the richest man in the world, wants to see millions of people making a living on space stations, perhaps before Armstrong’s footprint marks its centenary.

From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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INTERVIEW

Education is the Biggest Obstacle to E-commerce In Serbia, just like anywhere else in the world, people mostly buy electronics and sports equipment online

ZORANA MILIDRAG President of the E-Commerce Association of Serbia

The E-Commerce Association of Serbia was founded in April 2018.

“The idea came about after I was invited to attend the E-Commerce Week at UNCTAD in Geneva, as Serbia’s representative.

After exchanging experiences with other associations and institutions across the world that deal with this topic, I was clear that if we wanted to develop online commerce in Serbia, we need to do it together and in a systematic fashion. Together with Marko Ilić and Nemanja Čedomirović, we founded the E-Commerce Association of Serbia (ECS) after which we formed a managing board and started devising goals for the Association with the support from the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommuni-

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cations (MTTT) and USAID's Growth Project,“ says Zorana Milidrag, President of the Serbian E-Commerce Association, at the beginning of her interview for Diplomacy&Commerce.

46% of people in Serbia who have the Internet shop online and they usually trust brands

in Serbia is products at discounted prices. I advocate for retailers to focus more on providing a better quality user experience and raise the quality of e-commerce instead of just being recognized as an outlet. In terms of shoppers, the aim is to ensure speed, transparency, simplicity and accessibility, while for retailers it is the opportunity to

IF A COMPANY PLANS TO ENTER NEW MARKETS, E-COMMERCE CAN BE THE CHEAPEST OPTION FOR TESTING THE MARKET POTENTIAL that have a developed offline image in the world. What kind of goods do domestic shoppers order online?

reach a larger market and profitability. If we look at e-commerce as an outlet, neither customers nor retailers will reach their goal.

— In Serbia, just like anywhere else in the world, people mostly buy electronics and sports equipment online. The thing that characterizes online shopping the most

How much are e-shoppers familiar with their rights and obligations?

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— We conducted a survey on bar-

riers to the development of online shopping. It turned out that, at present, education is the biggest barrier. By education, I mean the education of customers who are not sufficiently informed about their rights, but also education about the benefits of online commerce, and education of people who need to lead e-commerce, as well as decision makers who have to understand their expectations and the main potentials. The survey results showed that even retailers are not fully aware of their rights and obligations. In cooperation with the MTTT and USAID, ECS will work on educating all key factors in the e-commerce ecosystem. The plan is to organize training for the development of professionals who want to or already are doing the jobs in the segment of online commerce. In addition, we will prepare several types of customer guidelines so that they can see that e-commerce is safe providing you follow certain rules.

How safe is to shop online in Serbia?

—When you shop online it is important that you buy from trusted vendors and by that, I don’t mean necessarily big supermarket chains, but the vendors that are registered and that have clearly displayed terms of use. One of the benefits of online shopping is that shoppers can return purchased goods within 14 days. If the webshop they are buying from does not have this option, or it's unclear how the return process is executed, that is one of the sure signals that something is wrong with your choice of online store.

As a part of its membership fee, the E-Commerce Association of Serbia offers Trustmark, supervised by the E-Commerce Europe Foundation. And if the vendor does not comply with the local law, the buyer can file a complaint directly to SafeShop. On trusted pages, you can also pay via some of the electronic payment tools, which I consider to be an exceptional benefit because you do not have to worry if you’ll have enough cash when the courier delivers the product to you.

USAID has been supportive of the Association since the very beginning. What kind of partnership are we talking about and how important is that partnership for the Association?

— It was clear from just one meeting and getting to know the people from USAID’s Growth Project that the cooperation between the E-Commerce Association of Serbia and USAID would be beneficial for the development of e-commerce in Serbia. This is a project and a team that assembles all the key stakeholders and stimulates core developments. Recently, the E-Commerce Association of Serbia had a kick-off event at the Hilton Hotel, under the auspices of USAID, which gathered over 200 people from the e-commerce segment,

turnover is not clearly evident. One of the goals of the E-Commerce Association is to map the market and design development potentials. I often witness prejudices from both shoppers and business people who believe that the Serbian market is not ready for online shopping, but as someone who runs E-Commerce at Sport Vision for 9 markets, I can tell you that the Serbian market is developing at an incredible pace.

My advice to all business people is to react to this opportunity as soon as possible and use ad-

ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE E-COMMERCE ASSOCIATION IS TO MAP THE MARKET AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS as well as those from the public sector who are, together with all of us, working on improving and removing barriers for the development of e-commerce.

What effects does e-commerce have on Serbian economy, generally speaking?

— The effects of e-commerce on Serbia's economy are far greater than what was originally assumed.

At this point, most online stores report their online turnover as a part of reporting on the total turnover of their company, so sometimes the impact on the overall

ditional sales channel because e-commerce is a user experience that people are getting used to and if shoppers are going to get used to your competitors before you, it's far more difficult to utilize this opportunity. Furthermore, e-commerce is an outstanding opportunity to expand the business to new markets. If a company plans to enter new markets, e-commerce can be the cheapest option for testing the market potential. Also, if you have a good idea and you do not have good funds, e-commerce is easy to launch since it doesn’t require

much funding or you can do it via dropshipping that is recognized as a sales channel under the new E-Commerce Law. Can you give us a short overview of what will the new E-Commerce Law bring?

— The Serbian government has adopted the Proposal of the Draft Law on Electronic Commerce, which is another step closer towards complying with European and world standards. I must point out that the regulation was not even one of the biggest obstacles to the development of e-commerce, but it is certainly good to comply with EU laws. The new law defines the concepts of an electronic store, the platform and also the most common forms of e-commerce, such as dropshipping. There is also the possibility of displaying different currencies for different markets, which is very important for the expansion beyond the borders of our country. More work on fighting against the shadow economy has also started with the introduction of a "mystery shopper", a tool that market inspection will use. These are all incentives for the development of e-commerce and shoppers experiencing an increased sense of security in e-commerce. In my opinion, the media will play a key role in educating customers by promoting positive business examples.

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POLITICS

Macron on Kalemegdan A visit to Belgrade and the messages from Emmanuel Macron, on the day of the election of the new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, confirm the French president's desire to take the lead in Europe

By ALEKSANDAR SIMURDIĆ Vice-President of the European Movement in Serbia

The first official visit to Belgrade by a French president in 18 years was heralded by Emanuel Macron's desire to foster relations between France and Serbia, which, burdened by a series of events, have been recording a negative trend over the past 25 years.

In a statement ahead of the visit, the French president underlined his wish to "restore and strengthen broken ties", which have been characterized more by periods of misunderstanding than cooperation in recent decades.

The consideration of the French-Serbian relations from the Serbian perspective, especially since 1918, and in spite of all the ups and downs, must take into consideration the deeply rooted, almost mythical image that France has had among the Serbian people after World War I..

The consequences of these deepest brotherly feelings towards France, as a timeless result of the alliance in the Great War, have remained visible to this day. Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade bears the inscription "We love France just like France loved us 1914 1918" which was further solidified by the French President's speech, which he gave in the surprisingly good Serbian language, on the Fortress (he was also proud to point out that Belgrade is the only nonFrench town that bears the medal of the Legion of Honour).

All the latter relations had to take into account the Serbian perception of France, even when NATO was bombing Yugoslavia, which was mainly perceived as an US-led campaign in which France, though an active participant, was hardly mentioned as an aggressor.

A visit to Belgrade and the messages from Emmanuel Macron, on the day of the election of the new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, confirm the French president's desire to

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take the lead in Europe. Pressed by discontent and unprecedented challenges (migration, terrorism, protectionism, social and economic inequalities), national governments in the European Union are keen to underline the issues that divide them while forgetting those that unite them.

While the rest are mostly turning to the other side, Emmanuel Macron, driven by the desire to justify the position of the "new leader of Europe", imposed on

concrete proposals for the recovery of the Union to regain the trust of citizens, restore the union of the remaining 27 Member States and establish full control of the Union, after years devoted to unsuccessful crisis management.

The French strategy for the Western Balkans, released in late April this year and adopted at the request of President Macron, aims at more active participation by France in the stabilization of circumstances in the Western Balkan

PRESIDENT MACRON'S WILLINGNESS TO, TOGETHER WITH THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR, CONTRIBUTE TO EXPEDITING THE RESOLUTION OF OUTSTANDING BILATERAL ISSUES IN THE REGION WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST IN EARLY SEPTEMBER IN PARIS him in 2017 by the American Time magazine, wants to take the helm of Europe in the face of numerous unresolved issues such as Brexit, Russia, Turkey, the migrant crisis, the eurozone crisis and (un)predictable transatlantic cooperation.

Increasing inequality, rising populism, the fluctuation of illegal migration, low growth, the negative effects of globalization, growing regional disparities, terrorism and security are the problems that European societies share in the 21st century. Despite strong criticism, Macron was able to offer the first

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region, its socio-economic development and the strengthening of the rule of law. The strategy is in line with the EU’s activities on supporting and bringing the region closer to Europe. This is an expected outcome following a series of signals indicating that the EU enlargement policy is problematic.

The EU is on track to lose credibility while the Western Balkans is on track to lose its hopes for enlargement. The future of the enlargement process will depend on the ability and willingness of both parties to understand and accept

that it is not about "us" and "them", hence, it is not necessary to have a shared goal. The Balkans should no longer be on the table but at the table. That is the only way to break the vicious cycle whereby the region is pretending to integrate and the EU to expand.

