Diplomacy and Commerce No.48

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February 2020 | ISSUE No. 48 | Price 350 RSD

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VOJVODINA IN 2020 CONFERENCE

THE GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS ALONG MAFIA PRINCIPLES STEVAN DOJČINOVIĆ

ENLARGEMENT POLICY MAKES A COMEBACK TO THE MAINSTREAM TONINO PICULA

European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Recommendations on Western Balkans

KOLO IN KING ZOG’S PALACE Reportage by Robert Čoban

Editor-in-Chief of KRIK

SERBIA REMAINS A HIDDEN TREASURE FOR MANY IN SPAIN

BY RESPECTING TRADITION WE CREATE TRADITION TIJANA PALKOVLJEVIĆ BUGARSKI, PhD Director of the Gallery of Matica Srpska Novi Sad S P E C I A L

E D I T I O N

SERBIAN INSURANCE MARKET JORGOVANKA TABAKOVIĆ

Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

SUSTAIN NUCLEAR SECURITY

H.E. RAÚL BARTOLOMÉ MOLINA Ambassador of Kingdom of Spain

CONFINDUSTRIA SERBIA SPECIAL EDITION

PATRIZIO DEI TOS President of Confindustria Serbia

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EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

The Brain, Not the Muscles

I have been thinking recently of my encounter with Chemi Peres, the son of a Nobel Prize winner and statesman Shimon Peres, whose book "No Room for Small Dreams" was promoted in Belgrade earlier this month. The success of the Jewish people and Israel as a nation, with all the prejudices they had to face and all the enemies they are surrounded with, is based on imagination and creativity. Even the rescue team who saved hostages from Air France's plane during ‘The Operation Entebbe’ was called the Imagination Team. At the end of the book, Peres wrote that the only thing he regrets in life is that he did not imagine enough.

At the 2015 New Energy conference, held on the Kopaonik Mountain, the then Israeli ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Yossy Levy, said: "Look at you! You're a great nation, full of energy! There are 7 million of you like us Israelis. You are surrounded by neighbours who have not always been friendly to you, just like we, in Israel. Nothing is stopping you from following in our footsteps and using knowledge as your greatest weapon. The brain, not the muscles.”

That year, Israel generated 600 billion from exports - 50% came from its IT sector, meaning from selling intelligence. Ambassador Levy recounted that, in the mid-1980s, during the time of Shimon Peres’ term in the office, Israel's economy stopped focusing on traditional agricultural production and instead headed in the direction of the IT industry.

Israelis' courage to imagine and be creative even in the so-called serious segments has made them one of the greatest nations in the world, though they make up only 0.1% of the world's population.

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ROBERT ČOBAN

SOLVING A (NON-)EXISTING PROBLEM

Director

ENLARGEMENT POLICY MAKES A COMEBACK TO THE MAINSTREAM TONINO PICULA

European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Recommendations on Western Balkans

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SERBIA REMAINS A HIDDEN TREASURE FOR MANY IN SPAIN H.E. RAÚL BARTOLOMÉ MOLINA Ambassador of Kingdom of Spain

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

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

Editor-in-Chief of KRIK

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MILOŠ NENEZIĆ

IRINA LJUBIĆ

President of the Serbian Association of Employers

The Jelena Šantić Foundation

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BY RESPECTING TRADITION WE CREATE TRADITION TIJANA PALKOVLJEVIĆ BUGARSKI, PhD

Director of the Gallery of Matica Srpska Novi Sad

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OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE

E D I T I O N

SUSTAIN NUCLEAR SECURITY

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

robert.coban@color.rs

Photos

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

VANJA KOVAČEV

Translation SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

vanja.communications @gmail.com

ZLATNA KNJIGA

PR&Event support Nord Communications

STEVAN DOJČINOVIĆ

Magazine director

Advertising manager

jelena.randjelovic@color.rs

THE GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS ALONG MAFIA PRINCIPLES

Davos 2020

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Editor in Chief

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RELIABLE PARTNER

S P E C I A L

TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Conference

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A researcher at the Institute for Political Studies, Belgrade

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INTERVIEW

Text: TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Enlargement Policy Makes a Comeback to the Mainstream

Serbia is still lagging in the rule of law and media freedoms. On the other hand, economic growth is noticeable, but it is questionable how much has this growth has contributed to improving the quality of life of the Serbian citizens remains

TONINO PICULA European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Recommendations on Western Balkans

A Croatian member of the European Parliament, Tonino Picula has been appointed the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Recommendations on Western Balkans just before the summit in

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Zagreb, due to take place in May 2020. Mr Picula will be in charge of giving recommendations to the Council of the EU and the European Commission with the view of launching accession negotiation with North Macedonia and Albania, as well as giving fresh impetus to the enlargement process, it was announced on Wednesday in Strasbourg. In an interview for Diplomacy&Commerce, Tonino Picula

talks about his activities in his new position, but also how he sees the Western Balkans in the future.

You have been recently appointed Head of the Western Balkans Task Force in the EP's Foreign Policy Committee. What are your plans in this function?

— This task force was first formed back in 2005 to reflect the political priorities of the European Union

and to ensure the European Parliament’s more coherent approach to the region. In the current, ninth term of the European Parliament, the democratization and transformation of the six countries of the region will be at the centre of the agenda of the European Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee, with particular emphasis on the continuation of enlargement policy, i.e. renewing the interest in the

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enlargement policy will be the priority during my term as the head of the Western Balkans Task Force in the European Parliament. Furthermore, and in line with my earlier appointment as the rapporteur who will give recommendations on the Western Balkans to the European Parliament, I will also work to unblock the accession negotiations of the candidate countries. The recommendations will include an objective assessment of the results and methodology of the current negotiating system and suggestions on how to create a new momentum to the enlargement process.

What is the current position of the Western Balkan countries in the EU integration process? Is Croatia a motivating factor for the countries in the region, given the standards it has achieved since joining the EU?

— When it comes to the current state of affairs in the EU, we are living in a time of disassociation (Brexit), but we are still uncertain if or when the new accessions will happen. Although the support for enlargement is declining at the moment, the strong influence of populism in the EU Member States is due to the inability of the bloc’s

leadership and governments of the member states to deal with the Great Recession because it a huge social price was paid to mitigate the crisis. In addition to the fact that the Western Balkan countries are on hold and because of the slow pace of implementation of the reforms required to meet the formal requirements for accession or membership, they are also the collateral victims of this crisis in

membership sends a good signal to others that the required reforms do put you on the right side of history.

How important can Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the EU be for other Western Balkan countries?

— It would mean a lot if Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the EU would be marked by the comeback of the EU enlargement from

IN FOUR MONTHS, IT WILL BE SEVEN YEARS SINCE CROATIA'S ACCESSION, WHICH WAS THE ONLY CASE OF THE EU ENLARGEMENT IN THE LAST DECADE part. In four months, it will be seven years since Croatia's accession, which was the only case of the EU enlargement in the last decade.

Zagreb's painstaking and protracted EU accession negotiations are now perpetuated through efforts to maximize the benefits of membership. Although Croatia still has to address many of the challenges that were present when it joined the EU, progress has been made and membership benefits are permanent. I think that Croatia's EU

sidelines to the mainstream of the European policies. Croatia and its southeastern neighbours share many development opportunities as well as unresolved issues. As we share these issues, their solutions must stem from cooperation and agreement. In general, I believe that Croatia's success as a European Union member also depends on what kind of long-term relationships we will build with our closest neighbours. Self-isolation from the Balkan neighbourhood or refusal

to acknowledge the fact of the need to cooperate with our neighbours, as shown by certain (co)creators of the Croatian foreign policy, has certainly not benefited us.

What does Croatia stand to gain from presiding over the Council of the EU?

— Croatia took upon itself to preside over the Council at an extremely dynamic time, i.e. as an EU member that doesn’t have previous experience in this. The circumstances are exceptional; for the first time in its history, one Union member is leaving the Union, which, if we look at economic indicators, is equal to the sum of the economies of sixteen other members leaving the EU. The post-Brexit period will be as challenging as the time before the departure of the UK, and Croatia must participate in creating a negotiating structure for Brussels and London pertaining to a new agreement. An even more important aspect of the Presidency will be felt if the negotiations on a new multiannual financial framework succeed (or fail), without which the Union's ambitions for a global geopolitical role and strengthening internal coherence will be difficult to achieve.

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At the moment, there is a great gap between opposing viewpoints.

Combating the causes and remedying the effects of climate change, as part of an ambitious Green Plan, European security and defence and new migration policies are common challenges we all face, and Croatia will assume responsibility for mediating solutions in these six months. The way we deal with this will largely determine the future of the Union and its internal political relations. With greater visibility on the international scene, a successful mandate could help us advance our domestic political culture, make institutions more accountable and make the economy more vibrant.

Do you think that Croatia’s foreign policy will change after the recent election and in which direction?

— I think it is necessary to carry out a certain recalibration, i.e. a deflection concerning certain foreign policy initiatives and partnerships, which the former President did pay attention to, and are not following the fundamental values of the European Union or with the liberal-democratic system which should be improved in Croatia. Our country needs to actively shape its foreign policy in line with its multiregional profile, EU and NATO membership while developing alliances with countries that have a proven track of peacekeeping and fostering cooperation and the rule of law in international relations.

Do you expect North Macedonia and Albania to start EU negotiations soon?

— Unfortunately, this is still an open-end question. My answer to it is that North Macedonia and Albania deserve to start accession negotiations. The signing of the Prespa Agreement and its ratification in the respective parliaments, first the Macedonian one, following which the country was renamed in North

THE POST-BREXIT PERIOD WILL BE AS CHALLENGING AS THE TIME BEFORE THE DEPARTURE OF THE UK, AND CROATIA MUST PARTICIPATE IN CREATING A NEGOTIATING STRUCTURE FOR BRUSSELS AND LONDON PERTAINING TO A NEW AGREEMENT Macedonia, then in the Greek one, was, politically speaking, a highrisk operation in which the governments led by Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras put the long-term stability in this part of Europe ahead of their short-term benefits. For both sides, this was a historic breakthrough and a genuine statesmanlike move that made it possible to resolve the dispute, which lasted for 27 years, followed by North Macedonia paving the way for the European Union and NATO membership. Macron stopping the

launch of the negotiations, however justified, has caused damage to the EU’s reputation.

How would you rate Serbia’s accession efforts?

— My assessment is not that different from the last official report of the European Commission for Serbia. Serbia is still lagging in the rule of law and media freedoms.

On the other hand, economic growth is noticeable, but it is questionable how much has this growth has contributed to improv-

ing the quality of life of the Serbian citizens remains.

The role of the current government in destroying the independence of institutions and the rule of law should be highlighted, as should the lack of willingness to fully resolve the issues of missing persons in the wars in the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Expressive presidentialism and the pressure on the opposition deviate from the Copenhagen criteria for the EU accession. Still, Serbia has an open EU perspective, but the government shows the extent of its will to join the Union by tying its fate to a large extent to Putin's Russia.

Serbia needs to decide whether it wants to adopt the values that the foundation of the European project such as human and minority rights, freedom of the press, open entrepreneurship and the fight against corruption.

LAW ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION Late last year, you were appointed the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Montenegro. What is your opinion on the draft Law on Freedom of Religion in Montenegro? What do you think of the relations between Serbia and Montenegro and can they affect the EU integration process in both countries?

— I believe that stability in the Western Balkans depends not only on resolving outstanding issues between the states but also on resolving divisions within individual states. The worst scenario is when these two sources of tension are combined, as is the case with the current events in Montenegro.

There is a need to call for a relaxation of tensions, as well as for rational

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and constructive dialogue. Only in this way, through mutual respect and cooperation, can the Western Balkan countries move towards the desired EU membership. Destructive behaviour can only cause additional negative implications for the prospect of EU membership, for the individual country and the region as a whole. As for the Law on Freedom of Religion, it seems to me that this is the so-called proxy topic, an issue on which many other conflicts chronically on the political scene of Montenegro rest on, from interest to identity, refract. This issue has an internal political character with foreign policy implications. In this case, the dialogue of all interested parties has no alternative.

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NATIONAL DAYS

DID YOU KNOW?

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

The Four EU Withdrawals

in February & March

FEBRUARY

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JAPAN

ational N Foundation Day

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IRAN

Islamic Revolution Day

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VATICAN

oundation of F Vatican City

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KUWAIT

ational Day and N Liberation Day

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EGYPT

Independence Day

MARCH After Brexit, many tried to explain that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU was an “unprecendented move”. It is not completely true. Maybe no member state has ever left the Union, but there were territories that left the European Economic Community, or later European Union. The United Kingdom is in fact, the fourth such case when the surface of the EEC/EU diminishes. The first case happened in 1962, when Algeria, having gained its independence, left the Community.

French Algeria was technically not a French colony but its integral part, so it was different than independence of any other French colony in the 1960s.

The second case was supported by a refrendum,

when Greenland left in 1995, basically because of the fishing rights. Greenland chose to leave the EU predecessor without also seceding from a member state.

Basically they never really wanted to join anyway: Greenland initially voted against joining the EEC when Denmark joined in 1973, but because Denmark as a whole voted to join, Greenland, as a county of Denmark, joined too. The next case happened in 2012 with the Caribbean French island of SaintBarthélémy, which explained the move by “the island's remoteness from the mainland, its small insular economy largely devoted to tourism and subject to difficulties in obtaining supplies which hamper the application of some EU standards.".

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Proclamation of Independence 1992

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BULGARIA

Liberation Day

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HUNGARY

1848 Revolution Da

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TUNISIA

Independence Day

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

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RICARDO VIAN MARQUES

GREECE

New Director General of Galenika a.d.

Galenika a.d. started the new year with changes in its top management. Ricardo Vian Marques is the newly-appointed Director General of the pharmaceutical companies that became a part of NC Group after privatization, the largest pharmaceutical company in Brazil and one f the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the entire Latin

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America. For the last two years Marques performed the duties of General Manager of Galenika a.d. business operations. After two years in Serbia, the former director general, Reinhard Andreas Nordmann , will continue his professional career on other projects in Brazil.

Ricardo Vian Marques possesses a wealth of experience in pharmaceutical industry and in the last 15 years he was in charge of various areas of corporate development in NC Group until in 2017 he accepted the challenge to join the team of a newly-acquired company in Serbia, the Galenika a.d. statement reads.

– The last two years have been very dynamic for Galenika and we can see positive changes in a;; aspects of business, organisation, team and of course results. Together we

Independence Day succeeded in bringing the company back at the high, second place in market share and facilitating significant innovations, which is a great success. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are prepared to continue to boost production and sales in Serbia, the region and on other international markets, Ricardo Vian Marques said.

– Even though they were significant, previous investments are only the onset of our steadfast development path, whereas in the following three years Galenika plans to expand sales, further develop its team and continue to introduce important innovations on Serbian market, relying on the strong local team and its expertise and on the significant experience of companies in Serbia and Brazil, Vian Marques concludes.

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MALTA

Freedom Day

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INTERVIEW

Text: SANJA ŠOJIĆ

Serbia Remains a Hidden Treasure for Many in Spain

Serbia is one of the most attractive countries to invest in Eastern Europe in the eyes of Spanish companies, not only for business and economic reasons, but also because Serbians and Spaniards have very similar characters and we get on very well

H.E. RAÚL BARTOLOMÉ MOLINA Ambassador of Kingdom of Spain

H.E. Raúl Bartolomé Molina came as Spanish ambassador last summer. He tells in interview in Diplomacy and Commerce about how he sees our relationships, what we can learn from each other....

Will the election of a new government affect Spain's foreign policy?

— Spanish foreign policy is a State policy. That means there is a wide consensus among all political parties in Spain as regards the main priorities and lines to take in our foreign policy. Spain has a reputation for being a loyal and trustwor-

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thy partner and this is partly due to the continuity in our foreign policy regardless of the political party in the Government. This also allows us to pursue a more effective and enduring foreign policy.

stance towards the conflict of Kosovo will remain the same.

Spain was not traditionally present in our region, because it has mainly been focusing on Lat-

I DO BELIEVE IN THE FORTHCOMING YEARS WE WILL SEE AN EVEN MORE STEEP INCREASE IN OUR BILATERAL COOPERATION, BECAUSE THERE IS ALSO POLITICAL WILL TO STRENGTHEN OUR TIES With respect to the Balkans, Spain will continue to support the European perspective of the countries of the region and encourage them to undertake the necessary reforms in order to align with the European standards. And, of course, Spain’s

in America. Now, Spain seems ready to invest in Eastern Europe. Where is Serbia’s place in all of that?

— Well, Spain has been traditionally present in Latin America, in Europe and in Northern Africa due to cultural and historical reasons.

These common ties are stronger, indeed, in the case of Latin America. But Spanish growing interest in the region is fostered by two main causes: the rapprochement of those countries to the European project and the expertise of Spanish companies, which feel now more ready and competitive to invest in new countries. In this context, Serbia is one of the most attractive countries to invest in Eastern Europe in the eyes of Spanish companies, not only for business and economic reasons, but also because Serbians and Spaniards have very similar characters and we get on very well. I am fully convinced of the added value our companies can offer. Our “late” arrival to the region makes it more difficult for our companies, since there are already other interna-

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tional companies better positioned and with more expertise in the Balkans. Nonetheless, one of our main missions as an Embassy is to provide assistance, guide and help our companies. I can assure we are fully devoted to that end.

Spain and Serbia politically have very good cooperation and progress, but economic cooperation is below the desired level. What can be done to improve it and reach the potential?

— Well, economic cooperation and bilateral trade have been increasing over the last years, although there is still big room for manoeuvre. As incredible as it may seem, Serbia remains a hidden treasure for many in Spain and therefore one of our main tasks is to bring both countries closer together. In that sense, Air Serbia direct flights and the celebration in 2018 of the first business forum between Spain and Serbia here in Belgrade are good contributions for that purpose. Direct flights have an impact on the number of Spanish tourists who visit Belgrade and some of those tourists may have businesses in Spain and have an interest in expanding their services or goods. Therefore, the more we know each other, the more exchange in trade and investments there will be. Furthermore, I do believe in the forthcoming years we will see an even more steep increase in our bilateral cooperation, because there is also political will to strengthen our ties. And if there is determination and interest from both sides, the rest will follow.

