D&C 54

August 2020 | ISSUE No. 54 | Price 350 RSD

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS CAME TO PIROT TO WEAVE KILIMS 06 AUG

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WE ARE DEDICATED TO DELIVER SUPPORT DUBRAVKA NEGRE

Head of EIB Regional Representation for the Western Balkans

E-COMMERCE IN SERBIA

RELATIONS BETWEEN CROATIA AND SERBIA ARE A PILLAR OF STABILITY IN THIS PART OF EUROPE

THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-COMMERCE IS ONE OF THE NBS’ PRIORITIES

THEATRE HAPPENS IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING

Vice- Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

Artistic Director and selector of Bitef Festival

DRAGANA STANIĆ

IVAN MEDENICA

H.E. HIDAJET BIŠČEVIĆ Croatian Ambassador to Serbia

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION IN SERBIA MIHAILO VESOVIĆ

Director of the Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization Sector

ALEKSANDRA DAMNJANOVIĆ State Secretary at the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure

FOREWORD

I Know What You Did Last Summer FOLLOW US TO STAY UPDATED

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

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TANJA BANKOVIĆ Editor in Chief tanja.bankovic@color.rs ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD Art director indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

ow do we know that summer has arrived in Serbia? In previous years, I knew in advance that various people would start asking me, in mid-June, to get them the tickets for the Exit Festival (which, by the way, I am not an organizer of) and an invitation to the Independence Day reception on July 4 at the US Embassy (I don't work at the US Embassy). Those two things did not happen this year due to the coronavirus. But there is another unmistakable sign that sum-

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JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager jovana.markovic@color.rs NATAŠA NEŠIĆ Advertising director

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DRAGANA RADOVIĆ Advertising manager dragana.radovic@color.rs JELENA RANDJELOVIĆ Advertising manager jelena.randjelovic@color.rs VANJA KOVAČEV PR&Event support Nord Communications vanja.communications @gmail.com

RUŽA VELJOVIĆ Magazine director ruza.ristanovic@color.rs ROBERT ČOBAN Director robert.coban@color.rs

Photos GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES Translation SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ Print ZLATNA KNJIGA Jagodina Bagrdanski put bb

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

mer has arrived – an MP from the Serbian Progressive Party, Vladimir Đukanović condemning everyone who is vacationing in Croatia, including Novak Đoković who is “cheering for the Croats”.

“To all you who are sunbathing your asses in Croatia, I wholeheartedly wish that your car is demolished and your tires slashed when you get there, that you receive an odd slap or kick or two, that you are ignored by annoyed waiters and that you are on the receiving end of an

arsenal of the worst possible insults and threats. You should be ashamed of yourself how insensitive you have become,” Đukanović wrote on Twitter.

Popular Serbian actor Miloš Biković was just one of many public figures who were called out by tabloids for vacationing in Croatia. Biković, however, was the only one to respond to MP Đukanović: “Hey, mister, do I have your permission to go to America?

After all, they bombed us. And to Germany? They killed a lot of Serbs. Austria? Hungary? Italy? And the other countries that bombed us? Where can I go? And don’t wish evil upon me. After all, I am a Serbian citizen and you are an MP under oath,” Biković wrote on his Twitter profile.

And so, Serbian citizens who just want to go on a summer holiday in one of the few destinations available to them must be afraid of ‘a fisherman’ who will take revenge on them for their ‘wrongdoings’, just like in the famous Hollywood horror film from the 1990s.

I sincerely hope that we are all going to recognize the arrival of the summer of 2021 by ‘the good old signs’ again.

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A worrying new trend of banning politicians from running

H.E. OANA - CRISTINA POPA

MILICA LUNDIN

THE RETURN OF RIGGED ELECTIONS IN LATIN AMERICA

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WE ARE DEDICATED TO DELIVER SUPPORT DUBRAVKA NEGRE Head of EIB Regional Representation for the Western Balkans

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OUR RELATIONS ARE EXCELLENT AND VERY DIVERSE H.E. PHILIPPE GUEX Swiss Ambassador to Serbia

IT IS A PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO CONTINUE MY WORK IN THIS REGION Romanian Ambassador to Serbia

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-COMMERCE IS ONE OF THE NBS’ PRIORITIES