The French president is well aware of the global changes that are putting Europe and the Balkans on the margins of the domains of power and global trends. Europe is becoming a periphery of world events, with the potential to preserve possible leverage in certain traditional spheres of influence, that can, to some extent, still influence global movements and processes. The Balkans is the periphery of Europe (or rather, the periphery of the periphery), which must make us think about our position and influence in this context.

Serbia’s path towards the EU and the relations in the so-called Western Balkan region are laden with the legacy of the recent past, which featured heavily during the French president's visit to Belgrade. France is actively participating in the so-called Berlin Process, which, at the moment, is the most important and also the only concrete path to the European future for the Balkans.

President Macron's willingness to, together with the German Chancellor, contribute to expediting the resolution of outstanding bilateral issues in the region will be put to the test in early September in Paris. Reaching the highly desirable outcome, that is the warming up of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, by the end of the year is very questionable, in the light of recent developments in Pristina.

During the two-day visit, the two sides also talked about improving economic cooperation.

Twenty-two documents, of different levels of obligingness, were signed and exchanged with the view of promoting economic cooperation. The effects of their implementation will be tested in the coming period. Preferably, as soon as possible.

CORPORATE

Advantages of Living in Strict City Downtown

Finding a suitable apartment in a quiet oasis in the strict city downtown is quite stressful, but doable, because construction of a closed residential complex, Kneza Miloša Residence, which will provide tenants with quality and comfortable lifestyle and precious peace in one of the oldest, central streets, is in progress

Kneza Miloša Street has always been a favourite promenade of Belgraders, the location where Queen Natalija enjoyed walking and chatting with her fellow citizens. It also remembers the first trams and the first city traffic light, as well as diplomats, ministers, cultural and business elite living at its address throughout its history.

Since 1873, the street has constantly been named Kneza Miloša.

Settled comfortably among vital cultural, diplomatic, commercial and recreational facilities, the street enables its residents to feel the true spirit of Belgrade downtown. All the most relevant city

centre covering 2,000 square metres, an indoor swimming pool and a comprehensive wellness offer.

When choosing an apartment, professionals are at your disposal to help recommend one tailored to your needs, while in a cinema room you will have an opportunity to experience the Kneza Miloša Residence complex through a video tour.

The complex consists of seven architectural units cascading down to the Sava Amphitheatre, with the facades facing Kneza Miloša, Vojvode Milenka and Sarajevska Streets.

This state-of-the-art condominium with 226 luxury units,

KNEZA MILOŠA STREET HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVOURITE PROMENADE OF BELGRADERS, THE LOCATION WHERE QUEEN NATALIJA ENJOYED WALKING AND CHATTING WITH HER FELLOW CITIZENS elements are only a few minutes away from St. Sava’s Temple, the dynamic residential area of Vračar, Knez Mihailova Street and Kalemegdan Fortress.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Kneza Miloša Residence is one of the most preferred residential locations. Imagine having a perfect view from your living room, a reception desk at the building entrance, 24/7 security and professional maintenance, more than 400 parking spaces with carwash service at disposal, a luxurious SPA

ranging from 30 to 180 square metres of space, a selection of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, and an option of having a garden space, terrace, open or roof balcony, offers life in the city at the highest level.

Sophisticated and elegantly decorated apartments provide top-class comfort. Each residential unit is carefully designed, using clean and simple lines and combining form and natural sources of light, and that is just the beginning of luxury you will enjoy.

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INTERVIEW

Freedom is Something that Belongs to us It is very dangerous when a tabloid is leading the attack against a journalist or an individual at the behest of a government or a power centre. It is literally like drawing a target on that individual's forehead BRANKICA STANKOVIĆ Journalist

Insajder (Insider) began as a team of three reporters 15 years ago.

Under the slogan "there is no compromise when it comes to revealing the truth", the team led by Brankica Stanković has uncovered substantial evidence of war crimes, corruption, crimes committed by the security services, the murder of the Serbian prime minister, privatization turned into embezzlement, hooligans and extremist groups, and the football, justice and construction mafia. Almost five years ago, they decided to step out of their

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existing framework, with the idea that the Internet was the right place for them, because, up until that point, they were the ones that pushed the envelope. After going online, Insajder stepped into “the world without borders”. Documen-

of this programme.

At the beginning of this interview, Insajder’s creator, Brankica Stanković, says that Insajder demonstrates on the daily basis that “freedom is something that belongs to all of us”.

DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO DISCREDIT OUR WORK WITH THREATS, LIES AND CAMPAIGNS. YET, DESPITE EVERYTHING, WE ARE GROWING IN NUMBER AND STRENGTH taries about Insajder were made in France, Germany, Scandinavia, Brazil and the region, while journalists from many reputable magazines from Europe and the rest of the world wrote about the success

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Insajder has recently published an article under the headline “The attitude of certain individuals from the opposition towards the media: You have failed!” which talks about the

guest appearance of Sergej Trifunović at N1 television station.

You experienced a similar onslaught when your guest was Aleksandar Vučić. What is the opposition’s and the government’s attitude towards the media?

— We should not speak in general terms, but truth be told, individuals from the government and the opposition alike have no respect for the journalistic profession and journalists. They behave as if journalists are their collaborators and with their help, they can deceive the public, while constantly forgetting the fact that it is the job of journalists to control the work of the government on behalf of citizens and to act in the best interest of the public, not in the

best interest of individuals. Realistically speaking, the situation is such because, among other things, the journalists allowed it to be so by becoming “buddies” with politicians, accepting their invitations to lunches and dinners and socializing with them. And then, after all of that, they are perplexed why there are “questions that should not be asked”.

Insajder has clear rules for its entire staff. Many things are banned – from participating in any kind of protests to not being allowed to express their political opinions or insult someone via their social media accounts. The job of a journalist is 24/7.

We take great care of Insajder’s reputation and credibility which we have been building up for years.

As a result, we have the right to do everything for everyone and noone has the right to call us and ask why we have published something or why we have not. They all know perfectly well that we would publish that immediately. After all, after 15 years of existence, we do not allow anyone to treat us arrogantly or berate us. As for the attacks that various journalists are exposed to, again, we should not generalize the matter. It is very dangerous when a tabloid is leading the attack against a journalist or an individual at the behest of a government or a power centre. It is literally like drawing a target on that individual's forehead. There are synchronized campaigns even against journalists who are responsible and professional in their work.

On the other hand, the attacks on social media against certain journalists are irritating but not dangerous. They are irritating because they reflect the backwardness of this society. Nowhere in the world people have an opinion about everything and know everything, and yet are not held accountable when they insult, threaten, accuse, tell lies and condemn. Just look at the case of an N1 anchorwoman who dared to ask Sergej Trifunović a question.

The same kind of people also criticizes me for interviewing to the president of the state. Decent people will simply never allow such things to happen to them.

Today, anyone can declare themselves a moral authority even though they have not done anything important in their lives, and give themselves the right to insult and accuse journalists who do not want to be political activists but just want to do their job prop-

erly. On the one hand, this kind of people regrets living in a country where you will be judged because you are successful, while on the other hand, they give themselves the right to call anyone “a traitor, selling out to Vučić” for refusing to be part of a "group". The powers-to-be use the same rhetoric for anyone working for the opposition bloc. This is sick and dangerous and has nothing to do with the principles of a democratic state that everyone, at least declaratively, advocates.

We are constantly chasing our tail because we did not set up rules of behaviour. Hence, both the people in power and the opposition have allowed themselves to behave in an utterly arrogant way. The authorities bear most of the responsibility because they are the ones that create the overall atmosphere in society. In our country, the atmosphere is as such that we are permanently one step from a civil war.

What do you think of B92 TV station and B92 website today, considering that you worked for them back in the day?

— I follow B92 just like I do any other media outlet. When, in 2015, after working for them for 17 years, I decided to leave, I also made a decision never to speak about them publicly. Everything I had to say

about that TV station, I said during my working there.

Since 2004, when you launched Insajder, you have contemplated leaving the country several times. Why didn't you do it?

What would you advise your daughter - to leave or to stay?

— I don’t want to remove myself from my own country because of the people who are behaving as if they own it and because of all of us who live here. I could leave Serbia tomorrow if I wanted to because I have somewhere to go, but I don’t want to as yet. I have paid too high of a price just to pack up my stuff now and leave. I also think that we have done a lot of important things for all citizens that we, at Insajder, can be proud of. For years, we have been pointing to the misuse of the system, crime, embezzlement, injustice...

We are working in the best interests of all our citizens. We receive nothing from the state and we don’t misuse anything. On the contrary, we pay taxes and we adhere to this country’s laws which is what we expect everybody else to do too, especially those people that we, the taxpayers, pay. Citizens pay the government to do its job honestly and in the best interest of this country.

Anyone who tried in any way to dispute our work was defending crime, misuse and embezzlement,

WE ARE CONSTANTLY CHASING OUR TAIL BECAUSE WE DID NOT SET UP RULES OF BEHAVIOUR

and all that has been written down.

Everything I do is for the sake of my daughter's future and the most important thing is that I know that, one day, when she grows up, she will be proud of me. I would not like my daughter's generation to be the generation that leaves Serbia. As far as advice goes, I am never going to tell her to stay or to go because she needs to decide for herself. It is my obligation to give her a happy and carefree childhood, to teach her the right values and to provide the best education possible for her.

What motivated you to continue being a journalist?

— In a nutshell, I want to live in a state that is well-regulated, free, where the law applies the same to everyone, where rules are adhered to and diversity respected. I think that anyone who has the opportunity, and we, as journalists, have that opportunity, should do everything in their power to help Serbia to become such a country one day.