Following Franco’s rule, Spain became a modern and democratic country in quite a short period. In almost 30 years after Communism and wars, many countries in Eastern Europe are yet to find their own way. What was the Spanish method?

— I would say consensus among all political and social actors enabled Spain to recover its place in the world as a modern and dynamic democracy and economy.

Internally, consensus was also fundamental to turn the page over our recent obscure past. Furthermore, our great Euro Atlantic conviction

they are beneficial. Social inclusion and cohesion must guide any economic transformation, since it is the best guarantee for a sustainable and lasting development. In a nutshell, there is no real economic transformation if only part of the society benefits from economic development. Prosperity will only

There are mechanisms to allow different identities to live together and cooperate within the same borders (i.e., autonomous regions, federal states, etc.). On the other hand, becoming member of the European Union implies a cession of sovereignty by the State towards a supranational organization in which differences between national identities and borders would inevitably wither away.

Do you believe that Serbia can become an EU member state if it rejects calls to recognise Kosovo’s independence?

SPAIN’S STANCE TOWARDS THE CONFLICT OF KOSOVO WILL REMAIN THE SAME also contributed to the spectacular change Spain experienced in quite a short period, as you say. Expectations about joining the European Union, the European Economic Community as it was called at that time, were a driving force to make the necessary reforms.

arrive when the least-favoured part of the society reaches certain economic and social standards.

There cannot be true social peace and cohesion if part of the citizens lag behind.

What can Serbia adopt from the Spanish experience in economics and economic transformation, because after Franco, Spain changed with a phenomenal step?

You were born in Bilbao – the largest city of Spain’s autonomous Basque community. Bearing in mind the experiences of your country, do you believe that issues of national identity can be resolved without changing borders?

— In my opinion, the Spanish experience shows, above all, that reforms are essential and that, although in the short term they might be difficult, in the long run,

— History has showed us that changing borders is a never-ending story. I do believe national identities should be guaranteed within broader and diverse states.

— I believe the most important issue for Serbia’s EU accession is to undertake all necessary reforms.

In the end, if Serbia is fully aligned with European standards and ready to become an EU member, I don’t think the fact that Serbia does not recognise Kosovo will hamper the accession. If you read carefully different progress reports by the European Commission on the negotiations of accession of Serbia to the EU, you will notice that the emphasis is always on the reforms to be undertaken in different areas (rule of law, foreign relations, and economic, social and environmental policies).

What are the Embassy’s plans for the future?

— In general, we intend to increase our presence in Serbia: not only from the economic and political point of view, but also from a cultural, social and media perspective. I am convinced Spain can offer much more to Serbia: we are a loyal and trustworthy partner who truly believes in the Serbian European path and its potential to accomplish all necessary reforms to underpin an inclusive and sustainable development. I hope we can strengthen even more our excellent cooperation with Serbian authorities and society.

CLIMATE CHANGE What is Spain's role in combatin climate change?

— Due to its geographical location (almost all surrounded by water), Spain has always been aware of the serious challenges climate change would entail for our country and our population. Therefore, we were one of the first countries to foster renewable energy sources. Now, our enterprises have a worldwide reputation for their state-of-the-art technologies in the energy sector and, in 2019, 49.3% of the total electric power in our country was generated by renewable energy sources. In the international arena, we have always been committed to the fight against climate change and the fact that Spain hosted the COP25 in Madrid last December and that we were the first contributor (and one of the biggest) to the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund are good proof of that engagement. Further-

more, on the 21st January, the new Government declared the state of climate emergency which implies an array of additional measures envisaged for the fight against climate change. Our authorities and our people are determined to spearhead the fight against climate change for the sake of our health, our quality of life, our economy, etc. It is, of course, a daunting task which implies all sorts of sacrifices, as individuals and as a society, but it is worth it. Maybe the first obstacle to overcome as citizens is to get rid of certain habits which are really embedded in our daily life. Serbia has still a long way to run in this issue, but I bear no doubt that it will also champion the fight against climate change. A country with such a rich environment cannot turn its back on pollution , for example, since nature is one of its greatest assets as a country.

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POLITICS

The World is Better Prepared than Ever to Stop the Wuhan Coronavirus But its true dangers will not be known for some time

How and when it infected the first human being, by making the jump from an animal, is anybody’s guess. But one thing is certain about the new coronavirus which was discovered in December in China and is now causing a global scare: it is a known unknown. And this, along with the health authorities’ response so far, is mostly good news.

People’s fear is understandable. As The Economist went to press, over 600 cases had been confirmed in six countries, of which 17 were fatal. The new virus is a close relative of sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which emerged in China in 2002 and terrorised the world for over half a year before burning out. sars afflicted more than 8,000 people and killed about 800, leaving in its wake $30bn-100bn of damage from disrupted trade and travel (see article).

That toll would have been lower if the Chinese authorities had not hushed up the outbreak for months. But things are very different this time. The Chinese have been forthcoming and swift to act.

Doctors in Wuhan, the metropolis where it began, have come in

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for criticism, but the signs are that they promptly sounded an alarm about an unusual cluster of cases of pneumonia—thereby following a standard protocol for spotting new viruses. Chinese scientists quickly isolated the pathogen and shared its genomic details with the world. Back in the days of sars, genetic sequencing like this took weeks. The genomic data can help scientists spot cases quickly, both in China and abroad. The govern-

have had contact with those infected will soon help answer the first question. The second will be harder. The 3% mortality rate among cases confirmed so far is alarming. That puts it within the range for the devastating Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 which killed 2-10% of those infected. But in many people the new virus causes only mild symptoms, so many cases may not have been recognised for what they are

CHINESE SCIENTISTS QUICKLY ISOLATED THE PATHOGEN AND SHARED ITS GENOMIC DETAILS WITH THE WORLD ment stopped travel in and out of Wuhan and two nearby cities, coralling almost 20m people. That is extreme and heavy-handed. Yet, although it could drive some cases underground, it will also slow the spread of the virus across China and abroad.

Even so, an awful lot rests on some of the known unknowns.

The two big questions are how easily the virus can be passed directly from person to person and just how dangerous it is. Data from monitoring people who

and hence not added to the total.

As more such people are identified through expanded screening, the estimated death rate should fall. Conversely, though, that rate could go up as more of those infected become seriously ill—a progression that takes about a week and is seen in 15-20% of patients in hospitals.

The true character of the new virus will become better known in the coming weeks. Public-health measures will adjust accordingly, using lessons learned from sars

and mers, a still-deadlier cousin discovered in 2012 in Saudi Arabia that spreads only through close contact.

The who has long worried about the possible emergence of a “disease x” that could become a serious international pandemic and which has no known counter-measures. Some experts say the virus found in China could be a threat of this kind. And there will be many others. Further illnesses will follow the same well-trodden path, by mutating from bugs that live in animals into ones that can infect people. Better vigilance in places where humans and animals mingle, as they do in markets across Asia, would help catch viral newcomers early. A tougher task is dissuading people from eating wild animals and convincing them to handle livestock with care, using masks and gloves when butchering meat and fish, for example.

Such measures might have prevented the new coronavirus from ever making headlines.

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

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INTERVIEW

Text: TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Reliable Partner Areas that have recorded certain positive developments albeit unsatisfactory include high operating costs, fiscal and parafiscal levies and the fight against undocumented work, as well as an inadequate education system and arrogance displayed by many employees in public enterprises, especially those in lower positions

MILOŠ NENEZIĆ President of the Serbian Association of Employers

In 2017, Miloš Nenezić was appointed President of the Serbian Association of Employers. In an interview for Diplomacy&Commerce, he talks about his view of the current situation in the economy, new legal provisions, and the Association’s plans.

Are business people satisfied with the business environment in Serbia?

— Most business people have a positive opinion about more efficient work of the state administration in comparison to an earlier period because they recognize that, through their activities in the Serbian Association of Employers, they have increased the possibility of participating in reforming laws and regulations that affect the business environment. Areas that have recorded certain positive developments albeit unsatisfactory include high operating costs, fiscal and parafiscal levies and the fight against undocumented work, as well as an inadequate education system and arrogance displayed by many employees in public enterprises, especially those in lower positions. According to employers, solutions that can greatly affect the overall economic environment in Serbia can be viewed through several components. The first is reducing the high costs of doing business.

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By reducing taxes and contributions on wages and increasing the non-taxable portion of earnings, which would offset reduced state budget revenue through the implementation of an effective control model, as well as reducing the large number of fiscal and parafiscal levies would allow employers to operate without additional losses, pay taxes and contributions, expand business, invest and create jobs. Second is a comprehensive measure to counteract undocumented work by implementing a rigid penal policy, which will force businesses to operate in accordance with the regulations by financially penalizing them rather than

in the country, especially through the work that the representatives of the Serbian Association of Employers do in the working groups formed by the line ministries relating to drafting laws, which was adopted as the conclusion of the Socio-Economic Council, the Serbian government can make a step towards genuine dialogue in which all business people are interested. The Serbian Association of Employers, together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, is establishing a system for joint action that will achieve even better results than the two organizations previously had individually.

THE SERBIAN ASSOCIATION OF EMPLOYERS IS IN CONSTANT CONSULTATION WITH EMPLOYERS, EXAMINING THEIR VIEWS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE VIEWPOINTS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN REGARD TO THE MINIMUM WAGE IN SERBIA preventing them from working, by enhancing the capacity of institutions, especially their control functions and by fighting corruption while reforming the judiciary.

Next is the legislative framework which can be improved by building a partnership with the Government through further development of social dialogue and joint engagement in resolving serious issues related to the implementation of overall reforms

The fourth solution is resolving workforce shortage in the labour market. There is a pronounced lack of professional and skilled staff in almost all economic sectors while the economic migration of young professionals must be on the list of priorities of all current policies, starting with economic ones, through to education and employment policies. We have to build a stable and strong institutional framework that will estab-

lish a comprehensive context and conditions in which young people will be given quality education and the opportunity to be employed in adequate jobs upon completion of formal education. The Serbian Association of Employers has initiated a comprehensive educational reform in the Republic of Serbia that will be in line with the needs of businesses and society, and not adapted solely to the existing educational staff.

The next measure is customs clearance and customs reliefs.

Thanks to the business community who have pointed out to us things that can be done to alleviate doing business and thus have influenced the launch and adoption of the initiatives late last year, the Law on Investments was amended in such a way that domestic and foreign investors will be exempted from paying customs duties for the purchase of machinery that is considered a stake in their share capital. What comes next are public service reforms. It is necessary to review or direct and re-educate civil servants in order to avoid the very rigid reasoning that many of them have whereby they think that if they got a job in public administration that are not obligated to behave in a professional manner towards service users and do not have to ensure that service users are satisfied with their work and are receiving improved services which, in turn, changes their perception of the state authorities.

Last but not least, we have new technology. Digitizing the

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economy and society in Serbia is one of the best opportunities for the country to become more competitive and efficient, thereby ensuring faster and more sustainable economic growth, which will later yield positive results in terms of higher wages and pensions, as well as investments into education and healthcare. In Serbia, as in the EU, further development of information and communication technologies has been recognized as a major factor influencing economic growth and innovation.

What is the Association's position on improving the flat-rate taxation system?

— One of the specific initiatives has started to be implemented on January 1, 2020. Changes have been made with the view of simplifying the flat-rate tax calculation procedure, to enable filing of tax claims electronically, as well as to automatically calculate flatrate income tax and to submit tax assessments electronically via the Tax Administration website.

The new flat-rate taxpayers will receive a tax assessment in electronic form via the Tax Administration website within 48 hours from the date of incorporation of a business entity with the Business Registers Agency.

minimum wage conducted by the Serbian Association of Employers, under the auspices of the Socio-Economic Council, with the government and trade union representatives in September 2019.

The Serbian Association of Employers’ initiative allowed employers to hire unemployed persons under certain conditions and to be entitled to a refund of part of the paid social security contributions, at the expense of both the employee and the employer, based on the earnings of the newly employed person. Increasing the minimum wage is a temporary measure that enables a company to pay workers

the set price if the company starts experiences operational problems until those problems are solved.

Good employers want their employees to be satisfied and the salary is one of the main reasons for the employee's satisfaction.

You were appointed president of the Serbian Association of Employers two years ago. Are you satisfied with the results achieved so far?

— One thing is certain and that is that, in the last two years, the Serbian Association of Employers has become more stable and has improved its work. The shortcom-

INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE IS A TEMPORARY MEASURE THAT ENABLES A COMPANY TO PAY WORKERS THE SET PRICE IF THE COMPANY STARTS EXPERIENCES OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS UNTIL THOSE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED

As of 2020, the minimum wage is set at 172.54 dinars per working hour. Are you satisfied with the agreement you have reached with trade unions and the government?

— The Serbian Association of Employers is in constant consultation with employers, examining their views to take into consideration the viewpoints of the business community in regard to the minimum wage in Serbia. The Law on Personal Income Tax has increased the non-taxable part of earnings so that it now amounts to 16,300 dinars. The mandatory social insurance contribution rate has been reduced from 26% to 25.5%, i.e. the contribution to the employer's pension and disability insurance has been reduced from 12% to 11.5%. Although there is still room for reduction, we should certainly welcome the Government of Serbia’s and the Ministry of Finance’s decision to finally reduce tax burdens and to take into consideration the initiatives of the business community expressed through the Serbian Association of Employers. These benefits are a result of negotiations about the

LABOUR LAWS The Serbian Association of Employers has issued a publication containing useful advice about the implementation of labour laws. Who were your main advices?

— As a responsible social partner, the Serbian Association of Employers is obligated to inform companies about existing regulations promptly, with a focus on the rights, obligations and responsibilities of both employers and employees. Hence, our activities are aimed at constantly educating companies with the view of them having better understanding and consistently implementing obligations stemming from relevant laws. To this end, we cooperated with the International Labor Organization and the Ministry of Labour to prepare this publication in which we tried to provide answers to the most frequent ambiguities and questions that employers face. The Serbian Association of Employers continuously carries out such activities in various segments that are beneficial to employers.

ings from the previous period were resolved and inherited obligations were fully settled, while we also established a much closer relationship with employers. Furthermore, we have improved the internal operations thanks to a better delegation of tasks and responsibilities, better understanding with employees, and significantly improved the work of the Presidency, the Executive Board and the individual sectors. Socio-economic dialogue has been improved, primarily owing to better understanding and frequent discussions with social partners, trade unions and the Government of the Republic of Serbia. We have also collaborated more with international institutions and the cooperation was raised a much higher level, primarily with Business Europe and the International Association of Economic and Social Councils. Numerous changes to the regulation have been initiated which, as a result, should improve the environment for doing business, almost all of them have been adopted and some of them have already been implemented.

However, there is still plenty of room for doing more and our work will take several directions this year. Together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, we have improved our communication with employers to create the best possible conditions for improving the business environment. There is also the continuous cooperation with representative trade unions in defining conditions and signing collective and branch agreements, enhanced cooperation with line ministries through working groups in which the Serbian Association of Employers will participate in regard to changing the legislation, primarily reforming the public sector and actively insist on a radical reform of the education system to suit the needs of businesses and the society, all in accordance with plans for industrial development of the Republic of Serbia and according to the future national strategy of the Republic of Serbia, which should be written soon. The Serbian Association of Employers, as the only representative organization of employers, will constantly monitor the legislative framework and its implementation in order to improve the business environment and enable efficient and better functioning of companies, for the benefit of all citizens of Serbia, because strong economy means strong Serbia.

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CORPORATE

Galenika is a Trusted Brand I Believe in Galenika's Brand and Team

RICARDO VIAN MARQUES Director-General of Galenika a.d. Beograd

Galenika a.d. started the New Year with changes in its top management. Ricardo Vian Marques is the newly-appointed Director-General of the pharmaceutical company that became a part of NC Group, the largest pharmaceutical company in Brazil and one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in entire Latin America, after the privatization. For the last two years, Marques performed the duties of Executive Director of Galenika a.d.

After two years in Serbia, the former Director-General, Reinhard Andreas Nordmann, will continue his professional career on other projects in Brazil. Ricardo Vian Marques possesses a wealth of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and the last 15 years, he was in charge of various areas of corporate development in NC Group. In 2017, he accepted the challenge to join the team of a newly-acquired company in Serbia.

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Galenika, Serbia’s multi-decade pharmaceutical giant, was sold to Luxembourg-based Aelius, a branch of Brazil’s EMS S/A which is a member of NC Group, two years ago. Could you tell us something about this investment and the current situation in Galenika?

the production and sales in Serbia, as well as in the region but also to other international markets.

The privatization of Galenika for NC Group has represented a very challenging acquisition and integration. It also represents the first and important step of the expansion and institutionalization of

GALENIKA PLANS TO INCREASE SALES, FURTHER DEVELOP THE TEAM AND CONTINUE TO INTRODUCE CONSIDERABLE INNOVATIONS IN THE SERBIAN MARKET — Galenika is a pharmaceutical company which has, after the privatization in 2017, become a part of the NC Group, the largest pharmaceutical company in Brazil and one of the largest pharma companies in the whole Latin America.

These previous two years have been very dynamic for Galenika and the positive changes are seen in all aspects of the business, organization, team and consequently - results. Hard work awaits but we are ready to continue to increase

NC Group in Europe. However, we believe in GALENIKA brand and we believe in our local, vibrant and dedicated team. I absolutely share the vision of the owners to create the same success story in Galenika and Serbia, as the one we have in Brazil: to grow fast and become the biggest pharmaceutical company in the country. When we acquired Galenika, it was the 4th company according to pharma market share in Serbia, and now, two years later, Galenika holds a steady 2nd

position which is a tremendous success and an illustration of our path and dedication.