BELGRADE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY IDENTITY Wife of the Swedish Ambassador to Serbia and President of the IWC

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THEATRE HAPPENS IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING

DRAGANA STANIĆ

IVAN MEDENICA

Vice- Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

Artistic Director and selector of Bitef Festival

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THERE‘S THE RUB? RADINKA DANILOV ŠEHOVIĆ EMBA, DPO specialized in dataprotection in marketing and communications

BANOŠTOR'S "SPIRAL OF GOOD" IN NEFARIOUS TIMES

by Robert Čoban

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

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

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BELLO

The Return of Rigged Elections in Latin America A worrying new trend of banning politicians from running in 1955 the armed forces overthrew Juan Perón, Argentina’s populist president, driving him into exile. They banned him and his party from the election that eventually followed, a prohibition which remained in effect until 1973. A doddery Perón was then re-elected, but military rule soon returned. Apra, a Peruvian party with tendencies akin to Peronism, was similarly banned for decades.

So, during the cold war, were many Communist parties. But with the spread of mass democracies across Latin America in the 1980s, such clear rigging of elections seemed a thing of the past. Any citizen could become president.

Now that fundamental democratic principle is under threat. Like several recent bad habits in the region, the revival of this one started in Venezuela. In 2008 Hugo Chávez’s regime barred Leopoldo López, an opposition leader, from public office for six years (Mr López was later arrested for organising protests in which 43 people died; he is now in the Spanish ambassador’s residence in Caracas). In 2017 the regime banned Henrique Capriles, who claimed to have won a presidential election against Chávez’s successor, Nicolás Maduro. As if this was not enough, in June Mr Maduro’s people used legal chicanery to take over the main opposition parties, installing regime stooges ahead of a legislative ballot later this year.

Despite its charade of holding elections, Venezuela is widely seen as a dictatorship. But the practice of narrowing the electoral field is spreading in democracies in the region. In Guatemala last year Thelma Aldana, a popular former attorney-general who had helped to jail a corrupt president, was kept off the presidential ballot by a charge of embezzlement her supporters say is bogus.

In other instances candidates have been barred after their conviction in controversial but better-founded cases. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a left-wing former president of Bra-

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DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE SAVED BY CURBING IT zil, was legally barred even when leading opinion polls in a presidential election in 2018, after his conviction for corruption was upheld by an appeal court. Rafael Correa, a populist former president of Ecuador now living in Belgium, received in absentia a jail sentence for corruption in April. Under the constitution he cannot run again.

The electoral council went on to bar his party, claiming it submitted invalid signatures in its bid to register. The council also ruled that candidates have to register in person, meaning that if Mr Correa wanted to run for vice-president he would be arrested.

In Peru’s election in 2016 the electoral authority barred a well-placed candidate on a technicality. José Domingo Pérez, a Peruvian prosecutor, last month asked a court to ban for two and a half years (ie, until after

the next election) Popular Force, the party of Keiko Fujimori, a former presidential candidate. He claims that it is a “criminal organisation” because it tried to cover up a $1.2m donation from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company, in 2011.

Mr Pérez has been investigating Ms Fujimori for three years, but has yet to prove his case. She has spent 16 months in jail without trial.

Bolivia is the most worrying example of the new electoral prohibitionism. Last November Evo Morales, its president since 2006, was overthrown by a popular uprising amid claims of fraud in an election at which he sought an unconstitutional fourth term. An interim government led by a conservative senator, Jeanine Áñez, took office with the job of organising a fresh election. Twice postponed because of the pandemic, this is now due on October 18th. Ms Áñez exceeded her mandate as a caretaker by announcing that she would run. Polls suggest Mr Morales’s candidate, Luis Arce, might win. Ms Áñez’s supporters are seeking Mr Arce’s dis-

qualification by the electoral tribunal, on a technicality. They also talk of postponing the poll indefinitely because of the pandemic.

Either would be a dangerous course. Disqualifying Mr Arce would deny legitimacy to the election’s winner and condemn Bolivia to years of conflict. Far better would be for Ms Áñez to back Carlos Mesa, a former president who was Mr Morales’s main rival last year. She should recall the analogy of Argentina in 1955. “Instead of destroying Peronism …persecution swiftly reinvigorated it,” concluded David Rock, a historian.