People who try to discredit Insajder claim that the programme is run by the police and that your stories come from the state security. What is your comment?

— These claims are as old as Insajder itself. Many governments, many chiefs of police and many state security services came and went during that period. If such claims were true, we would be a worldwide phenomenon. Every single time we presented new evidence in our programme, they would come up with new conspiracy theories such as that Insajder was backed up by the BIA, the CIA and even the MI6. Over 20 people work for Insajder, we are all extremely committed to our work and nobody is backing us up. We are backing ourselves up.

This is clear to anyone who follows our work and is not malicious. For 15 years, we have been protected by strict adherence to the rules of the profession. Different people have tried to discredit our work with threats, lies and campaigns. Yet, despite everything, we are growing in number and strength. We were journalists even before this government came to power and we will continue to be journalists after it leaves. Our results, the awards and international recognitions we received are many. We don’t have any pending lawsuits. We exist because of the people who respect us and who trust us, and that is our strength.

Everything else is fleeting.

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SPORT

Wimbledon, Thank You Very Much and Goodbye!

by NEBOJŠA MANDRAPA Brand and Personal PR Director at New Media Team; Member of Novak Djoković PR team

Meeting and interviewing Djokovic, Federer and Nadal before and after matches, training sessions, press conferences and informal get-togethers at tennis clubs have become a rather usual thing for the media people. A routine, if you will. The reason for this is that many things that a journalist has to do, write, prepare and ask are so overwhelming and fastpaced that some of them don’t have the time to just stop for a moment. Even if they did stop, just for a brief amount of time, they would probably immediately feel huge anxiety, honour and even greater responsibility that come from talking to the best of the best. And they are among 1% of the population to have been given that chance.

Everybody who follows sports, especially tennis, would trade places with them in a minute.

This is why sports journalism is such a great profession. It is also difficult, challenging and in our country, unfortunately very damaged and broken, but nonetheless wonderful.

Sports journalism allows you to peek into the corners of sports venues that others don’t have access to, to watch the Wimbledon finals from the best seats, to enjoy the benefits of media centres that provide abundance of information,

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to have tennis legends accessible, and to have an army of staff that is trying to please you at any given moment. Comfort at its best! That’s how things are done in the West, in the heart of England, in southeast London, where the tennis originates from.

Amidst a picnic on the grass, near the Wimbledon park, in the 1990s, strawberries and cream and celebratory champagne at the Champion Ball were mostly shared among the Americans, followed by a Swiss, a Spaniard, an occasional Australian and now a guy from Serbia who came out of nowhere. From Siberia… Suburbia… Whatever!

Serbia is a country that the West usually associates with war, sanc-

Photo: Nebojša Babić

My colleague, who was reporting from this year’s Wimbledon, wrote recently in a private Instagram post how, due to his huge workload and obligations, he often forgets how privileged he is, spending time in the company of the biggest tennis players in the world of all times, writing about them, following their careers and watching them live. So true! and difficulties that come with playing tennis professionally. He decided so for the love of his country, Serbia, and his people. Thank you, but no, thank you!

Novak conquered Wimbledon for the first time in 2011. He was on top of the world, the best of the best. He received huge applause despite the audience rooting for his opponent – first in the semi-finals against Conga from France, then in the doubles with Nadal and then in the finals. This tradition of Wimbledon people cheering against Djoković has been perpetuated year-on-year. This is a strange and unusual habit, and even, if we may say so, an ugly one too, which reached its peak dur-

NOVAK CONQUERED WIMBLEDON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2011. HE WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD, THE BEST OF THE BEST tions and all things negative. This is a country that only bad news came from. And, in the middle of all of this, comes Novak Djoković. They even had trouble pronouncing his name right. Novak unlearned them, so to speak, with his tennis skills, good manners, honesty, modesty, philanthropy and quality, both as a human being and an athlete. At some point, they even wanted Novak to be their own, British, to play under the United Kingdom’s flag, for the glory of the British Isles. His answer to that was a “no” despite all the financial challenges

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ing the latest finals when Novak played against Federer.

Of course, the audience has every right to pick their favourite.

However, when 14,000 people show such disrespect towards fivetime Wimbledon champion is, to say the least, an offensive circumstance. This is a man who always shows his due respect to Great Britain and the British people. His foundation collaborated with the Duchess of Cornwall who, in Serbia, was treated with the utmost respect

by Novak and his foundation, naturally. After all, we are talking about a

royal family here regardless of what country they are coming from.

Djokovic also invited the other Duchess – the Duchess of York – to do something beneficial for children together and build schools for life for them. For this effort, Prince William gave Novak the Centrepoint Award which Novak said it was one of the most important awards he had ever received. Even recently, before leaving for Wimbledon, Novak found time to open a renovated tennis court at the British Embassy and spend some time with another member of the royal family, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent. Why did he do that? To show his respect. Because he was raised in that way. There are many such cases, both when meeting aristocracy and regular British people, many of whom are Novak’s friends, like Andy Murray. Novak has always praised both Andy and his family.

Considering all of the above, he still received such a reception in Wimbledon. One might wonder where did the respect towards the holder of 16 grand slam titles (15 at the time of the Wimbledon finals), the best tennis player in the world, the most successful athlete in the world according to the Laureus Academy and the recipient of many humanitarian awards, go?

Where did this cold shoulder treatment and brutality of the people who belong to one of the greatest nations in the world, admired for its contribution to humankind, civilization’s heritage, culture and literature, come from? Along the

way, respect for a champion faded away, just like the cream on the strawberries that are delivered to SW19 every morning from Kent County, which disappears even before you take out £3 to pay for a single portion.

It’s very strange to see that one of the three greatest tennis players is so unjustly treated by the British audience, despite him contributing equally to the tennis history, together with Federer and Nadal.

He is in no way inferior and less worthy than them. In some things, he is very much like them, and in some, he is miles ahead.

Luckily, some countries show appreciation for champions regarding of the local favourites. These countries show their support unconcerned about the country the athlete comes from.

These countries acknowledge that Djokovic, Federer and Nadal deserve their respect because they are the best at what they do. Together, they won 53 grand slam titles with the last 10 titles won consecutively.

Only seven other tennis players have managed to win a grand slam title in this era, including Andy Murrey and Stan Wawrinka, who won three each.

On top of that, in the last 15 years, the trio was the first ever to reach semi-finals and finals of

WE HAVE THE HIGHEST GOALS IN OUR MINDS ALL THE TIME. NONE OF US PLAYS JUST FOR FUN OR TO BE A PART OF THE ATP TOUR. WE PLAY TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD all grand slam tournaments they played in. Even when, five years ago, Kei Nishikori and Marin Čilić played in the finals of the US Open, they had to first beat Djokovic and Federer respectively in the semi-finals.

As the time goes by and Novak keeps developing and creates opportunities for himself to break all records, including the number of weeks spent in the No 1 spot on ATP and the number of won

singles grand slams. Nobody is considered a threat to him anymore. After Rafael Nadal won his last Australian Open, Novak triumphed six times in Melbourne.

And after Rafa won the Wimbledon finals last time, Djokovic was crowned a Wimbledon champion five times.

“We all work very hard to stay on top. And the experience we have gathered along the way helps us to keep our confidence because

everything we have achieved so far we bring to the court, which creates pressure with the opponents.

On the other hand, for us, this is yet another match in the central court, something we have experienced countless times. This is one of the reasons why we feel comfortable on the court, and why we are continuing to deliver our best results. The thing that connects the three of us is the love of tennis and the honest commitment that ultimately pays off. To succeed, you need to spend many hours training, preparing and recovering. It’s a lifestyle more than anything else,” Djokovic commented on the phenomenon called “The Big Three”.

“We have the highest goals in our minds all the time,” Novak added. “None of us plays just for fun or to be a part of the ATP tour.

We play to be the best in the world.

That competitive drive among us has inspired us to strive for better all the time and has resulted in the level that we are at,” Novak said.

Novak will get the next opportunity to get closer to Federer in the number of won slams at the US Open. So far, Novak has won 16 of them, Roger 20. The chances of Novak closing this gap are quite realistic regardless of how much certain people in England or America do not like that.

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INTERVIEW

Our Goal is to Help Patients Integrative approach in medicine does not cure illness, but it treats the body as a whole

DUŠAN VEŠOVIĆ Specialist in Occupational Medicine and Doctor of Integrative medicine

After graduating cum laude from the University of Belgrade’s Medical Faculty, Dušan Vešović started working at the Dr Dragomir Karajović Occupational Medicine and Radiological Protection Institute, at the Clinical Centre of Serbia in Belgrade. First, he was an assistant/intern and then an assistant in the Department of Occupational Medicine of the University of Belgrade’s Medical Faculty. He received the title of an occupational medicine specialist, a master of medical science and a doctor of medical science from the University of Belgrade’s Medical Faculty.

After his doctorate, he worked as a researcher on a project related to diabetes mellitus at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition of the University of Illinois in Chicago, the USA. In addition to general and occupational medicine, Dr Vešović completed several quantum medicine courses, held by the Serbian Medical Society in Belgrade (in 2013). He also completed a specialization at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, thus obtaining the title of pharmacy specialist (in 2014). Dr Vešović is one of the pioneers of the integrative approach to patient treatment in Serbia.

by combining the best treatments and protocols that come from general, Western medicine, with the best complementary and alternative medicine methods. All these techniques are used with one single goal - to help the patients as much as possible. This combination of classical and alternative medicine was created in the late 20th century, in the United States. Namely, research has shown that one-third of patients who were put in therapy by classical medical practitioners also used therapy at the recommendation of complementary and alternative medicine experts. Practically speaking, the patients were seen by their physician practising classical

FOR NOW, THE INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS IS CURRENTLY ONLY BEING STUDIED AT THE POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDIES AND I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD ALSO BE INTRODUCED DURING UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Could you tell us what is integrative medicine?