You are now the company’s General Manager. What are your plans?

— I have come to Belgrade two years ago as the Executive Director for Operational Affairs at Galenika from EMS, a leader at the Brazilian pharmaceutical market which is a member of NC Group, where I worked for 15 years at several managing positions being responsible for different areas of corporate business. As of the beginning of 2020, I am the General Manager of Galenika, a position I assume with great responsibility and commitment. What I can tell regarding the plans is that the substantial investments, made so far, are only the beginning on our decisive path forward. In the following years, Galenika plans to increase sales, further develop the team and continue to introduce considerable innovations in the Serbian market relying on both, the knowledge of the Serbian team and our Brazilian expertise. In particular, over

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in addition to 39% growth of sales in the region (Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia), the sales in international markets, outside the region, doubled compared to contracted deals over 2018. Furthermore, they are expected to double in size in 2020, which is a very important plan for us.

a relatively short period, we plan to include 50 new products in our portfolio. The majority of new products that we expect to present come from the product range of the Brazilian parent company. Also, through developing products in Galenika’s Research and Development Institute, we will continue with the production of the so-called inhouse products because we believe in our capacities and in the future, we are going to independently build on the solid foundation.

Galenika is the first pharmaceutical company in Central and Eastern Europe to introduce the state-of-the-art SAP S/4 HANA Cloud software. What does this mean for the company’s business?

Galenika carries a renowned trademark that was created exactly 75 years ago, and to this day, it is focused on new technologies in healthcare. How much of an obligation is this kind of tradition to you?

— You are right. That is a very important jubilee. It is a jubilee that we all consider a fantastic success and that we approach with a great deal of pride. For 75 years, Galenika’s products and medicines have been in the service of health, most often saving lives: namely, promoting health and quality of life.

It requires knowledge, innovative orientation and exceptional dedication that our team possesses and utilizes and we plan to nurture it strategically. We are proud of the tradition, yet our focus and the direction is - the future, quality and innovations.

Are you satisfied with Galenika’s business results in 2019?

— I consider 2019 a very good year for Galenika. The new business strategy resulted in a significant increase in market share in domestic and foreign markets, expansion of the portfolio and production increased by 32% in 2019.

In 2019, we have expanded Galenika's portfolio by 8 more products, in product groups used in cardiovascular and hypertension, diabetes, antidepressant, antiviral and dermatological therapy. In

IN 2020, GALENIKA WILL BE THE HOLDER OF PRODUCT LICENSES IN THE EU 2020, Galenika will be the holder of product licenses in the EU. The registration of the second product in the EU has been successfully completed and the registration process for an additional 3 new products is in progress. The positive results of Galenika's Research and Development Institute continue. Following its mission, applying the latest knowledge in the field of pharmaceutical technology, Galenika continued its development activities within its R&D Institute, and after 8 years, a new product - Flonivin Plus - was successfully launched in the market. Following this, another product from the category of dietary supplements was effectively developed, with production and launch expected in the early 2020. The first two years after the acquisition have represented a warm-up period of investments, getting to know the

team, expansion and implementation of high-priority innovations.

There is a lot of work to be done in 2020 and I am confident that our strategic vision, dedication and synergies of teamwork will contribute to significant milestones and even better results for Galenika.

Where do you export your products?

— Most of our export goes to the markets in the region, namely Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.

In terms of the EU countries, we penetrated the market in Romania, while we expect further expansions of operations in Bulgaria and Hungary. We also export our products to international markets outside the region, including the markets in the Middle-East and Africa. As for the results in 2019,

— This has been a significant investment and a very challenging, yet relevant milestone project for Galenika. The preparation and implementation of the project lasted nine months and as a result, we have a completely digitalized business. The new SAP S/4HANA Cloud system integrates sales, distribution, logistics, procurement, manufacturing and maintenance with finance and controlling, which clearly explains the standard in which Galenika will work in future. This will take Galenika to the next level, in better utilization of its potential, by leveraging the size and capabilities, and transforming it with benefits such as time and effectiveness, speed and agility, quality and compliance and cost- effectiveness. I would like to point out that the key competitive advantage is that the data from all business areas are available on Cloud, which significantly expedites support for decision-making and consequently the business processes. The implementation of SAP S/4 HANA Cloud software shows our dedication to develop Galenika into a modern and competitive company, a market and regional leader and a stable partner with a growing production - a brand that stands for health, quality and knowledge.

NEW INVESTMENTS Are you planning new investments?

— The fact that we ended 2019 with a fulfilled goal is important for us, and the goal is a high second position in the pharmaceutical market in Serbia, in terms of the market share. I am proud of the multiple results achieved this year, our people and the brand that we trust. My vision of Galenika is to become the industry leader in all representative markets, developing the best solutions, providing full support to our partners, creating satisfaction and inspiring others. In particular, our middle-term goal is to become the absolute leader in the Serbian market and in the

regional markets in the following three to five years. The investments made so far are only the beginning on our decisive path forward. In 2020, Galenika plans to increase sales, further develop the team and introduce innovations in the Serbian market. In five years’ time, we are planning for Galenika to resemble the Brazilian parent-company: a modern and innovative company that is a driving force behind pharmaceutical market development and a pillar of healthcare systems in all referential markets.

I consider this my mission and I’m absolutely positive that Galenika has capacities and potential to make it.

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CORPORATE

Profitable and Sustainable Business My plan is to boost our efforts in order to become the quality, service and value-added leader in the competitive local and European markets, by investing in our technical personnel, employing state-ofthe-art equipment and consistently reviewing our methods of operation in a continuous effort to improve the quality of our products and services

STYLIANOS TSOKTOURIDIS Managing Director of Alumil YU Industry AD

Stylianos Tsoktouridis was appointed Managing Director with full P & L responsibility of Alumil YU Industry AD, a company that has a €60 million turnover.

This aluminium extrusion company is based in Nova Pazova, Serbia, with the annual capacity of 12,000mt of treated surfaces and precision machined aluminium profiles.

You have been recently appointed managing director. What do you plan to do in this new position?

— Alumil YU Industry is the most automated and flexible extrusion plant operating in Serbia, capable of responding quickly and cost-effectively to customers’ demands. Our vertically integrated facilities and advanced production processes, in combination with our sophisticated products, have positioned our company as a market leader locally and in Central Europe. My plan is to boost our efforts in order to become the quality, service and value-added leader in the competitive local and European markets, by investing in our technical personnel, employing state-of-the-art equipment and consistently reviewing our methods of operation in a continuous

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effort to improve the quality of our products and services.

Alumil is one of Greece’s biggest industrial investments in Serbia and a good example of a company that exports highly sophisticated products. What can your clients expect from you in the following period?

— Alumil is committed to an ongoing process of research and development to continually improve its performance, efficiency and enhance its competitive position. Our plan this year is to invest in technically advanced equipment of added value while aiming to supply the Serbian and European building and construc-

tion and industrial markets with precision engineered aluminium extruded products, at competitive prices and timely delivery, using highly flexible and advanced manufacturing and logistics processes.

Are you satisfied with the company’s business results in 2019?

— In 2019, Alumil YU Industry continued to be a profitable and sustainable business unit of Alumil Group. In the process of realising our vision, Alumil YUI will proactively and successfully meet future challenges, enhance the lives of its employees and return the support it received from the local community and its shareholders.

ALMOST 60% OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE EXPORTED TO THE EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL MARKET

How much money have you invested in the previous period and what are your investment plans for the period ahead?

— Alumil YU Industry is a Serbian subsidiary of Alumil Group, established in 2001, in Nova Pazova with fully integrated production, logistics and commercial facilities. The company is committed to contributing to the sustainable development of Serbian industrial sector. We are working daily to help to achieve the country’s development goals and support local economy by having more than 350 workers and continually enhancing our company‘s footprint with exports to Western European markets.

Initial investment was around €36M and our annual revenue is more than €45M. Almost 60% of our products are exported to the European industrial market.

Current installed annual capacity, utilizing fully automated production processes, generates 15,000mt of state-of-the-art precision engineered surface-treated aluminium profiles to Serbian and European markets. Focusing on our corporate plan, Alumil Yu Industry is expected to grow and penetrate the market further with sophisticated technical aluminium products within the next couple of years while creating more job opportunities in these markets, increasing exports and contributing to the local economy and industrial growth.

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CORPORATE

The Business Leap Conference Supporting businesspeople for easier business

The Business Leap Conference is a project initiated in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia in May 2019 and is a knowledge-sharing platform designed to support the improvement of the business climate in Serbia. The basic idea of the conference is to facilitate an efficient exchange of business information and experiences. The participants were given the opportunity to expand their business knowledge and establish new contacts through an interactive discussion with qualified lecturers in key areas of business and other participants. The goal of the conference was to contribute to the creation of optimal solutions for business processes. In this way, businesspeople are provided with the foundation for growth, development and safety of the future business, through cost-effective investments and applicable innovations, whilst boosting competitiveness, the position in the domestic market and business potential in the international environment.

Business Leap was held in administrative districts and every company in Serbia has the opportunity to meet with renowned experts in key areas of business in their regional chamber, without

having to pay a registration fee and to obtain information that will help improve their business and boost competitiveness. "Considering the fact that Serbia consists of other cities, and not just Belgrade, we

ALL THE DISCUSSED TOPICS RELATE TO DAY-TODAY BUSINESS, SO THE GUIDELINES ON HOW TO IMPROVE BUSINESS ARE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR ALL BUSINESSPEOPLE

have launched the Business Leap conferences with the desire to give businesspeople throughout Serbia with the opportunity to meet with renowned experts in key business areas in their town and directly receive information and their advice that can help them to improve business and improve their competitiveness ", says Svetlana Okanović, project manager, adding: "The topics that are addressed at the conference are important for any company that wants to operate smarter, not harder. " The conference is intended for company owners and directors, heads of sales, finance, production and development sectors, as well as other employees who want to improve personal and company results.

Available funding sources and incentives, the digitization process and staff development remain the most interesting topics for business people, while the biggest challenge in business is the lack of skilled workforce, debt collection and market risks.

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ECONOMY

A Manager’s Manifesto for 2020 Eight resolutions to adopt in the new year The start of the year is traditionally the time to make resolutions to change your behaviour. Hardly anyone keeps them, of course, but in the spirit of optimism, here are Bartleby’s eight suggestions for what managers ought to resolve to do in 2020.

1. Give out some praise. People don’t come to work just for the money. They like to feel they are making a valuable contribution. Praise doesn’t have to happen every day and it cannot be generic. Pick something specific that a worker has done which shows extra skill or effort and single them out; ideally so that others can hear the compliment. This is particularly important for the most junior employees, who will feel anxious about their status.

2. Remember that you set the tone. If a manager is angry and swears a lot, that will be seen as acceptable behaviour. If bosses barely communicate, they are unlikely to receive useful feedback.

If they fail to keep their promises, workers will be less likely to co-operate. And if a manager frequently belittles a particular employee, that person is unlikely to get the respect of their colleagues.

In contrast, a more relaxed, open boss is likely to lead to a relaxed, open workplace.

3. The buck also stops with you.

If a team member makes a mistake, it needs to be fixed. And the manager is responsible for making that happen. It may well be that the mistake stems from inadequate instructions or giving the task to the wrong person. So the manager, as well as the staff member, needs to learn a lesson from the failure.

4. Make your priorities for the next year clear, and communicate them well. Is the company (or division) trying to launch a new product? Or to boost sales of existing products? Or to control costs? If you are not sure, then those who work for you will have no idea.

That can lead to a lot of wasted effort.

5. To that end, cut out the jargon. The use of pretentious phrases and complex acronyms is generally designed to obfuscate rather

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HERE ARE BARTLEBY’S EIGHT SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT MANAGERS OUGHT TO RESOLVE TO DO IN 2020 than elucidate. In Bartleby’s experience, the reason people use unclear language is that they have nothing clear to say. If you are sending a general memo to all the staff, look carefully through it and ask whether you would have understood it on your first day of work. If not, make it simpler. Remember George Orwell’s maxim:

“Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.” It applies to other tongues, too.

6. Listen to your staff. They are the people who are dealing with customers and suppliers, and grappling with the bureaucracy of the organisation. Their feed-

back is essential, beyond annual engagement surveys. You hired them for their skill and expertise: learn to rely on it. If you don’t trust their judgment, you have hired the wrong people. If you don’t like listening to employees, go and set up as a sole trader.

7. Keep meetings short. Ideally, a meeting should be the length of a sitcom episode not a film by Martin Scorsese. Bartleby’s law is that 80% of the time of 80% of the people at meetings is wasted. If you doubt the numbers, have a think about the last big meeting you attended. Did everyone speak or was the discussion dominated by a small subset? How many people were gazing at their phones? A lot of people attend meetings out of a sense of duty or fomo (fear of missing out). And what is the purpose of the meeting? If it is just to update people on progress, that can be done in an email or in a one-toone conversation (which has the added benefit of allowing you to talk to your staff). Big meetings involving all the staff should be reserved for big news like acquisitions or lay-offs.

8. Drop the team-building exercises. Paintballing in the woods, tackling an army assault-course, constructing a model of the Empire State Building from matchsticks—no one wants to do this stuff. They don’t want to go to an awayday weekend, either; they would much rather be at home with their families. Why not build a team by introducing its members and explaining what you want each of them to do? It is a lot cheaper. It also wastes a lot less of everybody’s valuable time.

Will following these eight rules lead to instant business success? Of course not. None of this will work if the company lacks an attractive product or a decent business plan. But these rules might just make your firm a more efficient and pleasant place to work. And that is a reasonable goal for 2020.

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

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ANALITICS

Solving A (Non-) Existing Problem The issue of the electoral threshold is marginal, but it has been placed high on the agenda by daily political calculations

By DEJAN BURSAĆ A researcher at the Institute for Political Studies, Belgrade

On January 21st, the Serbian Progressive Party’s (SNS) parliamentary caucus submitted an official proposal to reduce the electoral threshold from 5 to 3 per cent, just ten days after the idea was publicly presented.

To remind, last year, several opposition parties participated in a dialogue about changing electoral conditions in order to satisfy the minimum of democratic standards, particularly in areas such as equal media representation, exerting pressure on voters and the conducting elections at polling stations. It seems that despite some positive signals, the dialogue did not produce results and the majority of the opposition decided to boycott the election.

The proposal to reduce the electoral threshold should be seen as a response from the SNS. In the case of the boycott, there was a serious risk that only the current ruling parties (SNS and SPS) and national minority parties would enter the parliament (they are subject to different rules: the socalled natural electoral threshold which roughly stands at 0.4% of votes), which would put President Vučić in a rather uncomfortable situation in front of the domestic and international public. Having a single-party parliament, is bad news for a country with fragile democracy. With the 3% threshold, which in practice could amount to about 90,000 votes, a few more parties, that are nominally considered opposition but will not boycott the elections, could enter the parliament and thus provide the required legitimacy to both the elections and the next SNSformed government.

The move is not illegal, but a change in election rules a few months before the elections take place does not represent the best democratic practice. It takes some time for the stakeholders (political parties and citizens) to accept the changes and make rational decisions based on them. Moreover, almost no stakeholder has publicly demanded a lower electoral threshold, especially not during the dialogue about electoral conditions.

The 5% threshold is not perceived as an election problem in Serbia.

On the other hand, the academia and the non-governmental sector have for years indicated the need to change the entire electoral system. Serbia is a rare example

of a country with a proportional system with one constituency and completely closed electoral lists.

In the EU, only the Netherlands and Slovakia have similar systems, with one important exception and that is that, in these countries, there is a preferential vote, whereby voters can choose individual MPs from the electoral lists. In Serbia, such civic influence does not exist. The moment a person votes for an entire political party list, the connection between citizens and parliamentarians is lost.

Such a system is great for political parties, but bad for voters, the parliament and democracy in general. There is also a complete lack of accountability of MPs towards

SERBIA IS A RARE EXAMPLE OF A COUNTRY WITH A PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM WITH ONE CONSTITUENCY AND COMPLETELY CLOSED ELECTORAL LISTS

citizens. An MP is only responsible to the party, namely, the more loyal they are, the greater the chance of being high on the electoral list in the next election. He is not interested in citizens, and in the event of a conflict between the interests of the political party and the interests of the citizens, the party always wins. In addition, no Serbian citizen can really say who is representing them in the parliament today, i.e. who is their MP. Other shortcomings of the current system are: extreme fragmentation, with a number of small political parties "pushing" into parliament via large coalitions; as well as metropolisation, meaning that an above-average number of MPs comes from the capital, while almost half of the local governments are not represented in the parliament.

One possible solution to these problems is to reform the electoral system towards a kind of majority vote, in which citizens would elect individual MPs in small, single-member constituencies. Voting in single-member units primarily addresses the problem of the relationship between voters and their representatives, which becomes more immediate. Disciplining in such a system is primarily in the hands of the citizen, and the MP must represent the interests of their constituency. Also, because citizens would be voting for individual people, parties would tend to single out quality candidates, which increases the quality of parliament as a whole. There are different variations of majority and mixed electoral systems that may be relevant to current problems of democracy in Serbia, but unfortunately, these issues are not on the agenda of the decision-makers. The issue of electoral threshold, on the other hand, is marginal, but it has been placed high on the agenda by daily political calculations.

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DAVOS 2020

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Our House is on Fire … but grandma couldn’t care less

The title and subtitle of this article are really "pun intended" and in reference to Greta Thunberg's speech and her sentence "Our house is on fire", and the Serbian proverb, or rather a humorous remark "The village is on fire but grandma couldn't care less", which we use here to illustrate that someone does not recognizes a real life-threatening danger, but rather focuses on irrelevant, superficial stuff.