Mr Morales and Mr Correa were less than fully democratic in office, undermining the separation of powers and riding roughshod over opponents. Their critics fear that if allowed back, they would hold power for keeps. But democracy cannot be saved by curbing it.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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We are Dedicated to Deliver Support We were very active in delivering the support and demonstrating our commitment to WB in these difficult times. The EIB has strong pipeline of projects for this region estimated to €2.3 billion to support the long-term sustainable development, strengthening the SME sectors INTERVIEW

DUBRAVKA NEGRE Head of EIB Regional Representation for the Western Balkans

he EIB has put its technical expertise and assistance at disposal to its partners in the Western Balkans, both from our own resources and EU grants. The aim is to help them reform the healthcare sectors in line with the best EU standards, enabling modern medical service accessible to all. In addition, we will provide extended eligibilities for healthcare and civil protection projects for Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness, and allow re-purposing of existing facilities to support healthcare and the private sector development

more resilient healthcare and private sectors, based on rehabilitated and modern vital infrastructure able to respond to these challenges. Development of modern transportation, energy and digital networks, as well as sewage, utility and flood protection systems is therefore essential for future economic growth and resilience.

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The EIB Group has provided € 5.2 billion to non-EU countries as part of a broader set of measures to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Is the money already distributed to beneficiary countries?

— As the EU Bank, the EIB has reacted promptly and announced the delivery of COVID-19 financial package worth €5.2 bn for the countries outside EU, out of which €1.7 bn is dedicated to the Western Balkan countries. This immediate support is provided to support social and economic recovery

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paredness for future crises and emergencies.

Since introduction of these measures, we were very active in delivering the support and demonstrating our commitment to WB in these difficult times. In April, we have unlocked a €10 million loan for SMEs in Bosnia and Herzego-

THE PANDEMIC IMPOSED A NEED FOR CREATION OF MORE INTEGRATED AND ECONOMICALLY AUTONOMOUS MARKETS BASED ON DIGITALIZATION AND GREEN TRANSITION from the pandemic by addressing the most urgent deficits in the healthcare and SME sector.

Apart from this immediate support package, the EIB has strong pipeline of projects for this region estimated to €2.3 billion to support the longterm sustainable development, strengthening the SME sectors, reforms of the healthcare systems and modernisation of vital infrastructure. The goal is to create more resilient economies and societies in the Western Balkans with increased pre-

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vina, and €30 million for Montenegrin SMEs and Mid-Caps, in cooperation with the local banks. Those loans were dedicated to help private sector sustain liquidity and jobs, as well as the ability to undertake new financing in the future.

In addition, a new loan for BiH, Albania and Kosovo* aiming at promoting youth employment will be available soon. The European Investment Fund will also provide loan guarantees for Bosnian SMEs allowing easier access to

finance for the affected companies by COVID-19 and faster economic recovery. We have recently signed a €11.8 mil grant for the construction of section on Corridor Vc in BiH as well.

What should the new government do to increase the level of capital investments in Serbia and thus encourage both the private and public sector?

— The level of capital investments in Serbia is having a gradual upward tendency that is expected to encounter a setback due to the pandemic; nevertheless, some sectors were able to sustain business operations, such as the construction sector.

The crisis imposed new priorities such as building of stronger healthcare system with increased preparedness for future emergencies. The other issues that might impede economic stability in the years to come are weather-related natural disasters inflicting sever damage to property and crops. These factors require development of investment strategy that will lead to

According to the IMF’s estimate, Serbian GDP will decline by 3% this year. What is your assessment of Serbia’s position in relation to the countries of the region and the EU? — Until the pandemic, Serbia recorded a steady economic growth and improved macroeconomic stability. By introducing set of fiscal measures during the crises, it has diminished the economic fallout as many other countries have done. Economic recovery will largely depend on the ability to maintain business continuity and contain the pandemics during the autumn, when the highest peak is expected. Therefore, a maximum support to private and the healthcare sector should continue to be the priority until the crises ends. Apart from EIB’s financial and technical assistance for these two sectors, we will continue supporting local banks and municipalities that are also severely affected by this health crisis.

The EU has recently approved the budget by 2027, while Serbian government has adopted a new set of measures. What do you think of the measures implemented by the EU and Serbia?