— Integrative medicine was created

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medicine but they also supplemented this therapy with their own complementary and alternative medical treatments.

By doing so, they unknowingly and unintentionally misled their physicians into thinking that the successful results of the therapy they had prescribed was purely due to the use of classical medical treatment, which was not exactly true. By recognizing that the combination of methods, proven in practice, leads to better results, there is an amalgamation of the knowledge from the classical medicine and the complementary and alternative medicine which resulted in a new direction in

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medicine being formed - integrative medicine. To date, only in the United States, many medical centres are operating under the auspices of universities where patients are provided with integrative medicine services. Also, the number of hospitals in which integrative medicine is practised has increased significantly.

What are the benefits of integrative medicine versus classical?

— By using integrative medical treatment, we are not only analyzing the physical problems and symptoms that the patient has, but also psychological factors, social and spiritual aspects, which are very important for improving the patient's health and treatment of the disease. Some of the basic principles of the integrative treatment approach are: the doctor and the patient are "partners" in the process of treatment, the physician's attention is directed at all factors that can affect health, the patient himself and not his illness are at the centre of the examination, and a holistic approach is applied. This all means that the body is treated as a whole, i.e. we are not treating an individual disease, that is, the illness of a particular organ, by using methods that are effective and not aggressive while each patient is prescribed a treatment that suits him as an individual.

I don’t think that this treatment is utilized enough in our country and I think that people in Serbia find out about this treatment from the journalists who usually

interview doctors that advocate such treatment and write educational articles about it. Also, they usually turn to the Internet to search for a more comprehensive and permanent solution to their health problems.

For now, the integrative approach to the treatment of patients is currently only being studied at the postgraduate medical studies, and I believe that it should also be introduced during undergraduate studies, so that the youngest doctors, when they graduate, already have some knowledge of integrative medicine. In the EU, the situation is completely different. Eleven European integrative medicine congresses were held under the auspices of the European Society of Integrative Medicine (based at the Charite University in Berlin). This coming September, the 12th congress will be held in Barcelona. I regularly participate in them, and I will have three presentations at this year's event.

What prompted you to start practising integrative medicine?

— I will try to answer this question with a practical example. In our

THE DOCTOR AND THE PATIENT ARE "PARTNERS" IN THE PROCESS OF TREATMENT, THE PHYSICIAN'S ATTENTION IS DIRECTED AT ALL FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT HEALTH, THE PATIENT HIMSELF AND NOT HIS ILLNESS ARE AT THE CENTRE OF THE EXAMINATION everyday life, we all know a person or persons who complain about certain health problems. When this person is subjected to biochemical analyses and FBC (full blood count), it often happens that their results are good, or rather “within the limits of normal values”. In addition to these analyses, they often do an ECG and ultrasound examination of the stomach and small pelvis where neither ECG nor ultrasound scan detects pathological occurrences. Following diagnostics doctrine in classical medicine, this person cannot be diagnosed because all the findings were normal.

For this reason, this person can not be prescribed therapy. So, no diagnosis - no therapy.

However, even though the diagnosis has not been established,

person still feels the same health problems. These problems occur as a result of a disturbed balance in the body, at a discrete, cellular level, which is a consequence of biochemical and biophysical disorders. In such cases, the classic medical approach is to „monitor“ the patient over a certain period.

This "monitoring" of a person's health during a certain amount of time increases the likelihood of developing a pathological condition that will cause different lab and ultrasound results. If this occurs, a physician can diagnose the patient and prescribes the treatment of the diagnosed illness.

Such cases, which are increasingly present in medical practice, have led me to think about what could be done for such patients to

reduce or eliminate their problems, although all analyses came up with "regular“ results. So, I began to search for solutions in integrative medicine. An integrative principle entails treating the symptoms that a person has, regardless of the „normal“ lab results.

This treatment of health problems and the body as a whole involves several activities, such as changing the diet and making it tailor-made to the individual patient, detoxification of the body, the use of personalized dietary supplements, going to sleep at the right time and reducing exposure to electromagnetic radiation from various sources. All this should be done under the supervision of a doctor of integrative medicine and with the patient's complete trust and cooperation.

Going back to the aforementioned „normal lab results“, I would like to add that these are usually the basic laboratory analyses and once you widen the analysis spectrum, the situation changes and in certain cases, huge deviations from normal values are detected.

FITS ALL PATIENTS Is this type of medicine applicable to all patients, i.e. in all types of illness?

— An integrative approach to medical treatment is always recommended and effective because it accelerates the effects of standard therapy, which usually implies only the use of medication.

There is no special condition or disease where an integrative approach is recommended, but it can be applied to all patients - both on healthy ones

who want to stay healthy and unhealthy patients to expedite the healing process. I would like, once again, to underline that the integrative approach in medicine does not cure illness, but it treats the body as a whole. Through various techniques and elimination of bad habits, the body regains the state of equilibrium (the medical term for his is homeostasis), which was disrupted due to various factors which were present over a long period.

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

04 MARKING THE JULY

START OF FINLAND’S PRESIDENCY OF THE EU COUNCIL

On the occasion of the beginning of the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Ambassador of Finland in Belgrade, H.E. Kimmo Lähdevirta hosted a reception at the Embassy’s residence. “Finland is committed to continuing to work on the credible prospect of the

H.E. Andrea Orizio, OSCE, H.E. Constantinos Eliades, Ambassador of Cyprus, H.E. Nikolaus Lutterotti, Austrian Ambassador to Serbia and Jadranka Joksimović, Minister for European Integration

08 ALGERIAN

JULY

INDEPENDENCE DAY

On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the Independence of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria the Ambassador of Algeria in Belgrade, H. E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, hosted a reception at his residence, marking the day when, on July 5th, 1962, the Algerian Revolution freedom fighters won the independ-

enlargement to include the Western Balkans, and that will be high on the agenda during our presidency,” said Ambassador Lähdevirta. The reception was attended by representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the civil sector, the media and the diplomatic corps.

H.E. Kimmo Lähdevirta

ence for the country. The anti-colonial struggle of the Algerian people - the Algerian War for Independence - is considered to be one of the greatest events in the history of the 20th century. This fight impacted the creation of many states in the colonized Africa, and has reversed the course of the African history.

H. E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub

08 MONTENEGRO

JULY

STATEHOOD DAY CELEBRATED

The Main Hall of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Novi Beograd was almost too small to receive all the guests and friends of Montenegro who gathered to celebrate the Montenegro Statehood Day at the solemn reception. The Montenegrin Ambassador to

H. E. Branislav Mićunović and Rasim Ljajić, Minister of Trade,Tourism and Telecomunications

H. E. Branislav Mićunović

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Serbia, H. E. Branislav Mićunović, who is coming to an end of his term, greeted the guests and in his speech, referenced the Berlin Congress of 1878 and the 13th July when both Serbia and Montenegro were recognized as independent states and jointly fought for freedom.

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rd 09 203

JULY

ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE INDEPENDENCE

H. E. Estanislao Zawels and Maja Gojković,

12 NATIONAL JULY

DAY OF EGYPT

H.E. Amr Aljowaily

Official reception was held at the Argentine House in Belgrade on the occasion of the 203rd anniversary of the Argentine independence. In his speech, Argentina’s Ambassador to Serbia, H. E. Estanislao Zawels underlined the strong friendship between the two countries. “Diplomatic relations with Serbia have lasted for more than 90 years. Today, both

H.E. Estanislao Zawels

The celebration of the National Day of the Arab Republic of Egypt was held at the National Museum of Serbia in Belgrade. In his keynote address, the Ambassador of Egypt in Belgrade, H. E. Amr Aljowaily commended the National Museum’s initiative to devote a special section to the Belgrade Mummy, as a model of

cultural cooperation between the two countries. The Ambassador also said that quite a few ideas were explored in order to utilize the advanced information and communication technology in Serbia to present ancient Egyptian antiquities to the wider Serbian public through virtual and augmented reality.

Representatives of the Embassies

18 AMBASSADOR OF TUNISIA JULY

countries are looking to the European Union - Serbia is in its EU accession process and Argentina which, together with its partners from Mercosur, has signed a historic agreement on strategic trade union with the EU”, said Ambassador Zawels at the reception, attended by the Speaker of the Serbian Assembly, Maja Gojković, among other guests.

OPENS THE MEDITERRANEO EXHIBITION

The Ambassador of Tunisia to Serbia, H.E. Seyf Allah Rejeb opened the Mediterraneo exhibition depicting the artwork of the Serbian artist Nebojša Petrović, at the Belgrade City

Nebojša Petrović and H.E. Seyf Allah Rejeb

Library. The Mediterraneo exhibition features watercolor paintings inspired by the artist’s travels to Tunisia, Malta, Greece and Italy. The exhibition is open to the public until 2nd August, 2019.

H.E. Andrea Orizio, OSCE, H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Algerian Ambassador and H.E. Seyf Allah Rejeb

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

12 THE BASTILLE DAY JULY

H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni and H.E. Philippe Gérald Guex, Swiss Ambassador

Lavish reception was held in the Garden of the French Embassy in Belgrade on the occasion of the great French national holiday, the Storming of the Bastille Day, which falls on July 14th.