CLIMATE AND GRETA

Every year, the World Economic Forum in Davos brings together the most important global figures from economics and politics (traditionally, the two areas that are intertwined), but this year, the biggest star was a girl who does not even have a high school degree and who spends 20% of a working week demonstrating against climate change. In fact, she is protesting against the sluggishness with which the world, global companies and leaders respond to global warming. That's why Time magazine named her the 2019 Person of the Year, with even the businesslike and ever so competitive Trump saying „so she beat me, she's the Person of the Year." And the fact that climate change is the first topic of concern in Davos this year suggests that even the usually dumb and laidback politicians and the usually laidback and greedy businessmen have realized that they cannot ignore climate change and get rich at the same time for the simple reason that the world as we know it today, i.e. the one in which they can continue amassing their wealth and profit, will no longer be. Maybe, the world, in which we spend money, will no longer exist too and that poses an even bigger problem. Anyway, Greta's speech was exemplified by the sentences “Our house is still on fire. Your inaction is fuelling the flames by the hour“, while she appealed for carbon dioxide emissions to be reduced to zero, otherwise we are doomed. This will be

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achievable only if investments in fossil fuel completely discontinue and her plan is quite ambitious.

She concluded by saying that everyone must do this if they love their children. And when you have a kid in a sweatshirt as the star of the World Economic Forum, you can be sure that we have reached the point of no return.

THE REJECTION OF THE PROPHETS OF THE DOOM & THE REST

Greta's Twitter-enemy and probably the most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump, was a voice of modest optimism when he that "preachers of doom should be silenced" to create a better future.

We do not know if he had Greta in mind when he said that, but he advocated innovation and the free market that would facilitate it, and of course, as usual, praised his achievements in the US econ-

his optimism. As for the climate, it was somehow dominated by "the prophets of doom." Namely, Greta was not alone. The UN Secretary-General, Prince Charles, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin or Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have all warned about climate change. Antonio Guterres warned that nature was likely to recover; but we might not. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim from Chad, a woman who explained the tragic consequences of climate change in Chad, said that perhaps in the developed world there were no direct consequences of climate change yet, but in the less developed coun-

IN SUMMARY, CLIMATE REMAINS THE NO 1 TOPIC IN THE WORLD, WHILE THE BALKANS IS STILL CONCERNED WITH THE CLASH OF POWERS AND LOCAL NATIONS omy, saying that in the US workers were again at the forefront while entrepreneurs felt encouraged. He presented impressive figures, but analysts later came forward on the BBC and other news outlets to say that Donald Trump was not exactly responsible for those figures, nor was Obama, during whose term the growth started, but that the US economy was just going through one of its usual cycles.

It seems that Trump was more addressing the US voters but also those voters who are still undecided, i.e. still not sure whether to side with the US version of entrepreneurial liberal capitalism or the Chinese state-sponsored capitalism. However, the man who was criticized by Greta for damaging the planet by abandoning the Climate Agreement in Paris, remained a bit lonely in

tries, they were quite visible. If you don't believe it, just pop your head out the window and smell the air.

TECH GONE RIGHT... OR WRONG

Another interesting story was about predicting the technological future of the world. We are at a turning point where either artificial intelligence or new technologies will lead to a whole new world that will be either better or hellishly dystopian. Yuval Harari illustrated the possibilities and dangers of such world when he talked about the disruption that new technologies bring which could lead to social unrest and neo-luddism whereby, for instance, truck and taxi drivers will be replaced by automated vehicles. Automation may lead to a whole new class of useless people and countries that jump on

the AI bandwagon first, such as the US or China, can have enormous advantages over the underdeveloped. After all, the same happened in the Industrial Revolution. Digital dictatorship is perhaps the next form of dictatorship.

POLITICS PUSHED INTO THE BACKGROUND

But remains important... Angela Merkel warned that dialogue has become a forgotten form and that people engage in dialogue less today than during the Cold War. She also warned that times were more dangerous today, because countries and the world itself are polarized.

As for the Western Balkans, Aleksandar Vučić has been insisting on economic growth while highlighting the value of the so-called Mini Schengen as an economic and political initiative. Other Balkan leaders, from Croatia to Bulgaria, expressed their support for further European integration of WB-6 and their dissatisfaction with the EU deciding not to start accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. It was also mentioned that European integration has no alternative, but as one need to have a spare tire when going on road or a parachute when boarding a plane, the Mini Schengen was seen as Plan B, as long as the EU starts thinking like Borisov, Plenković and other important countries. Vučić also defended his "Peanuts"-like tactic - "Speak softly and carry a dog with you". He replied to Western accusations of Serbia importing arms from Russia by insisting that Serbia was buying only defensive weapons from Russia and its main focus is on growth. In summary, climate remains the No 1 topic in the world, while the Balkans is still concerned with the clash of powers and local nations.

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WORLD ANALYSES

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

The Deal of the Century Will it work?

bourg, if you will. Palestine would gain democratic authority, would have a central bank and become a member of the IMF. It would also be demilitarized, but the police would be stationed throughout its territory. Even a part of Israel was offered as compensation for territories to be annexed by Israel, which was offered by only by Lieberman and Olmert.

Truth be told, almost 70% of the plan favours Israel. The awkward thing is that this is not what the

is the best plan they have been presented with, but knowing their mentality, this one will not be accepted either (since it is, objectively speaking, worse than the one from 1993). The awkward thing again is that if they do not accept this plan, the next good plan will be made who knows when, and the region will continue to be a barrel of gunpowder. The plan is expected to be openly or tacitly accepted

by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and countries in the Arabian Peninsula,

OBJECTIVELY SPEAKING, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT ISRAEL WILL UNILATERALLY ACCEPT THIS PLAN, WHICH WOULD LEAVE THE PALESTINIANS BOTH WITHOUT THE DESIRED SOLUTION (I.E. TERRITORY) BUT ALSO WITHOUT MONEY, MAKING THEM DOUBLE LOSERS The Dayton Agreement was successfully implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, but Ahtisaari's 2007 plan for Kosovo was not, just like Annan's plan for Cyprus several years earlier. At the moment, there is a lot of squabble around the peace plan in Ukraine, but the largest Gordian Knot of them all is located precisely on the territory that should, at least theoretically, comprise Israel and Palestine.

A bunch of plans have been proposed so far; from the First Partition of Palestine rejected by the Arabs and approved by the Jews, Oslo Agreement in 1993, the Clinton Parameters in 2000... In 2004 and 2008 Avigdor Lieberman and Ehud Olmert offered similar plans: the annexation of blocks of Jewish settlements, and the evacuation of isolated Jewish settlements.

THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY... AT LEAST BY TRUMP

In late January, Donald Trump finally presented his peace plan for the former Mandatory Pales-

tine. The plan is not bad at all for the Palestinians: their territory will be twice as large compared to the current one controlled, it is almost completely continuous, and passing from one part to the other, through the Israeli territory, would be done via overpasses and the envisaged Gaza-West Bank tunnel, while Jerusalem, namely its eastern parts, would be considered the capital. The plan also envisions independence that would be universally recognized and a huge amount of money invested by the Gulf countries, which would turn Palestine into a kind of Bahrain, Qatar or Lebanon; an Arab Luxem-

Palestinians wanted and asked for. The awkwardness of these demands lies in the fact that, even if all settlements in Judea, Samaria and Cisjordania (the so-called West Bank) were given to Palestine, still the Palestinians would probably not accept a plan in which the Jordan Valley and the indivisible Jerusalem, currently under Israeli jurisdiction, would not be theirs (they did not accept either Olmert's or Lieberman's evacuation plan).

But again, they rejected all plans from 1948 onwards and each time received less and less in the subsequent offers.

After 1993, 2000 and 2008, this

including (possibly) UAE, Oman, Bahrain, etc. It will be opposed by a group of Iran-led states that are much weaker financially - Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan (Turkey aside). If Iraq continues to confront the Americans, declaring an independent Kurdistan under the US and Israeli patronage is quite possible, forming an ally of Israel, as compensation for abandoning the Kurds in Syria, all with the aim of weakening the anti-Israeli axis in the northern Middle East. From this perspective, the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani seems like an overture to this plan.

PLAN B The Saudis have had enough of the Palestinians, as signalled by Mohammed bin Salman for quite some time now. I sense there is a Plan B to the detriment of the Palestinians, like Ahtisaari’s plan for “the supervised independence of Kosovo”. Once the election in Israel finished, Israel will formally accept this plan and act as if it has been adopted, thus annexing the Jordan Valley and the territories drawn on this map (settlements in Cisjordania).

The rest will be fenced off with a wall that is almost complete and they will wait for the Palestinians to accept what they have been offered, which they will not. The Palestinians will, as a result, remain without financial and military assistance, continue living in poverty and cause uprisings in which they will appear the weaker side. And this will go on and on! This already happened in 1948 with the plan for the Partition of Palestine. It would not be the first time that the Jews would accept and the Arabs would reject a plan, and in the end, only Israel would profit. We are waiting for a new plan. Until then, the current one will continue to be applied and there will be no lasting peace.

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CONFERENCE

Kopaonik Business Forum from March 1 to 4 Focus on digitization and industry 4.0

This year’s Kopaonik Business Forum will be held from March 1 to 4, and the regional character of this most important economic event in the country is confirmed by the fact that at least ten of the 28 panels are dedicated to the entire region.

In addition to representatives of the chambers of commerce of the countries in the region, special guests at the forum include former state presidents and prime ministers from Croatia, B&H, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia. For the first time at the forum, special hard talk interviews will be realized with Emil Tedeschi, a big regional investor, founder and owner of Atlantic Grupa, and Aleksandar Kavčić, a former student at the Mathematical Grammar School and a professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, famous for receiving the second biggest damage payment for a stolen invention in the USA.A large number of panels will be dedicated to the fourth industrial revolution, digitization, education, smart specialization, employment policy and brain drain, and the importance of industry 4.0 is shown by the fact

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that it will be the central topic of this eminent economic gathering this year.

– The aim of the Kopaonik Business Forum 2020 is to motivate all the participants to understand and actively shape the economic and business ecosystem, striving to push forward the global economy based on innovations and univer-

sal mobility – Aleksandar Vlahović pointed out.

The Kopaonik Business Forum is organized by the Association of Serbian Economists in partnership with Mastercard.

Kopaonik Business Forum is a high profile event committed to improving the performance of Serbian economy through analytical

FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE FORUM, SPECIAL HARD TALK INTERVIEWS WILL BE REALIZED WITH EMIL TEDESCHI, A BIG REGIONAL INVESTOR, FOUNDER AND OWNER OF ATLANTIC GRUPA

contributions and dialogue between major relevant stakeholders.

For many years the event enjoyed the conceptual patronage of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and attracted a growing number of participants from around the region. Recently the Forum has been gathering on average more than thousand participants, including heads of state, prime ministers and ministers, high representatives of regulatory bodies, representatives of international financial institutions, respectable scholars, diplomats, business practitioners, and media.

As usual, the event is organized through plenary sessions, panel discussions, special events, and peer-to-peer sessions. Our exceptional roster includes more than hundred speakers from academia (mostly economics, business management, and ICT), politics, finance, and business. The IFI’s thematic studies will again be presented at the Forum along with new academic and policy papers by leading researchers and scholars in topical fields. The Forum continues to provide a unique opportunity for participants to meet and discuss relevant issues.

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www.greyhotel.rs 25

INTERVIEW

Text: SANJA ŠOJIĆ

The Government Functions Along Mafia Principles It became perfectly normal that politicians have criminals as friends

STEVAN DOJČINOVIĆ Editor-in-Chief of KRIK

We met Stevan Dojčinović at his office at the Crime and Corruption Research Network (KRIK). At the beginning of the interview, we talked about his recent research into the conversation between a drug lord and the foreign minister's cabinet chief. Dojčinović, who has been following and investigating crime world for a long time, explains to me that the article he wrote shows the position of criminals and politicians in our country.

This is all connected to us, and the rules of the Mafia are applied in politics," Dojčinović says, adding: "It's like in the movie Godfather. The point is that you get as many people involved in your work because when you involve them they are your co-workers and you can influence them. The government functions along this principle as well. The result of this all are citizens who are blackmailed and devoid of freedom. Basically, the line is already too blurred because the question is how many citizens and how many accomplices in this story one has. Many are victims, but they are already drawn in and blackmailed, without a point of return. It's a one-way trip and a frequent occurrence at the local level. ” His investigative work, or maybe something else, brought Dojčinović many awards and at the

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same time, he has been blacklisted by Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

How did you end up being blacklisted by certain countries? Did you find out the reason why you were deported from Abu Dhabi Airport?

— As far as being blacklisted by Russia goes, I have certain information. Their Federal Security Service sent me an official letter since I had insisted on it because the Russian Embassy and our government refused to tell me anything.

In the letter, they state that I am considered “a threat to national security and public health” which is why I was blacklisted. Although

talked a lot about Russia and wrote about Putin’s hidden wealth.

Maybe the reason is that we have donors from Western embassies or maybe some of our intelligence services were Russian informants and exaggerated the whole situation a little bit. Or maybe it’s a combination of all of the above. This happened in 2015, but

ALL INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS IN SERBIA ARE BLACKLISTED I haven’t got a clue about how I can be a threat. It does sound incredible, doesn’t it? I put up their letter on my wall as a sort of diploma.

The paradox of this story is that I have become the enemy No 1 in Russia although I have not worked there or did any investigative work.

I visited Russia twice before but only to hold training sessions. Officially, my ban ends in April this year but I believe they are going to extend it so I don’t think that I will be travelling to Russia any time soon. It is still unclear to me why and how I ended up on this list; maybe, because I cooperate with The Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). They

after that, I did not feel the pressure that similar destiny awaits me in other countries. I remembered that when I travelled to the Emirates, but the country is similar to Russia, has become a great friend of our government and has participated in rather shady privatizations. Before travelling there, I gave a lot of thought to my safety. The UAE told me that I was blacklisted by another country which makes it an international case. The “other country” could be Russia or Serbia.

I practically got a life-long ban from entering the UAE and I will probably never get to see Dubai.

The question now is where I can travel and that poses a problem.

I have to give it a serious thought before I travel anywhere because not only I am banned from entering certain countries, I also won’t be able to use their airports for layover flights.

Do you sometimes feel like you’ve been blacklisted in Serbia?

— All independent journalists are blacklisted – KRIK, BIRN, Cins, N1, Danas daily, Vreme magazine…

Practically speaking, we all considered public enemy and our work is severely limited, unlike certain mainstream media outlets that are close to the authorities and all the doors are opened to them. One of the biggest problems and crucial things is that nobody will talk to us officially. We cannot get ministerial statements, which a tabloid can do within hours. The institutions do not respond to our invitations to interview them. Access to information is also problematic because that law does not protect us.

We get fewer and fewer documents every year, so we no longer rely on that. They have completely tied our hands in work and we are forced to rely on unofficial sources. To prevent us from doing so, they started

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arresting our sources, as was the case with Aleksandar Obradović.

The Security and Information Agency (BIA) follows us. They are dealing with so severely and we are restricted from all sides. People are starting to get scared even when they are doing legal things.

Over three years ago, we reported that we were threatened, but the prosecution office did nothing.

The last threats I received were a week ago, and now I don’t even think about reporting that because I know nothing will come off it.

Practically speaking, you cannot rely on state institutions to protect you, but, on the other hand, they are very efficient in attacking your work and the people you work with. Aleksandar Obradović, who is completely innocent, is the best example of this. He is rare inasmuch that, as our source, he had no ulterior motives. We went through hell and back only because he supplied journalists with certain information. I have to also say that a lot of media outlets censor themselves, rather than others doing that. That became very clear when Vučić came to power. He did not conquer media but media came to him overnight. He didn’t even have to lift a finger so these people cannot be considered victims.

see that people are not interested in that and it makes you wonder what is going on with them. That’s soul-destroying.

How come they did not destroy your soul completely because everything that you have been saying sounds like Don Quixote tilting at the windmills?

— As for us, we will get the job done. It is quite painful to be on the right side and yet you are working as a prosecutor. You feel

like your hands are tied. It is historically important that we publish evidence-based stories that we have recorded. After a while, someone may be able to unravel these things. The important thing is that they are preserved and that they exist. In the future, I believe that people will realize their importance. I would like to use the Savamala affair as an example, and a guard, who is no longer alive, but his testimony was recorded.

The police, however, were under

LET'S COMPARE OURSELVES TO EUROPE INSTEAD. CASES LIKE THIS ARE DEALT WITH EVEN IN SOUTH AMERICA AND PEOPLE HAVE RESIGNED BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

How did the Obradović case affect your work? Do you now hear more from people who have information for you or is the fear now even greater?

— People come to me now more than ever. I cannot even remember when was the last time I was contacted so much. Last year was very troublesome. Nobody came forward, nobody wanted to talk to us. People were really scared.

Now, they are mustering up the courage. Obradović was destroyed, but he emerged as a hero. That gave an incentive to people for more of them to come forward.

The entire case gave people courage. Last time I felt that was during the protests. The question now is how long is it going to last. I think that it will last for several months until the election and then when the current powers-to-be win the election, people will fall back into depression and apathy. People always give up after the election. I don’t think that being scared of the people in power is the crucial thing here; it’s more like people becoming discouraged when they see the reactions from their fellow countrymen. Wherever you go, you can

SERBIAN OR GLOBAL PROBLEM? You recently received the Knight International Journalism Award from the International Press Center (ICFJ) for reporting that has had a significant impact on society. In your speech, you said that Serbia could serve as an example for understanding how dictators were destroying democracy.

— There is an increasing number of countries in which villains and populists have come to power and want to dismantle the whole system. Some countries had well-built institutions to a bigger and some to a smaller degree. And that is crucial for how fast they fall apart. The question is where will all this end, as the tide of these characters just keeps on coming.

Some of the steps Trump wants to make in America have already been done here, with the only difference that the US is a serious country, unlike Serbia. The point is they have institutions that resist. What Trump is doing is very similar to what has been happening here but the difference is that they can do these things in three days if they really wanted to.