— The EU adopted a recovery budget supporting the EU countries to mitigate negative consequences of the pandemic. This unprecedented crisis required innovative and joint approach by all EU Member States and they have demonstrated solidarity and unity at these historically challenging times. What is especially

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important is that this budget will support transition to digital and green economy, which are the crucial areas for more cohesive and sustainable environment, society and economy development.

The EIB is the leading climate bank and financier of sustainable projects on a global scale and the first bank to adopt Energy Lending Policy in 2019. In this regard, we plan to support the countries in transition to the green economy by mobilizing at least €100 bn by 2027 to be invested into renewable, efficient and safe energy projects.

Regarding new set of measures adopted in Serbia, they are designed to help retain employment and production capacities. As in other countries, majority of companies have not yet recovered from the first pandemic wave, whilst some of them are still operating in limited scope or are entirely out-of-business, such as the entertainment industry. Therefore, support to the SME sector through fiscal measures and additional favourable financing remains of crucial importance at this moment.

Thus, the connectivity will become a top priority as better road, digital and energy infrastructure facilitates trade flow, economic growth and new employment opportunities. In transportation infrastructure alone, the EIB has invested over €2 bn in the Western Balkans in the previous decade building hundreds of kilometres of modern highways with improved road and rail safety and efficiency. The EIB will continue investments in transportation network across the entire region as well as support new strategic projects in energy and digital infrastructure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted countries to think more about their environment, instead of relocating production to the Far East. How do you think the crisis will affect the future distribution of production by world regions?

— This crisis has taught the countries worldwide that resilient economy and access to better healthcare increases their readiness all future emergences alike. It also showed that relocation of production to other continents may be unsustainable, creating numerous disadvantages and dependencies during emergencies. As a result, it is likely to expect that markets worldwide will start to integrate within specific regions that are in geographical proximity and at the same continent.

the entire region. In Serbia, we have recently signed a very important €15 million loan with UniCredit Bank Serbia for SMEs that aim to increase their social impact. Under this innovative loan – the very first of this kind for EIB and Serbia, a set of goals will be agreed with the companies that aim to borrow funds.

Based on the targets met, financial rewards will be distributed, encouraging them to employ people from vulnerable groups and ensure their longterm professional development and retention. The second, €10 million worth loan was facilitated by the European Investment Fund, in cooperation with Opportunity Bank a.d. Novi Sad. Micro companies, entrepreneurs and producers from rural areas will be able to access these funds for maintaining li-

quidity, jobs, production and business continuity.

Many large-scale projects have been implemented in the past two years like science & technology parks, the Niš Clinical Centre, etc. Can you tell us what projects are planned in the coming period?

By investing another €200 mil in research and development in Serbia, the EIB contributed to construction of science and technology parks in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš. These innovation centres will become a hub for the most advanced IT and innovative companies, encouraging

The EIB cooperates a lot with banks in Serbia on various projects and supports the SME segment and entrepreneurship. Which ongoing projects would you like to single out?

— SMEs as are a backbone of local economies and EIB will continue supporting their recovery from the pandemics in

WE WILL CONTINUE INVESTING INTO ROAD, RAILWAY, WATERWAY AND AIR TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL INTO REHABILITATION OF UTILITY AND SEWAGE SYSTEM ACROSS SERBIA — We are very proud to finance such an important and strategic projects for Serbia. Within €200 million investment for the modernisation, redevelopment and extension of Serbia's tertiary hospital services, Clinical Centre Niš was rehabilitated. This major medical centre in the South of Serbia has played a critical role during the pandemic by accommodating and treating large number of COVID-19 patients. In rehabilitation of 20 regional hospitals the EIB invested €50 million, including the Institute of Virology, Vaccine and Sera Torlak, where we supported modernization of vaccines production sector with EUR 3.6 million. Torlak became one of the leading institutions in containing pandemic in Serbia.

their professional and market development. In particular, Technology Park in Belgrade has already proved its wider socio-economic role.

During the pandemics, medical masks and other protective equipment have been produced in this institution where the first Serbian medical ventilator has been developed as well.

In the upcoming period, we are expecting reconstruction of the Clinical Centre Serbia to be finished that is to become an important regional medical centre. We are expecting to sign a project for the digitalization of Serbian schools soon that is going to upgrade online learning equipment and platforms, as well as digital skills of 50 000 teacher across Serbia.

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES What kind of development opportunities are there for the Western Balkans and Serbia?