The reception was attended by a number of political, cultural and public figures. The guests were given the opportunity to taste the traditional French wines and gastronomic specialties. In his speech, the French Ambassador to Serbia, H. E. Frédéric Mondoloni pointed out that 2019 was an important year since it marked the centenary of the end of the First World War and the liberation of Serbia.

Ambassador's welcome speech

Ministers in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Zoran Djordjević, Nenad Popović, Aleksandar Antić and Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister, Maja Gojković, Serbian Ansembly President

H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni with wife and Dubravka and Christopher Nègre, EIB

H.E. Kyle Scott, American Ambassador and H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni with wife

Zoran Radojičić, Mayor of Belgrade and H.E. Thomas Schieb , German Ambassador

19 INDEPENDENCE JULY

DAY OF BELGIUM

H.E. Adam Koenraad

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MARKED IN BELGRADE

The Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia, H.E. Adam Koenraad and his wife hosted a reception marking the Belgian National Day. Belgium celebrates July 21st as a national holiday, in memory of the same date in 1831, an

H.E. Sem Fabrizi, Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, H.E. Thomas Schieb , German Ambassador and H.E.Jan Erik Mikael Lundin, Sweden Ambassador

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Slobodan Nakarada, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Tijana Palkovljević Bulgarski, Director of the Matica Srpska Gallery

independent Belgian state was created and the Kingdom established. This is one of twelve public holidays in Belgium. Ambassador Koenraad welcomed the guests in the lovely garden of his residence in Krunska Street.

24 140 YEARS OF JULY

SERBIAN-BULGARIAN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS MARKED

On the occasion of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Bulgaria, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Belgrade, helmed by Ambassador H.E. Radko Vlaykov, opened an exhibition at Belgrade’s Kalemegdan

Park. In his speech, Ambassador Vlaykov talked about close relations between the two Balkan countries. The opening of the exhibition was attended by government officials, partners and friends of the Embassy.

H.E. Radko Vlaykov, Nebojša Stefanović, Minister of interior and Vladimir Rebić, General Police Director

25 SWISS NATIONAL JULY

DAY CELEBRATED IN BELGRADE

The Embassy of Switzerland in Belgrade on 31 July organised a reception to mark the Swiss National Day. H.E. Philippe Guex, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in Belgrade and his spouse, welcomed guest at the Ambassadorial Residence. Among the guests were high representatives of the Serbian

H.E. Adam Koenraad , Belgian Ambassador with wife and Swiss Ambassador with wife

H.E. Philippe Guex with wife

31 NATIONAL DAY JULY

OF MOROCCO

H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj

Government, as well as many publicfigures, representatives of the diplomatic community. The Swiss National Day is the national holiday of Switzerland, set on 1 August. Although the founding of the Swiss Confederacy was first celebrated on this date in 1891 and annually since 1899, it has only been an official holiday since 1994.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Belgrade, headed by Ambassador H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj marked the 20th Anniversary of the Enthronement of King Mohammed VI. In his speech, Ambassador Belhaj thanked all attendees for honouring this important occasion. “Throne Day has a strong symbol

and meaning in the country of Morocco. It reflects the act of alliance between the Throne and the Moroccan people.” Ambassador of Morocco said that the country’s Tanger Med 2 port is the largest both in Africa and the Mediterranean and as such presents a world-class platform connected with 186 other ports in 77 countries.

Vladimir Marinković, Vice President Serbian Parlament, Nebojša Stefanović, Minister of the Interior, H.E. Mohammed H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj with wife and H.E.Kyle Scott, Amine Belhaj and H.E. Sheikh Mubarak Fahad J.M. AL-THANI, US ambassador and Mrs. Nevena Scoot Ambassador of Qatar

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BUSINESS NEWS

DELTA HOLDING PRESENTS ITS 10th CSR REPORT

THE FOOD WASTE PROGRAMME PRESENTED AT THE COURTYARD BELGRADE CITY CENTER HOTEL

The results of the HotelKitchen project that aims at eliminating food waste were presented on 22nd July at the Courtyard Belgrade City Center Hotel. The presentation was attended by Robert Gasser, General Manager of the Courtyard Belgrade City Center Hotel, Olivera Škorić, the hotel’s Marketing Manager, Deni Porej, Director of WWF Adria, Fabijan Peronja, Project Officer at WWF Adria, project consultants Robert Ripley and Ana Balić and Pantelija Pekić, on behalf of the Gastronomadi Company.

“People in Serbia throw close to 250,000 tonnes of food annually, while in the EU nearly 88 million tonnes of food is

wasted, of which 40 million tonnes is just fruit and vegetables that are being discarded because of their appearance. All of this costs mind-boggling 140 billion euro.

We are very proud of the Courtyard Belgrade City Center Hotel and the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb which first started with the programme. More hotels have expressed interest in participating in the programme,” said Fabijan Peronja from WWF Adria..

Mlekoprodukt

Delta Holding has released and presented the 10th Sustainable and Responsible Business Report for 2018. At the request of the company, the accuracy of the data contained in the Report was verified by the audit firm EY Srbija.

“Our Village” is the most important socially responsible project which was launched last year. The project aims to revive and strengthen Serbian villages, primarily by transferring Delta Agrar’s knowledge about modern agricultural production to individual producers. The Our Village project is the recipient of Diplomacy & Commerce magazine’s award for the best social responsibility campaign and the Aurea Award for social usefulness given by the eKapija website.

SERBIAN CHEESE AT A FRENCH FAIR

The first thing that comes to mind when we say cheese is France.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that, every year, France hosts one of the most important international dairy fairs. This year, a total of 952 different kinds of cheese were served at the International Fair of Sauer Mondial du Fromage, from

20 different countries, including from Serbia. Our Mlekoprodukt, which operates under Savencia Fromage & Dairy Group, presented two of its cheeses– Biser Selekt, hard cheese made from cow’s milk, and Mlekoprodukt hard cheese made from sheep’s milk. The International Cheese Makers Association, which accepted Mlekoprodukt as its member in January this year, exhibited the Selekta cheese on its stand, thus recognizing Serbia as a renowned cheese maker. The Association’s President, Roland Barthélemy, pointed out that Biser Selekt, the pressed cheese with prolonged maturation, was a good example of how Serbian cheese evolved from classical traditional production.

Vojvodjanska Banka

CONTRACT ON FINANCING HEALTHCARE PROJECTS

Vojvodjanska Banka a.d. Novi Sad and the Provincial government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina have signed a contract which stipulates allocation of 1 billion dinars to the healthcare sector in the following period. The purpose of the funds is to improve the infrastructure capacities of healthcare institutions for the procurement of medical and non-medical equipment.

Smiljka Jovanović, a member of the Provincial government and the Provincial Finance Secretary, signed the contract on

38

behalf of the Provincial government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, while Predrag Mihajlović, Charirman of the Executive Board, and Marko Rakić, a member of the Executive Board signed it on behalf of Vojvodjanska Banka.

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“To give our support to early entrepreneurship we launched a programme called Delta Business Incubator through which we are assisting startup projects by transferring our know-how and experience to business novices.

We are also building up our staff database with a help of a unique project called Young Leaders through which we employ recent university graduates. By doing so, we keep our business operations sustainable while, at the same time, helping our country by creating top-notch managers who are contributing to the development of the Serbian economy,” said Marija Desivojević-Cvetković, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Development at Delta Holding.

Following the presentation of information from the 2018 CSR Report, there was a panel discussion about the Our Village programme titled "Swiss Villages in Eastern Serbia" which was moderated by Radojka Nikolić, editor of ‘Biznis’ and ‘Ekonometar’ magazines. Panellists Miloš Joković and Nevenka Joncić, participants of the Our Village project and Delta Agrar’s employees Zoran Djogić, the category fruit-growing manager, and Dušan Vrućkić, head of livestock breeding in Zaječar, talked about the significance of the Our Village programme, activities so far and their contribution to the agricultural results.

DISABLED PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THE WORLD

Representatives of state institutions and Ambassadors

The exhibition “Disabled People Who Changed the World”, showcasing photographs of accomplishments of disabled persons, accompanied by the relevant captions, was officially opened on 4th July 2019 in Katolička Porta in Novi Sad. The exhibition was attended by the Director of the Office for Human and Minority Rights of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Suzana Paunović, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Zoran Djordjević, who opened the exhibition, as well as Aleksandar Petrović, Assistant Mayor of Novi Sad. The senior students from the Isidor Bajić Music School had a musical performance at the exhibition, while the opening was also attended by Maja Gojković, the Speaker of the Serbian National Parliament, H.E. Kyle Scott, the US Ambassador to Serbia, and the ambassadors and representatives of the Brazilian, Egyptian and Polish embassies in Serbia.

Together with the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the Government’s Office for Human and Minority Rights, Apatin Brewery and embassies in Belgrade, Color Media Communications is implementing the project titled “Disabled People Who Changed the World” with the goal of presenting the stories of famous disabled people from across the world.

During 2019, the exhibition will be displayed in six cities across Serbia, and the visitors will be able to find out more about the life stories of disabled people. On this occasion, a series of discussions will take place, dedicated to disabled people who were included in the project, with the view of telling stories about famous people with disabilities including Nick Vujičić, Stephen Hawking, Frida Kahlo, Ray Charles, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and many others.