Trump is fighting, but the institutions are putting up a resistance against him and hampering him because the police, the prosecution and the judiciary are all doing their job. This is a very deep issue.

a lot of pressure from the media to conduct an investigation and open a case. At least this case was formally instituted, and if it weren’t for journalists, even that would not have happened. I'm just so sad when I see how people in Serbia do not perceive crime and corruption in the right way because they are the two biggest plagues of our society. No-one sees a big picture but rather criminals are glorified in our country. No-one perceives this as a problem. We may have been a little more conscious when Djindjić was killed, but the proverbial “monster” is now back. You have criminals in institutions, in the media, in reality shows, everywhere. I would like to see a country where the ties between politics and mafia have been uncovered, and yet their ministers remained in their positions. Let's compare ourselves to Europe instead. Cases like this are dealt with even in South America and people have resigned because those are the rules of engagement. We have a complete absence of this. We have published so many good stories that no-one even cares about. The question remains of how strong our stories will be in the future because they are becoming feebler by the day, as is journalism. People are less and less interested in it. The rule is that if you are caught, the story is over.

This government has destroyed all the rules that first existed in the media, then in politics.

They abolished dialogue, they have no morals, they forge documents. The moment will come when we won’t be able to discern between true and fake because everything is being faked now.

They are more than willing to create a parallel reality. The question remains whether we will be able to restore democracy after them.

Many people claim that foreign factors are crucial in establishing and maintaining democracy in our country. What do you think?

— It is clear that the Western Embassies and the European Union see Vučić as an ally. That's part of the problem because they are too soft on him in their reports in terms of upholding the EU values and human rights. Everyone will tell you this. I think, however, that the foreign embassies are being criticized too much because they have to work with the person who was elected. And, of course, everyone is trying to shift the blame onto someone else.

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VOJVODINA IN 2020

Good Year for the Northern Province The goal is reducing unemployment to 6% Head of the Vojvodinian government, Igor Mirović officially opened the Vojvodina in 2020 conference, organized by Color Media Communications, under the auspices of the provincial government.

“This conference is a result of our joint initiative because we want Vojvodina to take centre stage. Our goal is to present our potentials, the potentials of all local governments, investors and the non-governmental sector at the beginning of the year so that exceptionally important things for Vojvodina are at the forefront,” said Mirović.

He also highlighted three important areas that the conference

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focused on, namely environmental protection, healthcare and the economic development of less developed municipalities.

“After the adoption of the Declaration of Environmental Protec-

reconstruction of the hospitals in Sombor, Senta, Kovin, the Novi Sad Clinic, construction of the Kamenica 3 clinic, and next week we will commission two new linear accelerators at the Institute in Sremska

THIS CONFERENCE IS A RESULT OF OUR JOINT INITIATIVE BECAUSE WE WANT VOJVODINA TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE tion, initiated by the Provincial Government, we want to check its implementation and remind ourselves of its goals, as well as draw public attention to this area.

This year, we will continue with the reconstruction of the healthcare system. We are preparing the

Kamenica,” he added.

Speaker of the Vojvodinian Parliament, Istvan Pasztor said that it was very important to gather like this at the beginning of the year to tackle all the problems in society and discuss perspectives.

“Given that we recorded positive

trends and economic parameters in 2019, I expect 2020 to be a year of prosperity. We are planning to implement big infrastructure projects, as well as take significant steps in the tourism segment,” said Pasztor.

President of Color Media Communications, Robert Čoban said that the conference aimed to bring together representatives of the Provincial Government, economists, business people and ambassadors and to answer important questions concerning Vojvodina through expert panels and dialogue.

“This is the second year that we are holding this conference to discuss all problems in the society at a local level. This is an opportunity for us to learn from each other, and to talk about all topics with an em-

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Igor Mirović

Suzana Paunović

H.E. Oana Cristina Popa

Boško Vučurević

phasis on the healthcare, economy and environmental protection,” Čoban added.

The Vojvodina 2020 conference was attended by ambassadors of Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania and representatives of the Slovenian Embassy.

Other topics covered at this year’s conference included European future, cooperation, agriculture, development of cities and municipalities, healthcare and ageing population.

The following experts participated in panel discussions - Roman Weixler, Interim Chargé d'affaires of the Slovenian Embassy, Dubravka Negre, Head of the European Investment Bank’s Regional Office, Aleksandar Simurdić,

European Movement - Novi Sad branch, Ognjen Bjelić, Provincial Secretary for Regional Development, Interregional Cooperation and Local Self-Government, H.E. Tomas Kuchta, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Serbia, H.E. Oana

Ištvan Pastor

Dubravka Negre

President of the Union of Employers of Vojvodina, Djordje Koprivica, Financial Director of Carlsberg, Slobodan Cvetković, General Manager of the Novi Sad Fair, Mitar Deurić, the Deurić Winery, Vuk Radojević, Provincial Secretary for Agriculture,

THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE ARE HOLDING THIS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS ALL PROBLEMS IN THE SOCIETY AT A LOCAL LEVEL Cristina Popa, Romanian Ambassador to Serbia, Srdjan Majstorović, Chairman of CEP’s Board, Nikola Žeželj, Director of the Vojvodina Development Agency, Boško Vučurević, Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina, Vladimir Lalošević,

Water Management and Forestry, Toša Matić, Director of the Paprika Agricultural Cooperative, Vera Tadić, farmer, Branislav Sekulić, from Vrtlari, Miloš Vučević, Mayor Of Novi Sad, Damjan Miljanić, Mayor of Kula, Vladimir Gak, Mayor of In-

H.E. Tomas Kuchta

djija, Pavle Markov, Mayor of Kikinda, Dušanka Golubović, Mayor of Sombor, Zoran Gojković, Provincial Secretary for Health, Dr Steva Panicć, Director of Odžaci Health Centre, Dr Jelena Antić, Director of the Vojvodina Institute of Child and Youth Health Care, Professor Edita Stokić, MD, Director of the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, Predrag Vuletić, Provincial Secretary for Social Policy, Suzana Paunović, Director of the Office for Human and Minority Rights, Mirko Jankelić, from the facility for parentless children ‘Dečije Selo’, Ana Vila, Director of the Veternik Home for Disabled Persons, Slavica Škrbić, director of the Gerontology Centre and Zvonka Cvejić from Cvejin Grange (Cvejin Salaš).

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INNOVATION TALK 2020

Israeli Experience as a Chance for Serbian IT VC funds – an opportunity to fund domestic startups

Serbia is developing mechanisms for venture capital financing of the startup community, and the first concrete decisions can be expected soon, said Nenad Popović, the minister in charge of innovation and technological development, at the opening of the Innovation Talk 2020 conference, held on February 3, at the Hilton Hotel. Popović also underlined that Serbia relied on the experience of its Israeli partners and added: “The situation in which Israel used to be is similar to the situation in Serbia today, i.e. not having natural resources was the biggest problem for Israel, but also the big-

gest blessing. They have learned to rely more on the brain than on the muscles,” Popović said.

Popovic also stated that socalled VC funding was an important instrument for the development of the startup community

ing,” Popovic went on to say and added that in 2019, Serbia exported 1.5 billion EUR worth of IT and digital services.

The Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Ms Alona Fischer-Kamm said it was good that the Serbian

THE SITUATION IN WHICH ISRAEL USED TO BE IS SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION IN SERBIA TODAY and a mandatory part of any startup ecosystem.

“In addition to providing the necessary financing, venture capital funds also help companies invest in other ways, such as connecting with partners and mentor-

and Israeli startup ecosystems were boosting their ties, adding that various initiatives relating to the cooperation between the two ecosystems were being supported.

“Israel is one of the most inno-

vative countries globally speaking, while Tel Aviv is the second biggest startup ecosystem in the world.

There are currently 7,000 hi-tech companies in Israel, with exports of this area reaching $ 52 billion, which is 64% of Israel's total exports,” she said.

The ambassador added that she believed that the model developed in Israel was a good fit for Serbia as well.

Chemi Perez and Rami Kalish, the founders of Israel's largest venture capital fund, Pitango, which manages $ 3 billion worth of capital, as well as Jean-Francois Gauthier, founder and director of the most relevant startup ecosystem analysis organization Startup

NO ROOM FOR SMALL DREAMS The book “No Room for Small Dreams” by the former Israeli President and a Nobel Prize laureate, Shimon Peres, was presented under the auspices of the conference. The book was published by the Official Gazette of Serbia, in collaboration with the Serbian Ministry of Innovation and Technological Development. The Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Alona Fischer-Kamm, minister without portfolio in charge of innovation and technological development, Nenad Popović, son of the book's author and director of the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation, founded by Shimon Peres, Chemi Peres, and Jelena Trivan, director of public enterprise Official Gazette all spoke at the presentation. Shimon Peres’ book “No Room for Small Dreams” is an autobiography of one of the creators of modern Israel. The most important and lesser-known figures in global politics from the second half of the 20th century permeate through this adventurous story about the creation of one country, who, in difficult times, accepted the guidance of one man, brave enough to fight for the nation’s dreams.

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Mr. Rami Kalish, Pitango (co-founder)

Mr. Nenad Popovic, Minister for Innovation and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Rami Kalish, Pitango (co-founder), Mr. Chemi Peres, Director at Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

Kosta Andric, ICT Hub, Milos Matic, ICT Ventures, Pedja Predin, SC-Ventures

Marja-Liisa Meurice, EIT Food Director CLC North-East

Genome from San Francisco were among the most prominent speakers at the conference.

The founders of the largest Israeli venture fund, Pitango, which manages $ 3bn worth of capital - Chemi Peres and Rami Kalish pointed out that they were willing to share their experiences.

“We are here to share the experience of developing the fund over the last 27 years, the experiences with public-private partnerships, as well as the impact of innovation on society and the economy,” said Chemi Peres.

The co-founder of Pitango, Rami Kalish said he came to Serbia to share his experiences of starting and developing high-tech busi-

nesses in Israel.

“We did not come to show how successful we are, but because we truly believe that the same can be done here, in Serbia, initially through the cooperation between the Serbian Government and private companies. Subsequently, things will take off and continue developing by themselves,” Rami Kalish added.

Nevena Jovanović and Ognjen Radić, FitPass

Mr. JF Gauthier, Founder & CEO at Startup Genome

Nemanja Divljak, co-founder at Publitio

Mr. Nenad Popovic, Minister for Innovation and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Chemi Peres, Director at Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, Mr. Stephan Kuester, Partner and Head of Ecosystem Consulting at Startup Genome

ISRAEL IS ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE COUNTRIES GLOBALLY SPEAKING, WHILE TEL AVIV IS THE SECOND BIGGEST STARTUP ECOSYSTEM IN THE WORLD. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 7,000 HI-TECH COMPANIES IN ISRAEL SERBIA IN THE GLOBAL STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

JF Gauthier, founder and CEO of Startup Genome, summarized several important things that are essential to success in the global startup ecosystem. It is important to find a way for more graduates to become more committed to entrepreneurship and for them to succeed in that endeavour. “It is

H.E. Alona Fisher-Kamm, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Serbia

Srecko Sekeljic, Head of External Communications of OTP Bank Serbia

important for you to understand that you are selling to the region and the rest of the world, not to your citizens,” Gauthier added.

“The following activities are planned for Serbia - increasing the number of startups, increasing the funding in the early stages and increasing the quality of startups,” he said, adding that discipline brings results. The Innovation Talk 2020 brought together relevant stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem who gathered to discuss the potential of startup investments, successful examples of collaboration between corporations and startup companies, as well as improving the business environment for venture capital funds.

Mr. Nenad Popovic, Minister for Innovation and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Chemi Peres, Director at Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

15 EXHIBITION OF ALGERIAN

MODERN PAINTING AND PROMOTION OF THE BOOK „THE ALGERIAN CHRONICLES“ JAN

Rahmani Said

22 CANADA JAN

SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT IN MINING INDUSTRY

In collaboration with Gallery ’73, the Friends of Algeria Association staged the grand opening of an exhibition of paintings by Algerian painters of the younger generation, Professor Said Rahmani and his colleagues Moustafa Aiche and Mokhtar Garadi, who showcased their

paintings to the Belgrade audience on January 15th. Visitors had the opportunity to get acquainted with the paintings from the last few years. The exhibition showcased Said Rahmani’s artwork which was also exhibited at the last Tunisian Bienniale, held in November 2019.

H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Algerian Ambassador and Said Rahmani

The Embassy of Canada has organized the seminar “Trilateral dialogue on responsible business conduct in mining – experience from Canada” on January 21st, with the goal of strengthening a responsible approach in the development of mining projects. The seminar gathered representatives of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, City of Bor, Municipality of Raška, Canadian companies, the World Bank, as well as other

sector key stakeholders. The seminar represented an opportunity to introduce guests to the work of the international non-government organization “Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development”, with a Secretariat located in and supported by Canada. The organization which gathers more than 70 countries with active mining interests, was represented by Mr. Matthew Bliss, deputy director.

H.E. Kathleen Csaba, Canadian Ambassador and Mirjana Dončić Beaton, Managing Director, CANSSE (Canadian-Serbian Business Association), with seminar participants

21 ANNIVERSARY OF JAN

THE ELYSEE TREATY AND THE AACHEN TREATY

The Embassy of Germany and Embassy of France in Serbia marked the 57th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty and the first anniversary of the signing of the Aachen Treaty. The reception was held at the French Embassy hosted by German Ambassador H.E. Thomas Schieb and French Ambassador H.E.

H.E. Jean -Louis Falconi, France Ambassador and H.E. Thomas Schieb, German Ambassador

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Jean-Louis Falconi. The Aachen Treaty was signed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emanuel Macron on 22 January 2019, on the same day in 1963 when Charles de Gaulle and Conrad Adenauer signed a treaty that contributed to the historic reconciliation of the two countries.

H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio, Italian Ambassador and H.E. Ruth Stewart, Austrian Ambassador

Jadranka Joksimović, Minister for European Integration, Goran Trivan, Minister of Environmental Protection and H.E. Sem Fabrizi, EU

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

23 THE BRITISHJAN

The British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce started 2020 in Belgrade by joining forces with the British Embassy at a New Year’s Reception generously hosted by the Ambassador H.E. Siân MacLeod at her Residence on 23 January. At the reception were leading British companies present in Serbia and the region along with a strong representation of the Serbian business community. The Chamber’s role is to support great businesses from

SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BACK IN BELGRADE FOR 2020

both countries operating in the “British-Serbian corridor” and to help companies who are new to the market to find opportunities. To achieve this, the Chamber intends to expand its range of services and activities in both Serbia and UK and is actively encouraging new businesses to join. The British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce is a UK-registered not-for-profit company formed in 2008, with an official legal representative in Serbia.

David Landsman, Chairman of the BSCC and H.E. Siân MacLeod, British Ambassador

24 CELEBRATION JAN

OF THE 71st REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA

Ambassador of India to Serbia H.E. Subrata Bhattacharjee hosted a reception on 24 January 2020 to mark the 71st Republic Day of India. Ambassador Bhattacharjee in his speech welcomed guests and pointed out that Serbia and India continue to develop

and broaden cooperation at all levels. A celebration to mark the 71st Republic Day of India was held at the Belgrade’s Metropol Hotel, attended by government senior officials, members of the diplomatic community, friends and partners of the Embassy of India in Serbia.

H.E. Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, Russian Ambassador H.E. Subrata Bhattacharjee, Indian Ambassador and H.E.Anthony Godfrey, American Ambassador

29 MARITAL JAN

TOURISM BETWEEN SERBIA AND KAZAKHSTAN

H.E. Gabit Syzdykbekov, H.E.Nurbah Rustemov, Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia and Dragomir J. Karić

Member of Parliament Dragomir J. Karić has handed over the medal of the Order of the Karić Family to Nurbah Rustemov, a former non-residential ambassador of Kazakhstan to Serbia (based in Budapest). For the first time ever, Kazakhstan opened an embassy in Serbia following the decree of the new President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Gabit Syzdykbekov was appointed the first ambassador,

while Rustemov’s diplomatic service continues in Romania. „This is a great honour for our family. Also, a direct flight between our two countries will be launched. Furthermore, we are going to have a new type of tourism, unheard of so far, and that is marital tourism. This will further bring the Kazakh and Serbian people closer together in a family-like setting,“ said Dragomir J. Karić.

Dragomir J. Karić,H.E. Gabit Syzdykbekov, Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister and H.E.Nurbah Rustemov,

H.E. Gabit Syzdykbekov, H.E.Nurbah Rustemov, Ivica Dačić, Serbian Foreign Minister and Dragomir J. Karić

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33

PEOPLE & EVENTS

28 US WANTS A MODERN, JAN

DEMOCRATIC SERBIA, AMBASSADOR GODFREY SAYS

American Ambassador Anthony Godfrey told Tuesday’s meeting of the Serbian-American Friendship Congress that the United States want Serbia to become a modern, democratic and prosperous country. He added that Serbian should achieve its strategic goal of membership in the European Union and should be a country ruled by law which respects all human and minority rights. He said that the US is not competing for influence but wants Serbia and the entire region to join the EU. “Serbia is a political and economic leader in the Balkans and plays a key role in regional stability,” Godfrey said. The ambassador recalled that US companies have invested some four billion Euro in Serbia and are employing 20,000 people with another billion Euro invested in strengthening the economy, reinforce the judiciary system and good governance.