— Transition to green economy and renewable, efficient and safe energy supply chains should become part of national strategies towards cleaner environment and sustainable socio-economic development. Further encouraging innovation and progress in the

most advanced areas of science and industry should be continued, because these competences can propel Serbia to highly competitive global markets. Parallel to this, rehabilitation and modernization of healthcare sector should remain a priority, as a prerequisite for better preparedness for future emergencies. The EIB Group is ready to support the region in the development of all these areas.

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ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

The Babylon Tower

t is said that the people, wanting to reach God and Heavens, tried to build the Babylon Tower, but God, observing their city and tower, confounded their speech so that they can no longer understand each other, and scattered them around the world. Nowadays, there are many multilingual cities, regions and countries in the world.

In the EU, some countries have few official languages even on the national level, like Luxembourg (French, German, Luxembourgish), Belgium (French, Dutch and German), Finland (Finnish and Swedish), Ireland (Irish Gaelic and English), Cyprus (Greek and Turkish) and Malta (Maltese and English). But, the

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NATIONAL DAYS in August & September

AUGUST

things are much more colourful on the subnational level, where many cities and towns have more than 4 official languages. In Europe, one of the most diverse regions is in Serbia: it is Vojvodina with 6 official languages: Serbian, Hungarian, Slovakian, Romanian, Croatian and Pannoninan Rusyn. But it is not the most linguistically diverse region in Europe! It is Dagestan, in Russia, where the Republic Parliament can be addressed in as much as 14 official languages: Russian, Aghul, Avar, Azerbaijani, Chechen, Dargwa, Kumyk, Lezgian, Lak, Nogai, Rutul, Tabasaran, Tat and Tsakhur. The things are even more interesting in de-colonised countries that tried to re-establish their pre-colonial ethnic culture.

Thus, Namibia has 9 and South Africa has 11 official languages: apart from English and Afrikaans, there are Zulu, Xhosa and other African languages, but the absolute champion is Plurinational State of Bolivia, with 33 official languages, 32 of them Indigenous Amerindian, among them Quechua and Aymara being the most spoken. In 2019, Bolivia announced that 3 more languages will be added, thus rounding the figure to 36!

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SINGAPORE National Day

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ECUADOR

Independence Day

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PAKISTAN

Independence Day

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INDIA

Independence Day

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SOUTH KOREA Liberation Day

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INDONESIA

Independence Day

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HUNGARY

St. Stephen's day

VLADIMIR ČUPIĆ New Chairman of Executive Board of ALTA banka Vladimir Čupić assumed the office of the Chairman of the Executive Board of ALTA banka a.d.

Beograd as of 23 July 2020, in accordance with the Decision on the Appointment adopted by the Managing Board of ALTA banka a.d. Beograd and upon obtaining the consent of the National Bank of Serbia.

Vladimir Čupić comes to take over as the Chairman of the Executive Board of ALTA banka from the Atlantic Group, which is one of the leading regional FMCG companies, where he held the

position of the Director of the Representative Office for Serbia for the last three years. Vladimir Čupić is a reputable banker who has built his banking career with AIK banka a.d. Niš and Hypo Alpe-AdriaBank a.d. Beograd, acting as the Chairman of the Executive Board in both institutions. He acquired extensive experience in finance and investment banking in Deloitte and subsequently as the Director of the Privatization Agency of the Republic of Serbia. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Belgrade.

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UKRAINE

Independence Day

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MOLDOVA

Independence Day

30 Considering the strategic position and potential of the Bank, Vladimir Čupić and his team will focus on positioning ALTA banka as the tailor-made bank and the best choice for clients, based on user friendly and efficient design of operations and services.

KAZAKHSTAN Constitution Day

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MALAYSIA

Independence Day

SEPTEMBER

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SLOVAKIA

Constitution Day

MATEJ ZAKONJŠEK New director of the Transport Community

Mr Matej Zakonjšek, the organisation’s first Director is an experienced government and private-sector leader, dedicated to supporting integration of Western Balkans’

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transport markets into the EU. He started his career by joining the Slovenian government as a diplomatic attaché at the Permanent representation of Slovenia to the EU, working on the enlargement process. Subsequently, he worked for the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council and for the Embassy of Slovenia in London. During this time, Mr Zakonjšek also assisted the representative of Slovenia to the International Maritime Organisation.