Belgrade Waterfront

NEW SALES CENTRE

Due to a great number of interested buyers, Belgrade Waterfront opened its second Sales Centre, adding to the already existing one in Karadjordjeva 48. At the new Sales Centre, all interested visitors can get information about the residential offer in one of ten buildings within the new city complex at Sava river right shore. Sales Centre, located at Sava Promenada, within the first building that welcomedits residents -BW Residences, is opened for visitors every day: Monday to Saturday from 8am to 10pm, and Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

Realizing the importance of professional help when it comes to choosing and buying real estate, Belgrade Waterfront has been investingin its sales centres capacities for years, as well as focusing on

innovative technology proven to be very helpful when choosing a new home. At the new Sales Centre,touch screens displaying the whole project from different angles are at the visitors’ disposal, also showing the streets and the look of the project from the moment the morning sun comes upuntil the evening hours, when street lights and lights in the apartments turn on.

UniCredit Bank

BEST BANK IN SERBIA

UniCredit has won five prestigious awards from Euromoney, a leading international business magazine. The 2019 Euromoney Awards for Excellence were formally presented in London.

Feza Tan, Chairwomen of UniCredit Bank Serbia stated : “Being a part of pan-European Bank enables us to leverage on wide expertise, knowledge

and best practices. Thanks to extraordinary team of committed employees, we managed to further cement our position among the leaders in Serbia, despite all the challenges on the market. Our key success factors were growth in all important parameters, an increase in process efficiency and focus on customers’ needs.

Moreover, socially responsible business and different initiatives conducted in the local communities with the aim to contribute to the better living conditions reconfirmed our good reputation. We are very pleased that Euromoney recognized all these efforts. This award obliges us to continue in the same direction“.

THE FINANCIAL CONCLUSION OF THE TRANSACTION OF OTP BANK MONTENEGRO

Maja Gojković and H.E. Amr Aljowaily, Egyptian Ambassador to Serbia

H.E. Eduardo Botelho Barbosa, Brazilian Ambassador to Serbia

On July 16, 2019 OTP Bank successfully completed another financial transaction and thus became the 90.56% owner of Societe Generale Bank Montenegro a.d. which is Montenegrin subsidiary of Societe Generale Group.

The majority stake was signed on February 28, 2019, between Societe Generale Group and Montenegrin Commercial Bank (CKB), a Montenegrin subsidiary of OTP Group. With a market share of 11.9% at the end of March of the current year, Societe Generale Bank Montenegro a.d. is the third largest bank in the Montenegrin banking market and as a universal bank

has been active both in the segment of retail business and in the segment of business with the economy. As a result of this latest acquisition, OTP Group will further strengthen its market position. The completion of the integration process is expected in 2020.

H.E. Kyle Scott

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ENTERTAINMENT

“The Lion King” Remake Opts for Style Over Substance The film is a rather uninspiring thing DISNEY IS fixated on remakes of its classic cartoons. Already this year, “Dumbo” and “Aladdin” have been added to a roster that included “Cinderella”, “The Jungle Book” and “Beauty and the Beast”. When the company cannot use actors and filmed footage, it does the next best thing: it produces a remake which is not quite live-action, but which looks as if it might be. In Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King”, adapted from the record-breaking cartoon released in 1994, the computer-generated animation is so believable that you could easily mistake swathes of it for wildlife documentary footage.

As awe-inspiring as this digital deep-fakery is, though, it does have a flaw: photorealistic talking animals, it turns out, are nowhere near as charming or as expressive as stylised talking animals.

And aside from the David Attenborough-worthy visuals, “The Lion King” does not have much to recommend it. It may not be a shotby-shot facsimile of the original cartoon, but it is so similar that Jeff Nathanson was lucky to be credited as the sole screenwriter. Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, the three people who wrote the original, did the lion’s share of the work.

The only obvious change is how much slower the 21st-century version is. Without introducing any notable scenes, Mr Favreau roves around the uncannily convincing savannah at such a leisurely pace that he adds a half hour to the running time, turning a brisk 88-minute cartoon into a dawdling 118-minute movie. That was a mistake. Judging by Hans Zimmer’s tumultuous orchestral score, and the humourlessness of most of the characters, the makers of “The Lion King” see it as a Shakespearean drama with echoes of the Old Testament. Many critics agree. But by stretching out the source material, Mr Favreau shows how thin it is—and how little there is to the titular hero.

He is Simba (voiced as a cub by

40

WHEN THE COMPANY CANNOT USE ACTORS AND FILMED FOOTAGE, IT DOES THE NEXT BEST THING: IT PRODUCES A REMAKE WHICH IS NOT QUITE LIVE-ACTION, BUT WHICH LOOKS AS IF IT MIGHT BE JD McCrary), a feisty lion who is due to reign over the Pride Lands after the death of his gruffly majestic father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones, who also played the role in the original film). But Mufasa’s bitter brother, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), murders the king, and somehow persuades the extraordinarily gullible Simba that he is to blame.

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The exiled cub is then befriended by Timon (Billy Eichner, improvising amusingly) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), a meerkat and a warthog who escort him to their Edenic jungle home. There he enjoys a life of freedom while dining on juicy invertebrates and singing along to Timon and Pumbaa’s philosophical theme song, “Hakuna

Matata”—Swahili for “no worries”.

But after what seem to be several weeks, several months or several years, depending on the narrative demands of each scene, the now grown-up Simba (Donald Glover) is coaxed back to the Pride Lands by his girlfriend Nala (Beyoncé Carter-Knowles) so that he can oust the villainous Scar.

Thanks to interludes for Elton John’s and Tim Rice’s songs, this meagre plot just about fills an hour and a half; but over the course of two hours it becomes clear that Simba doesn’t do anything especially brave, noble or clever. Indeed, he doesn’t do anything except leave home, laze around for a while, and then stroll back. His big heroic moment comes when he chooses to abandon his bucolic existence to reclaim his throne, but it feels more like a capitulation than a victory. As a cub, a hornbill (John Oliver) informs him that he will one day be king and that Nala will one day be his queen— and that is exactly what happens.

So much for being born free. Like Disney’s other recent African-set adventure, “Black Panther”, “The Lion King” is wholly in favour of a system of hereditary monarchy, whether or not the crown prince is the right feline for the job.

It might have been more inspiring to young viewers if the Pride Lands’ lionesses had stood up to Scar on their own, and if Simba had been bold enough to reject his royal destiny in order to keep frolicking with Timon and Pumbaa.

As it is, the film is technologically advanced, but it is as regressive in its politics as any of the company’s hand-painted fairy tales. Still, hakuna matata. The film will no doubt be a box-office smash. Perhaps it will be a different story when Disney produces an immersive, three-dimensional, virtual-reality remake of “The Lion King” a decade or two from now.

From The Economist, published under licence. The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

CULTURE

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Albanian Charm Offensive Soft power via music

Dua Lipa

A nation in Europe uses its "soft power" to reach the hearts of the audiences and transform public opinion about them, which is that they are drug traffickers like the ones from the film „Taken“ in which people are kidnapped and which depicts the place of unrest and revolutions. We are talking about Albanians. Albanian pop stars, all female, have conquered music charts, making „millions of people fall in love with them.“ In that respect, the Albanians can teach a good PR lesson to everybody, especially the Serbs.

Turn on the TV or any other music station or go on YouTube. What do you see there? You see Dua Lipa, born in Great Britain and a daughter of Dukagjin Lipa, a chanson and pop singer from Kosovo back at the time of Yugoslavia. Rita Ora made a video for one of her songs in Kosovo, waving the Kosovo flag. Ava Max dances seductively while your daughter sings her songs and has her poster on her bedroom wall. Did you notice that all of these ladies are beautiful and highly visible? If you didn't, you are missing out on a lot.

ALBANIAN BEAUTIES OF EASY LISTENING

All joking aside, in the last 7 to 8 years, the Albanians have managed to launch 6 music stars (their music style is nothing revolutionary, but is popular and specifically targetted) of the Albanian origin - Dua Lipa (from Pristina), Rita Ora (Pristina), Bebe Rexha (Debar, North Macedonia), Era Istrefi (Pristina) and the latest MTV sensations, Ava Max (Amanda Ava Koci from Sarandë, Albania) and Ilira (also from Pristina).

You can clearly see that this is a serious pop-project of spreading soft power, which is the most im-

portant thing in the world today (just think of Djokovic and Exit festival; these two mean more to Serbia today than all the billions spent on state officials and the country's promotion). Today, if you ask a teenager from anywhere in the world who are the most beautiful girls in the world, they would say „Albanian“. And our reaction to that would be to jump in horror and say „Whaaaat? Do you have any clue how beautiful Serbian (Croat, Czech, insert other nationality here) are?“. But to no avail...These Albanian girls made their way through.

There is even a story that that this is a project financed by the

There is also the Irish mafia, the Jewish mafia, the Georgian mafia and whatnot. So, it's not the mafia. Then there is an argument that „the state of Serbia has a lot of problems and not enough money to fund music“. Well, Albania and Kosovo are also not problem-free, as far as I know. If you say that „so much money was embezzled in our country and there is none left for pop culture“, can somebody prove it to me that the same has not been done in Kosovo and Albania too?

Then there are claims that we cannot spend money on tacky and trivial things. Let me give you a few examples of trivial spending (no, that money was not spent on new schools and hospitals) – the cable car, the mast in Belgrade, the fountain in Slavija (an many other fountains that are going to be built in the capital), the Christmas lights and the most expensive Christmas tree in the world.