Vladimir Marinković, National Assembly of Serbia

Vladimir Pejić, Director of the Public Opinion Research Agency "Factor Plus", H.E. Anthony Godfrey, American Ambassador and Vladimir Marinković, National Assembly of Serbia

Ivica Dačić, Serbian Foreign Minister

29 THE SERBIAN MODERNISM JAN

Zoran Poznič, Minister of Culture Slovenia, Tijana Palkovljević Bugarski, Matica Srpska and Vladan Vukosavljević, Minister of Culture Serbia

1880-1950 EXHIBITION OPENED IN LJUBLJANA

The exhibition “Serbian Modernism 1880-1950 from the Collection of the Gallery of the Matica Srpska” was officially opened at the National Gallery of Slovenia in Ljubljana, and will be opened until May 3. This exhibition was staged following the invitation of the National Gallery of Slovenia in Ljubljana, with the desire to present to the Slovenian public a part of the Serbian cultural heritage through the selection of artwork from one of the oldest and most eminent national institutions of the Republic of Serbia. The exhibition includes 86 works of art – 75 paintings, 7 sculptures and 4 prints – and comprehensively illustrates Serbian fine art, its patterns, aspirations and reach from the last decades of the 19th century to the mid-20th century.

Vladan Vukosavljević

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

31 NATIONAL DAY OF MYANMAR

31 SWISS RACLETTE

JAN

JAN

CELEBRATED

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Union of Myanmar to Serbia, H.E. Thurain Thant Zin, hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Metropol Palace Hotel to mark the 72nd anniversary of Myanmar Independence Day. The reception was attended by a representative of the Serbian Government, members of the diplomatic corps and friends of the Embassy of Myanmar, as well as representatives of Serbia’s public scene and cultural life.

EVENING

Ambassador of Switzerland Hosts Swiss Raclette Evening Ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia H.E. Philippe Guex hosted the Swiss Raclette Evening at the Residence. Ambassador Guex accompanied by the President of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce Yana Mikhailova, addressed friends and partners of the Embassy, who enjoyed the evening networking while tasting delicious and world-famous delicacie.

Yana Mikhailova, H.E. Philippe Guex and Ana Govedarica, Roche Zoran Djordjević, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, H.E.Thurain Thant Zin with his wife

02 MEETING OF FEB

CONFINDUSTRIA’S ASSEMBLY IN BELGRADE

The formal meeting of Assembly of the Association of Italian Industrialists in Serbia, Confindustria Serbia was held on February 4th, in Belgrade, in the presence of the representatives of the Government of Serbia, the Italian Embassy, members and friends of this association. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said the two countries had a long tradition of successful cooperation, which has further improved and validated over time. President of Confindustria Serbia, Patrizio Dei Tos said that one of the priorities for business people doing business in a foreign country was constant and close cooperation with local institutions. “It is only through a relationship of trust, harmony, dialogue and knowledge sharing that we can economize with a clear goal and get the most out of our business projects,” said Dei Tos. Italian ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio, stated that Italy and Serbia were connected by historic friendship, based on intense political, cultural and economic/trade ties.

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Eric Kosuta, Branislav Nedimović, Minister,H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio, Ivica Dačić, Serbian Minister, Patrizio Dei Tos and Luca Zaia, President of Veneto Region

Gabriela Grujić, Assistant Minister for Dual and Entrepreneurial Education in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development

Irena Brajović, Director of Confindustria Serbia, Slavica Djukić Dejanović, Minister without portfolio responsible for demography and population policy and Patrizio Dei Tos

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

INTERVIEW

By: MILICA SAVIĆ

Social Activism is a Necessity for Every Responsible Person

IRINA LJUBIĆ The Jelena Šantić Foundation

In addition to her graceful movements, professional ballerina Jelena Šantić is remembered as one of the most significant peace activists in Serbia and in the republics of the former Yugoslavia. Her combination of humanity and art, intertwined with consistency, persistence and principality, is still remembered 20 years after her death. There are two important things that Jelena left behind - a daughter, Irina Ljubić, and the Jelena Šantić Foundation, which embodies the character and work of this fantastic woman. Jelena Šantić's life and work raise a number of topics relevant to the whole community, one of which is activism, which is validated by the fact that the Serbian National Council posthumously gave the Dijana Budisavljević Award to Jelena for her humanitarian work during the horrendous 1990s. If you were to ask Jelena if she were an activist, she would tell you it was not the time for labelling. Her daughter Irina talks about what would Jelena do today if she were alive and says: “I think she would remain active in the civil society because the work she started with others is not yet done. People still live very poorly and the situation is such that social activism is a necessity for every responsible person.”

In an interview for our magazine, Irina talks about her mother's work and activism then and now.

The work of NGOs is a very important link in activism. However, in the trust rankings, NGOs occupy only the 18th place, according to the NDI and CeSid survey, with this data dating back to 2014. Can you "measure" how much their work differs from the time when your mother was a social activist? What would it take to restore this trust?

— The period in which Jelena, Miljenko Dereta, Borka Pavićević, Vojin Dimitrijević, Biljana Kovačević

stantly raise the voice against the nationalist madness we all lived in. It took tremendous courage to stand up to it, and I believe that it was they who set the values on which civil society should operate today, namely solidarity, respect for dialogue, diversity, tolerance, etc. There is a common thread between their activism and activism today, which is that people have never trusted activists enough. The ongoing decline in trust in civil society is a misunderstanding of

PEOPLE SET COMMUNITIES IN MOTION, WE SET PEOPLE IN MOTION Vučo, Zorana Papić, Kosta Obradović and many who are no longer with us were activists was the period that required the whole life experience and integrity of each individual to be put into action in order to act in a moment that was important, all with the aim of mitigating the aftermath of the war, mutual hatred and intolerance, but also reduce media darkness, for which it was necessary to con-

what it really represents, and that is people who work daily to highlight the challenges of our fellow citizens, the need to improve the lives of every member of our community and the dangers of turning away from the democratic path.

The level of young people’s activism and their active participation varies significantly in different local communities, which

is closely related to the activities of youth policy stakeholders and the available youth programmes.

Do you think that these programmes should be more diverse? Or is it important for young people to be mentioned as a target group, which should be “attractive" enough in itself?

— The Jelena Šantić Foundation deeply believes that people set communities in motion. People set communities in motion, we set people in motion. Our experience shows that it is more important to focus on the needs of young people, what is important to them, and to provide access so they can meet their particular needs, but also to work on developing their communities. We strive to keep our approach open to young people; from giving them an opportunity to convey their ideas through video formats to providing them with all the support they themselves have identified that they need. Young people can contribute much more to society if we, as civil society, ask them, not if we design programmes or policies at our discretion.

Photo: Goranka Matić

Photo: Irina, private archive

The ongoing decline in trust in the civil society is a misunderstanding of what it really represents, and that is people who work daily to highlight the challenges of our fellow citizens, the need to improve the lives of every member of our community and the dangers of turning away from the democratic path

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BUSINESS NEWS

HOW TO SAVE A BUSINESS FROM FINANCIAL CRASH

“AMCHAMPS – YOUNG LEADERS IN CHANGE” CLASS OF 2020 LAUNCHED “AmChamps brings together the best students and managers and contributes by networking leading people in Serbia and professionals from domestic and international companies.

This program enhances the leadership potential of young managers, while students gain valuable experience by simultaneously improving their knowledge and skills," said Jelena Pavlovic, president of AmCham's board of Directors, at the opening ceremony of the seventh cycle of the educational program “AmChamps - Young Leaders in Change“. The seventh generation of the

program consists of 25 meticulously selected students and 25 young managers from the most successful companies in Serbia. The program is competitive in nature and the top students and mentors receive valuable prizes such as scholarships for MBA and Masters Studies at Sheffield University.

SETTING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR DELTA HOLDING NEW CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

Foundation stone for the new corporate building Delta House was set today at our construction site at Novi Beograd. Delta Holding invested 40 million euros in its new corporate headquarters. The total square footage of the building will be 23.000 square meters. The building will have 11 floors from which four will serve as Delta Holding corporate headquarters, two will

be for business leisure and five for commercial rental. Delta House will be a commercial building with the modern concept used by leading corporations in the world. Office space is designed with the employees in mind, so that it encourages creativity while staying comfortable and pleasant, but primarily wholesome for those who spend most of their time in it. Leisure space will include rooms for group activities, rooms for relaxing as well as touchdown working spaces. The project implies maximal use of daylight as well as air capacity in compliance with the most rigorous regulations.

EIF AND UNICREDIT SUPPORT FOR INNOVATIVE SMES The European Investment Fund (EIF) and UniCredit have agreed to increase the InnovFin SME guarantee aimed at improving access to finance for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-caps in nine countries. This new agreement will allow UniCredit to offer, via its nine banks and six leasing entities across Central and Eastern Europe, additional financing worth EUR 500m to innovative companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

This means that SMEs and mid-caps across these countries will have access to a total of EUR 1bn via UniCredit’s extensive network in the CEE region. This transaction benefits from the support of Horizon 2020, the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and the

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European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) – the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe. The banks in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia and the leasing company in Serbia will benefit from the support of a guarantee provided by the EIF and backed under Horizon 2020, while the guarantee agreements with the banks and leasing companies in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia will be backed by EFSI, the financial pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe.

Damage caused by cybercrime exceeds $ 600 billion annually and is projected to double in the coming years. Climate change effects are becoming increasingly severe and are growing by an average of 6% annually, and in Serbia, they have already caused billions of euros of damages, particularly in agriculture and electricity production. Wrong decisions made by top executives, managers, which are bound to happen due to increasing risks, can cause millions of euros worth of damage to the company and drive managers themselves deep into debt.

Domestic companies that become aware of these dangers on time will be more likely able to protect their businesses from financial risks.

Cyber risks, climate change and managerial responsibility are the topics of the conference "New Age Risks: Impacting Business and Assets", to be held on April 1st at Belgrade's Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The representatives of the National Bank of Serbia, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, national branch of CERT, Government Office for Public Investment Management, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Association of Serbian Banks, Institute of Meteorology and the Faculty of Physics of University of Belgrade will talk about potential risks at the conference..

Websites www.sveonovcu.rs and www.sveoosiguranju. rs are the conference's organizers. The conference's agenda and application form can be downloaded from www. konferencije-rizici.rs.

PHILIP MORRIS WON THE “TOP EMPLOYER” CERTIFICATE FOR THE FIFTH YEAR

Philip Morris Serbia has received the “Top Employer“ certificate and thus assumed the position of one of the best employers in Serbia and the world for the fifth year in a row. Philip Morris is certified as a “Top Employer” owing to the principles of good practice towards its employees, whose development and advancement are the priorities. The “Top Employer” certificate, granted by the international institute of the same name from The Netherlands, confirms excellence of Philip Morris Serbia’s approach to the employees and its strategy of supporting and empowering its people through tailored and individual programs in a stimulating working environment.

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INCREASED SWEDISH SUPPORT TO SERBIA Sweden and Serbia have a strong cooperation on Environment and Climate Change. The focus of the cooperation is to support EU environmental reform in Serbia – for people’s health, a clean environment and sustainable economy. Minister Trivan and the Ambassador of Sweden Jan Lundin today signed the extension of two cooperation agreements. Additionally, Sweden has recently also entered into three other agreements supporting projects related to Environment and Climate reform in Serbia. In total these five agreements have a value of 3.6 mil EUR. Sweden supports the Ministry of Environmental Protection in areas covering solid waste, wastewater, chemicals, industrial emission, strategic environmental financing and citizen participation in environmental decision-making. The two agreements now signed by Minister Trivan and Ambassador Lundin concern extension and additional funding: Priority Environmental Infrastructure for Development (PEID) to finalize the preparation tender documents for wastewater treatment plants in Niš and Čačak and The Chemical Management in Serbia that aims to improve the digitalization of the chemical management and harmonizing chemical policy with EU policy.

RESHAPING WORK CONFERENCE 27-28 FEBRUARY IN NOVI SAD Reshaping Work Conference – East and Southeast European Edition (ESE), the first conference on platform economy in this part of Europe, will be held 27-28 February 2020 in Novi Sad, Serbia. Since a number of countries in East and Southeast Europe represent one of the largest pools of digital platform workers measured per capita globally, we believe ESE deserves a closer look within the context of the future of work and gig economy. In this light, Reshaping Work ESE will bring together leading academics, business leaders, policymakers, labor union representatives and platform workers from different parts of Europe and beyond to discuss jointly the most

prominent issues of platform economy from the regional and comparative perspectives. The conference will take place on 27-28 February 2020 in Novi Sad, Serbia – the forthcoming European Capital of Culture for the year 2021, and is organized by Public Policy Research Center from Belgrade, Serbia.

FitPass

Losing Motivation at Work – What to do?

MAXI APPLICATION IS THE BEST IN 2019 Delhaize Serbia’s “Maxi Shop“ mobile app won the title of the best in this category in the previous year by magazine PC Press. At a ceremony in the City Hall of Belgrade, the awards for the best online achievements in all formats, with a positive impact on the quality of life and the quality of the Internet use, were granted. “Our company is committed to being a better place for shopping every day and to providing our customers, in addition to top quality of our portfolio, with high-quality service. We are glad that our customers, as well as the expert public, have recognised all the advantages offered by the app,” said Aleksandra Marić, E-commerce Manager in Delhaize Serbia

We often like to emphasize that when you do the work you love, it's no longer a job but a pleasure. Lack of motivation and decline in productivity is a normal thing that you can solve. First thing is to ask youself, what is your main goal doing your job? In order to define your goal, you need to be very disciplined.

If you decide to finish all the tasks today, don’t hesitate it! Make priority and believe that everything is going to be well. Also, what fulfills you after your job is completed? Some hobbies, hanging out with your friends or family? Remember, moments like these can always boost your motivation.

Common sports activities are very good for relaxing people and make them open to communication; teamwork naturally motivates them to collaboration.

Sport brings them closer to each other. Frequent sports activities and events will always motivate employees to socialize, talk, develop better relationships and share good energy in the work environment. Over time, new tasks will be seen as challenges and coming to work as a kind of personal and professional satisfaction.

No matter how’s yours condition, there are no excuses for avoiding training.

If you are still not a member of our large family of satisfied users and you would want to, you can find all the necessary information on www.fitpass.rs, in the section for business users www.fitpass.rs/ kompanije. Also, if you have any questions or want more detailed information, you can contact our customer support at kontakt@fitpass.rs which will get back to you FitPass team as soon as possible.

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CULTURE

“1917” is a Work of Cinematic Wizardry But while the “single-shot” cinematography is impressive, the simplistic story is less so Halfway Through “1917”, the film’s heroes are knocked unconscious and the screen goes black, but that is the only moment, it seems, when the camera stops rolling. Otherwise, Sir Sam Mendes’s first-world-war drama appears to consist of one long, continuous, two-hour take, all shot by a single roving camera.

Sir Sam is cheating, of course— there are numerous cuts which have been cleverly hidden with digital effects. But “1917” joins “Rope”, “Russian Ark”, “Victoria”, “Son of Saul” and the Oscar-winning “Birdman” in the canon of films with almost no discernible editing. Its director of photography, Roger Deakins, has won one Oscar for his cinematography and has been nominated for 13 more.

When Academy voters see his latest display of technical wizardry, that number should rise to 14.

The heroes are two young English soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman). First seen napping in a French meadow, they are summoned to meet a gruff general (Colin Firth); he tells them that a battalion a few miles away is about to advance on the Germans, but an aerial photograph has revealed that they are heading into a trap. As the Brits’ telegraph wires have been cut, the only way to prevent the slaughter of 1,600 men is to deliver a letter to the division’s commanding officer (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Why the general entrusts such a vital mission to only two soldiers is never explained, but the task is essentially a pretext to get them out of the trenches and into danger.

First they have to cross the mud and tangled barbed wire of no man’s land. Then there is a tunnel system which collapses around them. Then there is an abandoned farmhouse, then a fast-flowing river—and so on.

One strange paradox is that, despite having so few noticeable edits, “1917” does not seem to have a continuous narrative, but a series of separate sections.

It is impressive that Sir Sam has

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SIR SAM IS KNOWN FOR DIRECTING “AMERICAN BEAUTY” AND THE LAST TWO JAMES BOND MOVIES, BUT NOT FOR GRITTY NATURALISM OR POLITICAL HEFT—QUALITIES THAT “1917” LACKS packed so many distinct locations and tones into a film with such a restricted time-frame, but it never feels as if the soldiers are real people enduring the exhausting slog and stress of a real journey.

Instead it seems as if they are video-game characters, completing one well-designed level before moving onto the next.

Sir Sam is known for directing “American Beauty” and the last two James Bond movies, but not for gritty naturalism or political heft—qualities that “1917” lacks.

The set-pieces are oddly old-fashioned, rife as they are with Germans who are conveniently bad shots, and with daredevil stunts

straight out of an “Indiana Jones” blockbuster. The imagery is often more beautiful than ghastly: in one ruined town, the dancing shadows resemble the sort of son et lumière show at which you might have gasped at a French chateau on holiday.

The acting and dialogue, too, are no more than functional. This is the first film that Sir Sam has co-written as well as directed, and his “Boy’s Own” adventure doesn’t say anything about the first world war which wasn’t said by “Private Peaceful”, which co-starred Mr MacKay, or “War Horse”, which costarred Mr Cumberbatch, let alone “Blackadder Goes Forth” and any

number of war comics.

For all the grisly corpses strewn throughout the film—human, equine and canine—“1917” offers an outdated and idealistic ode to the Great War as a simple conflict between good and evil. The Jerries are sneaky, the French Mademoiselles are lovely, the working-class Tommies are doughty and even the stiff-upper-lipped top brass do what’s best for everyone. Sir Sam has certainly pulled off an extraordinary feat of choreography, but the viewer’s doubts about his shallow film could well echo their doubts about the war itself: all that effort and expense—and for what?

“1917” was released in America on December 25th 2019. It is released in Britain on January 10th.