His private sector engagement

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began in 2011 when he became General Manager for the Indian multinational CKGS, first based in London, UK and later in Dubai, UAE. In 2014, Mr Zakonjšek returned to Slovenia where he was appointed as Foreign Trade and Cooperation Advisor to the Prime Minister of Slovenia. In 2019, Mr Zakonjšek joined the European Commission’s Directorate for Mobility and Transport, where he was working on transport relations with WB countries.

BRAZIL

Independence Day

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MEXICO

Grito de Dolores

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CHILE

The First Junta Day

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CZECHIA

St. Wenceslas Day

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CORPORATE

Clean Water as the Ultimate Goal of Sustainable Development Aware of the importance of drinking water in today's world, NIS remains committed to fostering a responsible attitude towards water resources, as one of the priorities of environmental protection

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WEBSITE

he time in which we live brings with it numerous benefits such as technological and economic progress, but also numerous challenges that we must overcome to preserve the only home we have – the planet Earth and the right to a dignified life for all its inhabitants.

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planet. Having access to clean water is one of the basic human rights. However, according to UN research, a large number of the Earth's population does not have access to these resources. According to the UN, more than 2 billion people do not have access to drinking water and quality sanitation. Also, more than 3 billion inhabit-

IN ITS BUSINESS, NIS RECOGNIZES 12 OF THE 17 UN’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, WHICH ACCOMPLISHMENT CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMPANY’S DAILY ACTIVITIES With that goal in mind, the United Nations has defined 17 sustainable development goals which are also a call for global action which ultimate goals are the eradication of poverty and hunger, economic prosperity, and equal access to natural resources for all communities around the

ants of our planet do not even have adequate conditions for washing their hands in their households.

Given this information, as well as the fact that on 22nd March, the World Water Day, the UN warned that the problems are becoming even more pronounced due

to global climate change, it is clear that access to clean water is becoming one of the most important goals of sustainable development. Achieving this goal is possible only with a broad action that would include all responsible countries, the non-governmental sector, companies and interested individuals.

At the same time, companies have a significant responsibility because they are large consumers of water, and their activities have a strong environmental impact. Thus, environmental challenges are also present in the energy industry.

One of the leading domestic companies in this sector, NIS Group, sees sustainable development as its strategic commitment, but also as a fundamental practice that it is constantly improving with the view of improving environmental protection, preserving natural resources and improving the quality of life of the community. In its business, NIS recognizes 12 of the 17 UN’s sustainable development goals, which accomplishment contributes to the company’s daily activities.

The preservation of water intended for public water supply, food industry and irrigation of agricultural areas is one of those goals. To contribute as much as possible to accomplish this goal, and by constantly modernizing the Pančevo Oil Refinery and implementing modern technologies, NIS saves, during a three-year period, the amount of water proportional to the entire Lake Sava. NIS also pays great attention to wastewater management. By treating wastewater to meet certain standards, NIS protects public sewerage systems and end-users. Today, NIS has a total of 355 water purification plants.

The fact that NIS, as one of its side activities, produces drinking water from the Jazak water spring on Fruška Gora, shows how much this company is aware of the importance that drinking water has in today's world. This top-quality spring water with optimal mineral composition, which comes from one of the cleanest natural water springs near the Jazak Monastery on Fruška Gora, is produced following the highest standards in this segment.

While being aware of the importance of drinking water in today's world, NIS remains committed to fostering a responsible attitude towards water resources, as one of the priorities of environmental protection.

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by Tanja Banković

Our Relations are Excellent and Very Diverse Our relations are resting upon very dynamic exchanges between the people from our respective countries, from an economic to social and cultural perspectives ing to the European Union, our main economic partner. Concerning our economic relations with Serbia, we are assessing the impact of the pandemic; however, the Swiss companies in Serbia are doing everything in their power to keep their employees at their jobs and to continue to invest.

INTERVIEW

H.E. PHILIPPE GUEX Swiss Ambassador to Serbia

WEBSITE

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e spoke with Swiss Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Philippe Guex, about bilateral and economic cooperation, which are excellent and dynamic. In his interview, Ambassador pointed out that Switzerland provides support to the civil society, central and local governments, the Parliament and local assemblies to promote the citizens’ participation and political inclusion in Serbia.