THE ONE WHO HAS A GOOD STORY WINS, NOT THE ONE WHO IS RIGHT (KOSOVO IS SERBIA) Kosovo authorities, and there is even a conspiracy theory about the Albanian mafia funding these girls.

But before you use the argument „it must be the mafia“, let me remind you that there is such thing as the Serbian mafia too which is no better than the Albanian. Also, there are various kinds of the mafia in South Italy, and there are a few others across the Mediterranean.

SERBIAN HELPLESSNESS AND WRONG ANSWERS

Of course, Serbia is always lagging behind just like „the countries that are right do“ or at least those that think they are in right. Serbia is not trying to prove its point but is rather waiting for everybody to discover it. And that's is not how you do things. There are even worse examples – instead of trying

to resolve the problem with the Albanians in a normal fashion, similar to how the Macedonians did (through inclusion), we (as in the state authorities and the Informer daily) are still behaving in a racist manner. We keep calling the Albanians „the Shiptars“ (the word itself is not a problem because that's how the Albanians often call themselves too, but the way we say it, usually with contempt, is the problem). Do we want Kosovo? If we do want it, do we want it unpopulated? That is simply impossible - just like Ukraine cannot get unpopulated Donetsk or unpopulated Crimea or just like Cyprus cannot win back the north part without any Turks in it. The point is to integrate the tearaway territory. That is if we really want that territory.

We are drowning in racism. We propose "demarcation" before being "eaten up" (like cockroaches or rats, as if "defunct Serbia" or "Serbia without Kosovo" can be towed away somewhere like a boat and taken away from the Albanians).

But that is the Serbian mentality, namely every Serb would like to be the ruler of an exclusive night club booth and possess his very own local singer. Real stars are untouchable. The one who has a good story wins, not the one who is right (Kosovo is Serbia). When Serbs learn this, it will be 50% of the lesson. When they learn that the territory comes with people, they have learned the other 50%.

SERBIA – KOSOVO (AND OTHER ALBANIANS) 0:6 So, what did the Serbs do about disseminating „soft power“? Let me mention another girl from Kosovo who is unfortunate enough to be a Serb - Nevena Božović who represented Serbia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. In 13 years of her career she sang only 13 songs! Here is a girl that is beautiful and has an equally beautiful voice, but nothing came off that. Sara Jo (real name Sara Jovanović) was also fighting to get to the top for a very long time. She could even become the Serbian „Dua Lipa“because the two are very similar in image and beauty.

But nothing happened... Sara Jo now sings for the unfortunate IDJ label (which is not that much of a problem) in the unfortunate language that is Serbian (that is a problem because no-one is interested in that language and nobody understands it, contrary to the popular saying). Back in 2013, we could have used the two of them to present our country to the world at least pop world, but we failed. We allowed talented girls to disappear into the background – one has become a festival singer, and the one is singing for IDJ. We could have found them good songwriters and producers somewhere in the world and that would change the picture that people have of us.

Regarding Sara and her singing... Who wants to hear music in the Serbian, Hungarian or Lithuanian language? I'll tell you who – Serbs, Hungarians and Lithuanians. Nobody else. It's localized entertainment.

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REPORTAGE

Text: ROBERT ČOBAN

Odessa: Tears and Teddy Bears from Kulik's Field

Horrified mother watches as the stroller with her baby is uncontrollably plunging down a wide staircase. This scene from Eisenstein’s film “Battleship Potemkin”, filmed in 1925 and dedicated to an episode from the Russian Revolution, will forever be remembered in the history of film

MADE FAMOUS BY SERGEY EISENSTEIN: Potemkin Steps

The scene was filmed at the authentic location of Potemkin Stairs in Odessa, a city founded in 1794 by the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. For 113 years, since its inception, until the October Revolution of 1917, Odessa has grown into the lavish, fourth largest city of the Russian Empire, right after Moscow, St. Petersburg and Warsaw.

We are put in a luxurious apartment in a building at 25, Catherine the Great Street. The sign at the grand gate of the building says that this is the building with the officially the longest balcony in Europe. It was built in 1905 by the

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famous architect Yuri Dmitrenko for the Russian prince of the Greek descent, Georgios Dimitrievich Mavrocordat.

We have first encountered the name of Prince Mavrocordat some 1,000km westbound, in our part of the world. During his official stay in Budapest, Prince Mavrocordat met Katarina, the daughter of Stevan Jovanović from Hajdukč in Banat. The prince built a lavish

castle next to Kikinda for himself and his wife. The castle was built in the neo-classicist style with elements of the Baroque. The portal on the main façade had Ionic columns bearing an architrave, above which was a triangular tympanum with the prince's coat of arms. There was a dome that once housed a telescope on the central part of the roof. The portions of the castle, located to the left and

WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH POTEMKIN'S NAME ALSO FROM THE PHRASE POTEMKIN'S VILLAGE, NAMED AFTER THE RUSSIAN MILITARY LEADER AND PRINCE GRIGORY ALEKSANDROVICH POTEMKIN

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right of the central segment, had a roof with a terrace. In front of the main entrance was a large rose garden and behind it a pool, while a garden surrounded the castle.

The prince passed away in 1939, while the princess died in 1968.

They had no heirs. Their castle was seized during World War II and completely abandoned in the 1970s. Due to the negligence of local authorities and the citizens themselves, only four pillars of the castle, a gable and part of the foundation remain today.

Fortunately, his house on Catherine the Great Street in Odessa is still standing, freshly painted in blue. A bizarre incident hap-

pened lately in front of the house - as there was a nightclub on the ground floor, a mixer truck appeared one morning and poured out concrete right at the entrance to the building. Who was to blame?

Angry tenants or angry competition? We’ll never know.

We are walking to the monument to Catherine the Great, who founded the city. To the right of it, there is a view of the harbour and in-between there are the famous Potemkin's stairs from the beginning of this travelogue. The original 200 pyramid-shaped steps (after the reconstruction of 1933, there were 192 left) were built by the Italian architect Francesco Boffo from 1837 to 1841. A cable car was built in 1905, near the steps, for people who are not willing or cannot climb the stairs. They used to be called the Richelieu Stairs and Grand Stairs, and in 1955, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the insurrection of sailors aboard the Potemkin, Soviet authorities gave them the name that remains to this day.

We are familiar with Potemkin's name also from the phrase Potemkin's Village, named after the Russian military leader and Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who during the Russo-Turkish War

JUST LIKE IN PARIS: Odessa train station

BLACK SEA SAND: Langeron Beach

NO OFFICIAL MARKINGS: The Trade Union House, the scene of the 2014 massacre

of 1787-1792, became the deputy of the newly conquered regions, which encompassed Crimea and other territories north of the Black Sea. Potemkin ordered his subordinates to build the backdrops of non-existent villages in the deserted steppe of southern Russia, featuring farmers, herdsmen and herds, so that Russian Empress Catherine the Second, who was passing through the region in 1787, could see that Russia was flourishing and prosperous under his rule.

Today, this metaphor is often used to describe an attempt to create a false impression. Leningrad scientist A. M. Panchenko (19372002) proved this to be a myth.

Namely, it was customary, at that time, to richly decorate any event of national importance. But Potemkin’s decorations were so lavish that they cast doubt on the real existence of the objects themselves.

Such a luxury could have been the result of the fact that the Austrian Emperor Joseph II accompanied Catherine on this particular trip.

Otherwise, the aforementioned Italian architect Boffo is credited with the appearance of a many of the opulent palaces in Odessa, built in the first half of the 19th century.

Certainly one of the most beautiful

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buildings is the Opera House, built in 1887, after the previous one of 1810 was burned in the great fire of 1873. I look at Odessa’s spectacular architecture and I immediately notice that the Soviets, unlike we, the Balkan people, did not demolish anything in the old city centre to build concrete mastodons like it was the case with the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. All buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are there, some freshly painted during the time of the independent Ukraine, some discreetly neglected. Still, they are all there.

There are catacombs beneath the sumptuous buildings. One of them is considered the largest in the world - 2,500 kilometres of tunnels and corridors on three levels, 60 meters below sea level. The catacombs were created during the extraction of stone that Odessa was built with. In 1917, after the October Revolution, the stone extraction was banned and the corridors remained empty. During the occupation of Odessa in World War II, they served Russian partisans as a place to hide and from which they attacked the Nazis.

One detail from Odessa's history touches upon our region and can be found only on the Croatian Wikipedia page, as well as in Krleža's memoir "The Drunken Night in November of 1918". I was reminded of this a few days ago by Duško Ljuština, the producer of the Šerbedžija Brijuni Theatre, which made a play out of the memoir 12 years ago. I am talking about the Odessa Massacre during which the captured Austro-Hungarian soldiers from Croatia, who refused to be mobilized into the Serbian army and wanted to carry Yugoslav insignia, were murdered. The event, like many in Serbo-Croatian relations, has remained controversial in the historiographies of both countries, as well as in terms of estimating the number of casualties, which ranged from 13 to 10,000, depending which side you believe.

A more recent tragic event that we witnessed because it was broadcasted via the mass media,

40 HRYVNIAS FOR A KILOGRAMME SARDELES: Scene from the outdoor market

IMPRESSIVE ARCHITECTURE: A building in the centre of Odessa

POTEMKIN ORDERED HIS SUBORDINATES TO BUILD THE BACKDROPS OF NON-EXISTENT VILLAGES IN THE DESERTED STEPPE OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA, FEATURING FARMERS, HERDSMEN AND HERDS, SO THAT RUSSIAN EMPRESS CATHERINE THE SECOND, WHO WAS PASSING THROUGH THE REGION IN 1787, COULD SEE THAT RUSSIA WAS FLOURISHING AND PROSPEROUS UNDER HIS RULE occurred on May 2th, 2014 at the time of the Maidan Revolution in Ukraine. On that day, 46 anti-Maidan pro-Russian protesters, who gathered at the Trade Union House in a square called Kulik’s Field, were burned alive The pro-fascist protesters surrounded the building, locked all the doors, set it on fire and fired at those who tried to jump out the window.