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

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INTERVIEW

Text: SANJA ŠOJIĆ

By Respecting Tradition We Create Tradition Our goal is to show how a traditional institution can be contemporary and up-to-date and as such, a place of learning, dialogue and good fun

TIJANA PALKOVLJEVIĆ BUGARSKI, PhD Director of the Gallery of Matica Srpska Novi Sad

The Gallery of Matica Srpska has staged an exhibition at the National Gallery of Slovenia, as the most representative embodiment of the Serbian culture abroad. The exhibition opening was a good reason to talk to Tijana Palkovljević Bugarski, Director of the Gallery of Matica Srpska. At the beginning of the interview with Diplomacy&Commerce, she says that the exhibition titled “Serbian Modernism, 1880-1950, from the collection of the Gallery of Matica Srpska” came about following an invitation from the National Gallery of Slovenia from Ljubljana and with the desire to present to the Slovenian public a part of the Serbian cultural heritage by showcasing the artwork from one of the oldest national institutions in the Republic of Serbia. The exhibition includes 86 works of art, 75 paintings, 7 sculptures and 4 prints and comprehensively illustrates the Serbian fine art, its patterns, aspirations and reach from the last decades of the 19th century to the mid-20th century.

“Through the works of 50 authors, we presented the path from the realistic choices created under the influence of the academies in Vienna and Munich to the shift towards 20th-century modernism, caused by the Serbian painters

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pursuing their education and living in Prague, Budapest and finally Paris as the centre of 20th-century artistic ideas. Therefore, the exhibition points to a developmental path from ideas of realism, impressionism and symbolism to actual expressionistic and intimistic interpretations articulated through portraits, landscapes, still life, nudity and interiors. Along with the most representative artists such as Uroš Predić, Paja Jovanović, Steva Aleksić, Ivan Tabaković, Nadežda Petrović, Petar Dobrović, Sava Šumanović, Milan Konjović and Petar

art and culture are the best ambassadors of any country.

The exhibition “Serbian Modernism, 1880-1950, from the collection of the Gallery of Matica Srpska” was conceived with the idea to highlight the unique artistic space and similarities of our collections, which in the dialogue, open numerous opportunities for better understanding and cooperation.

Hence, professional interpretations and appropriate lectures will be held throughout the exhibition, as will an educational programme for children. Since the exhibition

MY VISION OF THE GALLERY’S FUTURE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR UNTIL THE END OF 2022 WHEN WE WILL MARK OUR 175th ANNIVERSARY Lubarda, whose artwork chronologically comes last at the exhibition, we have also showcased the artwork of perhaps lesser known painters who left their mark in the history of Serbian art, but also in the collection of the Gallery of Matica Srpska. We are extremely grateful to Director Barbara Jaki for the invitation and the opportunity to present a part of our collection at the most prestigious gallery in Slovenia. At the same time, we are proud that by working together, we have succeeded in staging an exhibition that will surely be important for establishing even more active and fruitful relations between our institutions, national cultures and the countries themselves, because

is open until May 3, 2020, I believe that a large part of the audience will have the opportunity to visit and get to know the Serbian fine art from the era of modernism,” explains Tijana Palkovljević Bugarski.

Are you satisfied with the results that the Gallery of Matica Srpska achieved in 2019?

— 2019 was a remarkable year for the Gallery of Matica Srpska in terms of major national projects and significant awards. We staged several important exhibitions that demonstrated that we are the leading institution in the presentation of national arts. We staged exhibitions dedicated to Djura Jakšićand Teodor Kračun at the Gallery, as

well as an exhibition about Sava Šumanović, which we staged at the Serbian Cultural Centre in Paris. In 2019, we also received an extraordinary gift from Sava Stepanov's Gift Collection and subsequently, a small museum, containing 75 pieces of artwork, became part of our museum, for which we are truly grateful to the donor. We have staged a phenomenal exhibition together with the young people from Novi Sad called “Young People Choose”, and thus brought the museum closer to younger people.

And finally, we continued to work with our longtime partners to host two exhibitions at the Gallery.

In cooperation with the French Institute in Serbia, we staged the exhibitions “The Portrait of a Time - Photography by Felix Nadar” and “Punktumi - a Collection of Foreign Art from the Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska” in Banja Luka.

With these exhibitions, we brought the European art scene to our city, as well as the spirit of Europe to the future European capital. In parallel, we also worked on the promotion of the Serbian culture in the region and we staged our exhibition “The European Phenomena” in Pécs, Timisoara and Banja Luka. In cooperation with the Italian Institute of Culture, we organized the exhibition “Inspired by Italy” in Belgrade, and in the year marking 140 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Serbia, we underlined the duration and strength of the influence that the Italian art masters had on Serbian painters. The

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exhibition season at the Gallery will begin with the grand opening of the exhibition “Inspired by Italy” on March 6th. So, our work never stops and the programmes keep coming one after the other.

What will you remember 2019 by?

— I will remember 2019 by the many different awards we received, which are, in fact, a reflection of our numerous activities and a wide scope of our engagement. First of all, we received the Despot Stefan Lazarević Medal from the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Medal of the Budapest Eparchy for our contribution to the opening of the Serbian Church Museum in Szentendre. These acknowledgements are the result of our dedicated work on preserving the church's heritage in the Serbian cultural area, that is, in Serbia and the region. The Forum of Slavic Cultures, the organization that awards the Best Slavic Museum Award, we received the Museum Leadership Award for being recognized as a museum that, through its work, elevates the standards of museum activity and serves as a role model to others.

We are also the recipients of the Captain Miša Anastasijević Award, for our programmes in the field of culture and art. Finally, at the very end of the year, we received the award for Best Short Museum Film, selected by the audiences.

This award is especially symbolic to me because we received it for a film that is a true illustration of our institution. The film was made by the Gallery’s employees, who became actors for that purpose and in collaboration with our partner, Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. The film is 100% a product of Novi Sad, created as a result of an idea, enthusiasm and teamwork. We got the award because the people in Novi Sad, who recognized the uniqueness of the film, and thus gave us their vote. Such a large number of votes, which led to us receiving the award, is a reflection of Novi Sad and our fellow citizens who visit, love and follow their cultural institutions. This is also one of the reasons why Novi Sad was declared the European Capital of Culture. I will also remember 2019 by meeting the French President Emmanuel Macron and his question – “What is France doing for the Serbian culture?” Being given an opportunity to answer that question is something that I will remember until the rest of my life.

The Gallery of Matica Srpska is one of the oldest national cultural institutions. How do you see national cultural identity in practice and in the context of globalization and nationalism?

— I truly believe that national cultural identity is defined, created and preserved precisely in cultural institutions such as the Gallery. Our task is to create and safeguard it through fine arts, that is, exhibitions, publications and programmes that we organize, and thus present the image of national identity to the public. However, in order to get to know our idiosyncrasies and values better, we need to know the art of others or the wider social context in which our art is made. And that's exactly what we do. We are dealing with national artists at a high scientific level. We organize exhibitions of

the Serbian art at home and abroad and at the same time, we bring the European art here, to the Gallery.

We try to initiate a dialogue between them and thus highlight the connections, influences, similarities and differences. Also, we are constantly working with children and young people to develop an awareness of national identity and the place that the Serbian culture occupies in the European context.

Our goal is to provide the public with the best of the national culture through our programmes and to develop a sense of pride in our own values and cultural heritage among our audience.

Matica Srpska is usually perceived as a conservative institution. Is that true?

— I believe that this is the dominant impression among the ma-

THE EXHIBITION SEASON AT THE GALLERY WILL BEGIN WITH THE GRAND OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION “INSPIRED BY ITALY” ON MARCH 6th

jority of people, but in reality, it is quite the opposite. We are an institution that has been constantly changing and transforming for two decades now, all with the aim of accentuating the place and role of museums in contemporary society. Our goal is to show how a traditional institution can be modern and current and as such, a place of learning, dialogue and good fun. Our programmes, such as “Growing Up in a Museum”, under which auspices we hold concerts for babies, make us the first child-friendly museum. Then there is the exhibition “Young People Choose” that we have staged in collaboration with high school students from Novi Sad, as well as our collaboration with the British Council with which we staged the exhibition called “The Perceptions – Woman Tailor-Made to Society”. Through our programmes, we strive to change society for the better, to ask questions and to provide answers through the language of fine arts.

We want to show that museums are not only a place of preserving the past, but also a place for current events and reflections that create a better future. We sincerely believe that we are called not only to introduce the audience to the idiosyncrasies and reach of our national art, but also to place it in the wider context of the European art, to present the European art and to raise several relevant questions regarding the contemporary moment and quality of life in the local community.

How do you see the Gallery’s future?

AWARD FROM FRANCE Last year the French Ministry of Culture awarded you the French Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. How much does this recognition mean to you?

— It is an extraordinary honour to receive such a great and significant recognition. The most important thing for me is the recognition of our decades-long work on mapping and presenting the links between French and Serbian culture and art in the past and the present. It is indisputable that the French state has been a strong role model for the Serbian people for a long time and that Paris, as the centre of cultural life in the late 19th and early 20th century, was the artistic capital in which many Serbian artists revelled. Maintaining these connections and being aware of their importance has been a part of our activities for years. To me personally, this recognition means a lot. I grew up in a family which always spoke of France with great respect. My father was a huge Francophile who passed that love onto my sister and me.

— My vision of the Gallery’s future is crystal clear until the end of 2022 when we will mark our 175th anniversary. My team and I know exactly, on a month-to-month basis, what will happen in the next three years and what we will be working on. We are facing major projects with which we will participate in the programme of Novi Sad 2021 European Capital of Culture and a celebration of our jubilee for which we are preparing a programme worthy of such a great and important anniversary. We will present our vision of the role and place of the Gallery of Matica Srpska in Novi Sad, the Serbian culture and the European context. We will do our best to demonstrate that we are worthy successors of the ideas of our founders and thus validate our slogan – “By respecting tradition we create tradition”.

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REPORTAGE

By: ROBERT ČOBAN

Kolo in King Zog’s Palace Together with his business partners, Muhammad Kurmeni, born in Ulcinj, is the owner of several hotels in the town of Durres, located on a Riviera that, in the last five years, has simply been flourishing. The sea here is clean, the beaches are sandy and the food is fresh, succulent and much cheaper than in the neighbouring countries popular with tourists – Greece and Montenegro Durres is recovering from an earthquake: The sunset in the Adriatic

A few minutes before 4 a.m. on November 26th, last year, sleepy residents and a handful of guests of Durres were awakened by the intense tremors of the ground. 52 people were killed, almost half of them in Durres (25), 3,000 were injured, 14,000 were left homeless and 14,000 buildings were damaged in the earthquake.

"Fortunately, it wasn't a weekend, otherwise there would be a lot more dead people in hotels," Muhammad tells us as we drive down the main street in Durres, passing residential buildings and hotels on both sides of the road, damaged by the earthquake. Several buildings and hotels suffered such damage that they had to be demolished.

The catastrophic earthquake in Albania, on the other hand, generated great solidarity among the local hoteliers who offered their temporary accommodation to the people who were left homeless, while many countries that neighbour Albania, including Serbia, sent their rescue teams, money, food, medications and medical supplies. The visit by Vučić, Djukanović and Zaev that followed further solidified the idea of the so-called “Mini Schengen” and stabilized the relations in this part of the Western Balkans.

The good personal relationship between Aleksandar Vučić and Edi Rama has visibly benefitted the atmosphere between the official Belgrade and Tirana.

The plane was almost full in both directions, as we travelled

by Airbus rather than ATR, as is

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the case with most cities in the region with seven Belgrade-Tirana flights a week. When we got there, we spoke Serbian everywhere and encountered no problems whatsoever. Even one of the taxi drivers tried to explain to us in Italian his fascination with the good relations between Serbia and Putin.

The earthquake and what followed was also a good motive for the Albanian Ministry of Tourism and Environment to host an international conference called "Albania: Tourism for Solidarity and Sustainability" last week, dedicated to assistance to an earthquake-stricken country and the recovery of its tourism industry in international markets. Serbia's Assistant Minister, Renata Pindžo

”They take great care of decoration and design there. They have good taste, which they inherited from the Italians,” Adela Petrović, who runs the Albanian office of Direct Media in Tirana, tells me as we drink coffee in sun-kissed Belgrade in January.

On the eve of the conference, the Albanian Minister of Tourism and Environment, Blendi Klosi hosted a dinner at the Gzona Restaurant. We feasted on traditional Albanian dishes prepared in a contemporary way and drank excellent local wines. Girls and women, all tall and pretty, tastefully dressed, devoid of plastic look, were all around us. The restaurant’s band plays "Shallow" while the director of the Environmental Protection

THE GOOD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ AND EDI RAMA HAS VISIBLY BENEFITTED THE ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN THE OFFICIAL BELGRADE AND TIRANA and YUTA Director, Aleksandar Senicic spoke on the topic.

We were accommodated in a brand new, modern-looking hotel “The Plaza” in the town centre.

From there, our hosts took us to dinner on a fortress that was built by the famous Albanian noble family, Toptani, back in 1798. The pedestrian zone inside the fort is brimming with tastefully decorated cafes and restaurants, the sidewalks are impeccably clean, the holiday lighting is appropriate…

Agency invites his colleague from the Ministry to dance with him.

An unwitting traveller would be under the impression that they found themselves in a West European city, not a country that was once one of the poorest and most deprived countries of the Balkans.

The Clock Tower" I see from my hotel room was built in 1822. It stands at 35 metres tall and until 1978, it was the tallest building in Tirana. In the 10 years since I had been to the Albanian capital last,

the progress here is visible to the naked eye: dozens of new buildings and hotels, parks and boulevards have been built.

From time to time, you can see the relics of the socialist bunker past from the time when Enver Hoxha was an ally of Mao's China and Europe's most rigid communist dictator, as well as kitschy palaces built in Baroque and Renaissance imitations in the first ten years of transition. However, Tirana, led by young and pro-active mayor Erion Veliaj (age 41), is gradually starting to resemble a modern, well-organized metropolis with no over-sized monuments, as one can see in Skopje, or the flamboyant Christmas lights in Belgrade.

I used the time between breakfast and the start of the conference to walk through the sunny squares and streets in downtown Tirana. The old people in the park are playing dominoes, while the National Museum has not been opened since the earthquake, as written on a notice printed on A4 paper, found at the entrance to an impressive building that contains the mosaic from Albanian history and the socialist revolution. There is also a large carousel in the central town square, but no children on it yet. It was fascinating to see that the fronts of all buildings from the period between the wars are freshly painted and restored. The January sun and palm trees give an impression that we are in a Mediterranean town after all.

The conference at The Plaza

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brought together representatives of line ministries and tourism companies from across the region, as well as the World Tourism Organization officials. Although announced as the conference speaker, Prime Minister Edi Rama was a noshow despite the security checking all parts of the hotel all morning.

The conference was followed by an afternoon trip to Durres and lunch at one of the coastline hotels. I was seated next to the Slovenian Ambassador to Albania, Peter Japelj, a top intellectual and world traveller. He tells me about an Albanian movie - "East, West, East: The Final Sprint" - a 2009 comedy in which a group of Albanian cyclists head to the Tour de France and find out in Trieste that a revolution has erupted in their country.

The final event was the Gala Dinner at the Presidential Palace, i.e. the castle of Albanian King Zog I, which construction began in 1936 and ended in 1941 at the expense of the Italian armed forces who occupied Albania, when the king was already in exile. The road leading to the palace and its exterior are very reminiscent of Beli Dvor (the White Palace in Belgrade), designed in the style of "monumental rationalism" by Gherardo Bosio, an Italian architect who worked extensively in the 1930s on designing urban centre of Tirana. Victor Emmanuel III, the King of Italy, was the only crowned head to ever sleep in the palace and who visited this place in May 1941.

The entrance to the palace is adorned with socialist motifs, added after 1945. The marble staircase, leading to the first floor, features 'fasces', one of the prominent fascist symbols of the Benito Mussolini era, which somehow survived all the changes of governments and ideologies in Albania and with no-one paying attention to them

Gala dinner at the Presidential Palace

anymore. A colourful company at our table, that included the ambassador of North Macedonia, the owner of a travel agency from Dubrovnik, several locals and the ambassador of Serbia to Tirana, Miroljub Zarić, known as a Yugoslav and Serbian record holder in ambassadorial tenure. Ambassador Zarić has been a diplomatic repre-

Prince Leka II (age 38), who was allowed by the authorities in Tirana to have a wedding there, in 2016, at his grandfather's palace attended by numerous European crowned heads, from the Spanish Queen Mother, Sofia to our Aleksandar Karadjordjević.

During one of the music numbers at the Gala Dinner, I scram-

THE FINAL EVENT WAS THE GALA DINNER AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, I.E. THE CASTLE OF ALBANIAN KING ZOG I, WHICH CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 1936 AND ENDED IN 1941 sentative of Serbia in Albania for 17 years even though he has officially retired in the past few years, which is an absolute record even if we take to SFRY period into account.

An experienced diplomat, who is fluent in Albanian, he is even more familiar with the situation in "Land of the Eagles". At one time, the US ambassador persuaded him to write a memoir, but Zarić refused to do so. Ambassador Zarić tells us about the wedding of the young aspirant to the Albanian throne,

Albanian Tourism Minister Blendi Klosi opens the conference

bled out of the main hall, climbed the stairs, and started wandering around the palace, colliding with numerous models and starlets and their friends posing for photographers in the lavish atmosphere of the castle. As Albania strictly enforces smoking ban (in fact, except for Serbia, the ban is enforced in all Western Balkan countries, even in the Republic of Srpska), several women have been shaking from the cold while standing at the entrance to the palace and having a

The ill-fated castle of King Zog I: The Presidential Palace in the suburbs of Tirana

smoke. As "Tu Vuo 'Fa l'Americano", a famous 1956 Italian song from the movie "The Talented Mr Ripley" (1999) was playing in the background, I spoke to a Kosovo-born girl whose agency organized the event. She tells me that 99% of the hotel business in Albania is in the hands of local entrepreneurs.

Some of this is "old money", if it is at all possible to have „old money“ in transition countries, some of it a result of money laundering and sometimes it is an investment by the large and influential Albanian diaspora. Still, the mix of politics and private capital in Albania is obviously very strong and quite stimulating for the domestic entrepreneurial spirit.