Among the dead were seven women and a 17-year-old boy.

What is even more disturbing is that there is no official marking here today that speaks to what happened here on May 2nd, 2014.

There are only flowers and stuffed toys left by the families of the dead. The building has new windows and the soot was cleaned, but this is still a desolate, macabre monument of a crime no-one has ever been convicted of in Ukraine.

Petro Poroshenko spoke about this incident at a closed session of the Parliament of Ukraine and

said that the death toll was so high because pro-Russian activists kept "toxic substances" in the Trade Union House.

It is especially interesting to note that the Trade Union House can no longer be found on Google Maps or in any guide of the city, and we had trouble finding it. We leave Kulik’s Field on rented bikes with a keen sense that crimes like this, if ignored, sooner or later cause new problems and accidents.

We pass by the lavish Odessa railway station, more luxurious than one in Paris and the glittering Russian Orthodox churches with golden domes, as we enter the Pushkin Street. Not so long ago, I found myself in a street that also had many fantastic buildings such as this one named after the famous Russian poet. Before World War II, about 30% of Jews lived in Odessa, and this influence is visible at every turn, except in the Synagogue in the Pushkin Street. At the corner

of Arnaut and Richelieu streets stands the Al Salam mosque, which testifies to the historical presence of Muslims in Odessa, mainly Tatars and Albanians.

There is also the magnificent Philharmonic building and the homes of merchants and industrialists with windows three or more metres high. I think about how amazing it was that all these people built palaces, expecting their children and grandchildren to enjoy them, and they were all taken away from then ten years later, after the October Revolution. While sipping on champagne and eating caviar at gilded balls and receptions, the Russian elite from the early 20th century did not notice villagers drowning in the mud about 10 kilometres from Odessa, who could hardly wait for Lenin to arrive on an armoured train and end the rich.

Even the scenery of Potemkin’s Village from the beginning of this story would not be helpful here.

THE ONSET OF TOURISTS AFTER THE ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA We are cycling to the Privoz Market, the largest market in the city where you can buy anything you want - from dried and fresh Black Sea fish and live rabbits to "Churchkela", Georgian sausage-shaped sweets made from strung hazelnuts or walnuts coated with wine juice that we enjoyed two years ago, on the other side of the Black Sea. We are continuing on towards Langeron Beach, we pass through the beautiful park called Taras Shevchenko and reach the sandy shores of the

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Black Sea. It is the beginning of June and there are already plenty of tourists in the city. After Russia's annexation of Crimea Russia in 2014, Odessa has had an even greater influx of tourists, just like the surge of Serbian tourists in Montenegro, post-1991, when they stopped going to the Croatian coast. The climate is pleasant, the city is beautiful, the prices are very affordable, even more favourable than Bulgaria, and providing there is peace and stability, this part of the world could be a new tourist hit.

INTERVIEW

Rigoletto is my First Real Production at SNT

I was fortunate to work with people who passionately love their job and showing that every day; from director and singers to the orchestra and all those people who have been tirelessly working on the stage

ANDREA SOLINAS The conductor of the Serbian National Theatre (SNT) Opera

The premiere of Verdi’s Rigoletto, performed by the Serbian National Theatre, officially opened the Theatre’s opera festival called Operaria. Over 1,000 members of the audience, filling ever single seat in front of the Jovan Djordjevic Stage, were thrilled by the performance. All the performers and the conductor of this opera, Andrea Solinas received a long-standing ovation and thundering applause for their musical, vocal and acting performance of Shakespearean fortitude.

You conducted your last concert at the Serbian National Theatre (SNT) in Novi Sad only recently.

What memories of your engagement with the SNT are you going to take with you?

— On June 14th, I conducted the premiere of Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Serbian National Theatre. That was a wonderful experience for two main reasons: first of all, I conducted this opera for the first time ever and this is an opera that has great depth and musical complexity. I was fortunate to work with people who passionately love their job and showing that every day; from director and singers to the orchestra and all those people who have been tirelessly working on the stage.

What performance at the SNT will you remember the most and why?

— Rigoletto is, for now, my first real and the biggest production at the SNT. Since April, I have been working as an assistant to maestro Gianluca Marciano, the principal conductor at the SNT, on a lesser-known

opera by Liszt called Sardanapalo, which opened the NOMUS Festival.

I had the luck to lead and prepare the orchestra, soloists and choir from the very first rehearsals to the general rehearsal. There, I had the opportunity to enjoy the very pleasant atmosphere and professionalism of all the artists who took me seriously and treated me with great respect from the very first rehearsal. I encountered the same atmosphere in June too.

Thanks to that, I could seriously work and succeed in creating nice energy during the rehearsals and at the premiere.

What is generally the hardest thing for you in the opera - performing or preparing?

— Certainly, the hardest part of me relates to concentration, i.e. focusing on everything that precedes the performance. I have to establish contact first with soloists and

choirs, and then with the orchestra.

This is both a musically and psychologically demanding job. You have to know the score as well as possible, but at the same time, you have to be apt at conveying your thoughts to all participants, over 100 of them. During the orchestra’s rehearsal, you have to listen well and have a clear idea of what is wanted and what can be required.

All of this demands extraordinary concentration and energy. During the performance, I am much calmer (my focus does not slip for a second) and I enjoy the music.

How did you decide to come from Italy to Serbia and conduct opera?

— In 2017, I worked as a music director for the Foundation of the Puccini Opera Festival in Italy (I am still working with them). I met maestro Marciano after one of the performances of the opera Tosca.

SERBIA IS SIMILAR TO ITALY IN MANY WAYS - ITS WAY OF LIFE, THE OPEN AND SOCIAL CHARACTER OF PEOPLE RESEMBLES MUCH THE PEOPLE IN MY ITALY, ESPECIALLY IN MY SARDINIA

From that meeting onwards, we formed a relationship of mutual trust and respect and in 2018, I came to Novi Sad as a pianist, to give masterclass to singers and pianists for Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly. From that moment on, we formed close cooperation which resulted in me conducting Rigoletto in June.

What impressions do you have of our country?

— Serbia is similar to Italy in many ways - its way of life, the open and socially pleasing character of people resembles a lot the people in my Italy, especially in my Sardinia, the region where I was born. People here seem to be closed off at first, but in a matter of minutes, you establish a beautiful relationship of respect and trust. I like the food, especially the meat (I love ćevapčići) and the nature that surrounds this exceptionally beautiful city. The keywords that I associate Novi Sad with are peace and prosperity.

In other countries, a conductor is considered an institution. Is this also true for Serbia?

— The conductor is an indispensable figure in the orchestra and opera. The entire responsibility for good performance lies on him, but I think that the conductor is an integral part who, together with everyone else, creates a big picture. The conductor can be an institution, but if he does not have all the parts of the orchestra and the singers, and if he lacks the will to create something, then he loses all his power. The success of production does not rest solely on the conductor's aptness, but on the passion that everyone from their respective segments manages to convey. The task of the conductor lies in the ability to extract that energy from everyone.

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Text: VANJA KOVAČEV

CULTURE NEWS

17th BELGRADE BEER FEST

THE BEER DAYS In Zrenjanin, city with long tradition in beer craft (since 1745), the last week in August is reserved for good beer and high-quality entertainment. The Beer Days festival will be held from August 26 to September 1 on several city locations. Daytime is dedicated to children's, cultural, gastronomic and sporting events while in the nighttime you can enjoy the diverse range of musical performances. Beer Days tradition includes free beer tasting on city streets and the beer drinking contest.

NIŠVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL - AUGUST 8-11th 2019 The upcoming Nisville will be held from August 2nd to 11th, 2019, and the main festival program will be on 8, 9, 10 and 11 August 2019 at the Niš Fortress. For the 10 days of the festival, 300 programs will be performed in 20 stages and 1000 performers will perform! Bob Geldof, a singer and musician who achieve success with the group “Boomtown Rats” and has become a leading figurehead in promoting charitable events and debt relief for the developing world and Africa in particular is going to perform with his band at Nisville 2019 – at Sunday, August 11th.

Nišville Jazz Festival the most visited jazz festival in Southeast Europe and it has consistently defended European values of multiculturalism for years and it patiently fosters the musical taste of individuals.

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Belgrade Beer Fest, the most visited Festival in Southeastern Europe, will break another record from August 14th to 18th - more than 120 free concerts will take place in just five days at four stages on the Ušće. Some of the music stars who will perform on the Main Stage are: Johnny Marr, Van Gogh, Magnifico, Rock Opera, Urban & 4, Negative, Marko Louis, Kerber, Brkovi, Električni orgazam, YU grupa, Dejan Cukić, Bombaj štampa, Atomsko sklonište, Elemental, TAP 011 and many others. The Alternative and Groove stage will feature no less popular alternative music leaders, and the Bunt stage will be reserved for demo bands, which stood out during the Bunt rock festival. The complete program and schedule can be viewed at belgradebeerfest.com. This year, for the first time, visitors will be able to follow the program from the VIP zones, which with ALL YOU CAN DRINK VIP PASS will allow unlimited drink throughout the evening.

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