As I re-enter the hall, I can see that almost all hotel guests are dancing the kolo. The singer is singing a contemporary song with national lyrics, while men and women, both young and old, including the minister, are holding their hands and dancing. This scene would be impossible to imagine at Beli Dvor, for example, after an international conference in Belgrade. The Albanians, as a young nation, are experiencing the rapture that some other nations had 30, 50 or 100 years ago.

"People here are very divided; they argue about politics and business.

Although, the Albanians from Albania don't like the Albanians from Kosovo and those from the South don't like those from the North, when a topic of national importance comes up, they are all like one,” one of the foreign ambassadors in Tirana says to me as he blows smoke from his cigar on a cold night in Tirana. The lesson here is very interesting, but I'm not sure how applicable it is to their neighbours; “the old nations" like the Serbs, Greeks, Montenegrins or Macedonians.

Children's Joy and the Socialist Past: A scene from downtown Tirana

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CULTURE

What's Spring if it Ain't Soulful and Jazzy?

Musicology Barcaffe Sessions announces upcoming concerts

Concert series that irrevocably stole a part of Belgrade's cultural and music scene with world-class sold-out concerts at the beginning of the season, marked yet another Musicology Barcaffe Sessions effort to bring world-renowned musicians to the city of Belgrade. Musicology has been recognized more and more in those city corners filled with a particular hunger for quality and unique musical experiences.

Not only did Musicology sell out every concert this fall, but it also managed to become a synonym for a cultural shelter that never ceases to amaze, bringing the world's greatest jazz/blues/funk/ soul/RnB artists to the Belgrade crowd. By always listening to the audience's wishes, this organization created a faithful community that takes part in performers selection and provides endless support to the project.

The organizers say they will continue with their effort to bring the same quality experiences in 2020 as well. The first artist to perform at Musicology series this year will be the enigmatic phenomenon, Sharon KOVACS, who will have two concerts at Bitefartcafe club on March 7 and 8. This shaven-headed singer hiding the voice of a soul legend has been widely compared to Amy Whinehouse, as well as old-school soul divas.

Joshua Redman’s concerts will soon follow on March 19 and 20, at the same venue.

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Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee She-

droff. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of music, and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. But although Joshua loved playing the

MUSICOLOGY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED MORE AND MORE IN THOSE CITY CORNERS FILLED WITH A PARTICULAR HUNGER FOR QUALITY AND UNIQUE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES

saxophone and was a dedicated member of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz He published 20 albums, had 2 Grammy nominations, and had outstanding critics from worldclass music magazines that had positioned him as one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of today.

The third artist to perform is the trumpeter with 5 Grammy’s in his pocket. Terence Blanchard will have a concert at Bitefartcafe on April 23. Five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present. With his current quintet E-Collective he addresses the staggering cyclical epidemic of gun violence in this country with his new album Live, 7 powerful songs recorded live in concert that both reflect the bitter frustration of the conscious masses while also providing a balm of emotional healing.

With a title that carries a pointed double meaning, the album is an impassioned continuation of the band’s GRAMMY-nominated 2015 studio recording, Breathless.

The music of Live was symbolically culled from concerts performed at venues in three communities that have experience escalating conflicts between law enforcement and African American citizens condemming gun violence of all manner whether against profiled citizens of color or targeted members of law enforcement.

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KOLARAC

Concert hall

CALENDAR & NEWS

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

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20:00

#BEETHOVENONTIMELINE 3

CONCERT PROGRAMME February 2020

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Artistic Leader: Bernhard Forck, violin Bernhard Forck

Bernhard Forck has dedicated himself to the violin since the age of five.

After completing his studies in 1986 at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin with Eberhard Feltz he became a member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. At the same time he became interested in historical performance practice and studied with several leading authorities in the field, including Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

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#BEETHOVENRULES 3

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Uroš Lajović Soloists: Clemens Hagen, violoncello Natalija Mladenović, piano

9th at 11am

KOTORART TRIO

Uroš Lajović

Uroš Lajovic was born on 4 July 1944 in Ljubljana. He studied composition and conducting at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, graduating in 1967 and in 1969, respectively. For his outstanding acchievements in both fields, he was awarded the 1968 and 1969 Student Prešeren Prize.

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#BEETHOVENBRO 3

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Gregor Mayrhofer Soloist: Ksenija Milošević, violin

Ratimir Martinović, piano Aleksandar Tasić, clarinet Dmitrij Prokofjev, cello Production: Music Centre Admission free 14th at 8pm

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic Soloists: Clemens Hagen, violoncello Natalija Mladenović, piano Production: Belgrade

Philharmonic Orchestra More information – 0112630744 21st at 8pm

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Gregor Mayrhofer Soloist: Ksenija Milošević, violin Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra More information – 0112630744 22nd at 8pm

STEINWAY & SONS CONCERT SEASON 2019/20

Denis KOZHUKHIN, piano Programme: Beethoven, Sonata No 14 Schubert, Emprompty op. 142 Grieg, Lyric Pieces Ravel, La Valse Production: Piano Land 28th at 8pm

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz String Quartet of the Belgrade Philharmonic Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra More information – 0112630744

Gregor Mayrhofer

Conductor, composer and pianist Gregor A. Mayrhofer is currently assistant conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and he is the first person to receive the Sir Simon Rattle Scholarship of the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Graduate of the Juilliard School, Gregor A. Mayrhofer studied conducting with Alan Gilbert.

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20:00

#BEETHOVENTHEINFLUENCER 4 Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz String Quartet of the Belgrade Philharmonic Soloists: Elisabeth Teige, soprano, Simone Schröder, alto, Paul McNamara, tenor, Teruhiko Komori, baritone

Belgrade Philharmonic String Quartet

The Quartet’s latest achievements include concerts at events such as Silver Lyra Festival in St. Petersburg (Russia), Musikfesttage an der Oder (Poland/Germany), the Abu Dhabi Classics Festival, the season opening of the Chamber music in Desert, at the Liwa Oasis, in the United Arab Emirates, then two concert tours in China, performing at Tianjin Concert Hall, followed by concerts at the Centre Culturel de Serbie, in Paris, and the Cultural Centre in Izmir, Turkey.

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TRAVELOGUE

Writer and photographer: DUŠKO VUKAJLOVIĆ

Prophet Noah’s Proud People A visit to Chechnya, a Russian republic which is rapidly developing after bloody wars “You are really out of your mind. Do you really have to go? Please don’t. You’ll get killed there.” These three sentences sum up what my cousins, friends and colleagues told me when I informed them that I was going to Chechnya. Finding someone to travel with me was even more difficult. The Chechen government was willing to play host to a group of journalists who would see for themselves what the situation was like in this former Russian republic today. I invited my colleagues from the region. Nobody from Sarajevo and Zagreb wanted (or dared) to come with me. Jure, a seasoned war reporter from Ljubljana, answered my message and said:” It’s going to be rock ‘n’ roll. I am coming for sure!” A cameraman and a female colleague of mine immediately accepted my invitation, yearning for some “rock ‘n’ roll” too. After almost 20 hours, two three-hour flights and waiting for hours at a restaurant at Moscow airport, we finally saw the Caucasian Mountains, the mountain chain that separates Europe and Asia. According to a myth, this is where Zeus chained Prometheus.

The Caucasian Mountains are, at the same time, cruel and beautiful, and so are the people who live on its slopes, the Chechens, as the Russians call them. Or Nohchi - the descendants of the prophet Noah - as they like to call themselves.

We've all read, listened to and watched footage of them being portrayed as terrorists, cruel butchers and fanatics.

The Chechens are quite proud and strongly militant people, but never, in the thousands of years long history, did they attack anoth-

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"YOU PEOPLE IN THE BALKANS, ORTHODOX AND MUSLIM, YOU ARE NOT ENEMIES. YOU ARE BROTHERS. YOUR ENEMY IS THE ONE WHO PITTED YOU AGAINST EACH OTHER” er country. All they did was defend their own. The only aggression that can be attributed to them is the wars from the end of the last and the beginning of this century, when part of Chechnya, led by terrorists Dudayev and Maskhadov, invaded the territories of neighbouring republics, trying to create the so-called Caucasian caliphate.

Nevertheless, the Chechen people, led by Akhmat Kadyrov, managed, with the help of the Russians, to get rid of the terrorists. Kadyrov paid the ultimate price - he was

killed in the 2004 assassination, but today, his son Ramzan, runs the country. He was appointed by Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, as the "head of Chechnya" (the official name of the post). Putin also appointed Apti Allaudinov, the Chechen interior minister, who, due to his merit in fighting with the terrorists, became the youngest police general in all of Russia. Apti was our host us during the three-day visit.

The General was also our chauffer and drove us across

the republic in his SUV. We were amazed to see that he drove himself and was not driven. At this remark, he started laughing out loud.

"It would be a shame for someone to drive me. Well, I'm 47 years old.

If I can't drive myself now, how can I manage the police? Drivers are for the elderly, over 80, when they can no longer drive alone,” he said in all seriousness. He takes us to the remains of the ancient city of Nikara, located on the border with Georgia. He explains that we are the first foreign civilians in the last 30 years to enter that zone, where bloody battles have taken place. Every few kilometres we see a lonely tower in the hills.

Allaudinov explains that these are the Chechen watchtowers, the so-called bashnya, which are strategically aligned. "Sometimes, the

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guards would send messages using smoke signals that the enemy was coming, and if there was fog, they would beat the drums and thus convey a message from tower to tower," the general tells us a story from the history of his people.

It is these towers that the general sees as one of the tourist attractions for future visitors to Chechnya. He advises all potential tourists that peace is prevailing in the country today and that no-one will attack them, except perhaps bears and wolves, if they go for a walk in the Caucasian wilderness.

War is also an inevitable topic of conversation. We ask him how it is possible for Russians and Chechens to live in harmony today and if he could draw a parallel with the conflicts in the Balkans. "You people in the Balkans, Orthodox and Muslim, you are not enemies. You are brothers. Your enemy is the one who pitted you against each other,” General Allaudinov says. He adds that we all share a common enemy that is the powerful US and NATO leaders. He underlines that he has nothing against the American people and that he is referring only to American politicians. He also sees no difference between Trump, Clinton, Bush...

On the other hand, he glorifies Kadyrov and Putin. Apti is not just a warrior and a politician. He writes loving and emotional songs.

He enjoys music. While Chechen and Russian hits are playing on the car radio, the general is enthusiastically singing them. It seems to me that he would be equally successful if he took up a microphone and the guitar, which, he says, is his favourite instrument, instead of a gun. As we drive through the countryside, the general brakes suddenly. Standing in front of a gate is an old lady who sells fruit.

He buys three bags full of apples, pears and medlar so we can munch on them on our way. The taste of succulent apples takes me back 30 years when I stayed with my grandmother in her village. Unfortunately, you cannot buy such fruit anywhere in Serbia today. In the village of Nohchi-Keloy, we can see plenty of modern houses, a new school, a health centre ... Until just 15 years ago, this is where the fiercest fighting with terrorists took place. It was Apti, with three elite policemen, who entered the area brimming with over 3,000 terrorists and managed to reach their headquarters. The terrorist leaders were killed and peace reigned onwards. “You see, everything is

clean and peaceful now. As I said, a safe country,” our driver says convincingly. His words ring true as we see smiling children running through the streets and their teacher, who walks freely through this decidedly Muslim place with a large Orthodox cross on a chain.

Next, we arrive at Lake Kezenoyam.

This is indescribable beauty at almost 3,000 metres above sea level, on the border with Dagestan.

The Soviet Union teams used to prepare for the Olympics here. Today, it is a tourist attraction and an ideal place for a vacation; to charge your batteries and relax both the soul and the body. There is not enough space in this magazine to

describe all the beauty of Chechnya that we have seen, and the two days we were there were not enough to thoroughly enjoy them.

If all goes according to plan, we are coming to the Caucasus again.

And I wholeheartedly recommend it to you too. Chechnya, which is a predominantly Muslim republic, has breathlessly beautiful mosques and the largest mosque in Europe, dedicated to Prophet Muhammad, which construction was completed this year. The mosque is located in the city of Shali. The marble used in this monumental building, imported from Thassos, cost € 50 million. Two other mosques are a must-see too – the Heart of Chech-

THE CHECHENS ARE QUITE PROUD AND STRONGLY MILITANT PEOPLE, BUT NEVER, IN THE THOUSANDS OF YEARS LONG HISTORY, DID THEY ATTACK ANOTHER COUNTRY

nya in Grozny and a mosque dedicated to Ramzan's mother, Aymani Kadyrova in Argun. It is unique in its architecture, with the incredibly beautiful interior.

There is an Orthodox shrine in the centre of Grozny, the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael, which extremists tried to level to the ground in 1996. Today, it is guarded by the Russian special forces. They say that a sincere prayer made in this church will always be answered.

BOTH AROMA AND TASTE

The food in Chechnya could, at the very least, be described as aromatic and tasty. Cheese and fresh vegetables are served with each meal. Soups are full of large pieces of meat, chicken, beef or mutton, as you wish. Lamb skewers and chicken prepared in various ways are the specialities here. The bread reminds us of our flatbread, but it is always served hot, as is hingal - something that can most easily be described as pancakes filled with zucchini and cheese. Alcohol is not served, but I guarantee you will enjoy homemade cranberry or pear juices mixed with fizzy water. My biggest surprise was how everything was clean and orderly in Chechnya. After Belarus, this is truly the cleanest region I have visited.

Unlike Belgrade, which reminds of a landfill, Grozny or any other town or village in Chechnya we passed through were spotlessly clean – there is no piece of paper on the floor, let alone bags full of rubbish lying in the street. Our host finds that harsh penalties for communal violations have contributed to this, just like high fines for traffic violations, so today, in Grozny, you cannot see a driver exceeding the speed limit, not putting their seatbelt on or disrespecting pedestrians. Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, also dubbed “The Dubai of the Caucus”, actually refutes its name with its appearance.

The name “Grozny” was probably more fitting in the 1990s, at a time of devastation. Today, the city is adorned with beautiful parks, wide streets, modern skyscrapers and new residential and other buildings every step of the way.

A music fountain larger than the one in Dubai, a dolphinarium and a mosque dedicated to Akhmad Kadyrov, which they call the Heart of Chechnya, are stunningly beautiful. Chechnya and Russia’s flags are flying everywhere, and many buildings and billboards feature photographs of Vladimir Putin and Akhmad and Ramzan Kadyrov.

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In Memoriam Dragoljub Žarković 1951-2020.

I met Žare in the spring of 1991 when I wrote my first article for a new weekly magazine called Vreme. Ever since then, I have been occasionally writing for the weekly for 29 years and not once did the magazine redact my articles. Žare’s colleagues have continued to implement his “school” of editing skills and life lessons, as they managed to make Vreme one of a handful of media outlets in Serbia that remained both independent and professional throughout these last 30 years.

For the past 15 years, Žare and I usually met at the Media Association gatherings and dinners where Žare was always the one who “put out fires” when needed and injected his witty remarks when a conversation threatened to become overly rigid and formal. We will remember him as a smart, ingenious and sharp journalist, a good man and a solid fellow. (Robert Čoban)

His colleagues from Vreme wrote the following eulogy on the news of Žarković's passing: "We will remember him for everything he was, and most of all for his willingness to carry the brunt of pressure on his own back and even sacrifice himself in order to spare the editorial staff and preserve their integrity and credibility.”

HERE IS THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE VREME WEEKLY: “Dragoljub Žarković, founder of Vreme magazine and its editor-in-chief since 1991. Prior to that position, he was a journalist and editor at the Politika Express daily (1974–87) and Borba (1987–1990).

He was a commentator on the Free Europe radio station (1993-1998), collaborated with WDR (the German People's Radio) and occasionally wrote for a number of newspapers in Europe (Italian La Repubblica, Austrian Der Standard and others).

He underwent additional professional training as a guest of the American Society of News Editors.

He has authored several television shows and projects. Later in his career, he was a regular columnist for the Politika daily and a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences, where he was also a member of the Faculty Council. He was the first president of the Association of Professional Journalists of Serbia from which the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia later emerged and was an honorary member of several international media associations. In 2016, he published a book called "An Advanced Book -

The Rise of Aleksandar Vučić".

However, all this biographical information is not sufficient to evoke his editorial and journalistic lucidity, talent and incredible communication skills and charisma. With Žare’s passing, the editorial board of Vreme lost its roots and much of its identity. We will remember him for everything he was, and most of all for his willingness to carry the brunt of pressure on his own back and even sacrifice himself in order to spare the editorial staff and preserve their integrity and credibility.”

To my first editor

By Sanja Šojić

My story is probably similar to the story of many students of journalism who were fortunate enough to intern at Vreme magazine. It was April 2015 when, for the first time, and after I agreed to do the internship, I sat down at his table at Joca’s tavern, of course. Later, many times, he would invite us to sit at the same table and talk. Each conversation was like a little lesson first in life and then in journalism.

Still, I only got to know the real Žare after Vreme's tour, in celebration of the magazine’s 25th anniversary. The thing that I am going to remember the most until the rest of my life is the promotion of his book at Belgrade's Dom Omladine. I came up to him to congratulate him and ask him for an autograph when he asked me: “Šojić, you came too?“ I smiled at him, nodded my head and said I wouldn't miss it for anything. I opened the book, and in it, there

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was an inscription: “To dear Šojić... Hoping that she would soon write a book too.“ My knees buckled when I saw what he wrote and I scolded him because I thought he was playing a joke on me. He just smiled and said – „Motivation!“

And that was so typical of him... He always provided support and motivation. Although outwardly cynical, he was a good genie behind Vreme who took care of everyone who worked there and especially of younger people. I worked for

several media outlets, with many journalists and editors, but none of them has managed to transform an editorial office into a family. I have never again encountered that family-like atmosphere and I probably never will.

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