“In Switzerland, we tend to be modest and not to give les-

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remarkable bilateral relations.

What is it that you are especially proud of that happened during your term, and what would you point out?

— You are fully right in assessing the quality of the bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland. Our bilateral relations are indeed excellent.

They are also very diverse. Most importantly, our relations are resting upon very dynamic exchanges between the people from our respective countries, from an economic to so-

WE STRONGLY SUPPORT SERBIA AND OTHER WESTERN BALKANS COUNTRIES’ INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION sons. In other words, yes, Serbia can learn from Switzerland but Switzerland can also learn from Serbia” concluded Mr. Guex.

Switzerland and Serbia have

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cial and cultural perspectives.

At the time of crisis, solidarity between countries and people is essential. I am particularly proud of the fact that Switzerland has stayed a very impor-

tant donor country in Serbia during my term, contributing for over 2o millions euros per year, including during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Economic relations are also excellent, Swiss companies employ over 10,000 workers. To what extent has the pandemic slowed down Switzerland’s economy, and will this affect the investments in Serbia?

— The resilience of the economy is being tested in Switzerland during the pandemic as it the case in each country.

Since our economy rests on solid foundations and that unemployment is very low in Switzerland, we have the capacity to mitigate the crisis and to support sectors that are particularly hit by the slowdown of the global economy. Nevertheless, our national economy is of course interdependent with other countries’ economies, particularly those belong-

The coronavirus pandemic struck the entire world. What was the hardest thing during the state of emergency, and how did you communicate with the community in Serbia? Were there any special requests from Swiss citizens and companies?

— The Swiss Embassy, in particular our consular section, is doing everything it can to assist Swiss citizens in these challenging times. We have been in constant contact with our Swiss community and tried to respond to each request. Thanks to our good contacts with the Serbian authorities and in particular with the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have been able to assist our citizens, inter alia by organizing repatriation flights from Belgrade to Zurich back in April and May. There has been a lot of talk about regionalization in the Western Balkans, Mini- Schengen, WB integration into the EU. Will Switzerland, as a NONEU country, continue to support Serbia on its path to the EU, and what does that mean for the Swiss investors?

— We strongly support Serbia and other Western Balkans countries’ integration into the European Union. Switzerland’s position has always been that not only EU membership wouldbe positive for the countries in the region, but also that the reforms in order to achieve that goal are important for improving the lives of the people living in the Western Bal-

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kans. Other processes, such as the so-called “Mini-Schengen” initiative, are positive as long as they are inclusive and result oriented, in a sense that these processes facilitate the regional integration and do not exclude any country in the region.

Switzerland is one of the four biggest bilateral donors in Serbia when it comes to reforms, SME development and public administration strengthening.

Do you think that something will change when it comes to the dialogue between the public and the civil sector in Serbia, which is estimated to be at a very low level?

— Dialogue is possible if there is a genuine willingness of all sides to engage in it in the mutual interests of the country and its citizens. Switzerland has a long tradition of societal dialogue inbuilt in the legislation and political culture of consensus. In Serbia, we provide our support to the civil society, central and local governments, the Parliament and local assemblies to promote the citizens’ participation and political inclusion. Guided with the principle “Leave No One Behind”, we think that each individual should participate in political and economic life. Moreover, we strongly support and promote a society-wide dialogue between the state, civil socie-

ty and the business sector on development priorities of the country and society.

Our two countries have also been cooperating a great deal regarding the introduction of a dual education system in Serbia. How do you rate Serbia’s progress on this matter?

— Cooperation on the dual education reform is excellent between our two countries, also being aware that it is about system building, that

WE ARE GOING TO LAUNCH AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE IN THAT SENSE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, STRENGTHENING CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT SERBIA FROM A GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE is a long-term process. Switzerland supports the reform process with legal advice, the exchange of best practices in monitoring the system and by pointing out specific challenges and sharing possible solutions. Findings and conclusions of our Swiss experts are shared with the Serbian partners in the Ministry of Education. Therefore, we look forward to continue the exchange and to further contribute to the positive developments in this sector with more quality results yet to come.

An exhibition of young artists, finalists of the “Private Value” Competition, was recent-

ly held at your residence. How important is that cooperation in the field of culture and art, and which project would you especially single out?

— Promoting young Serbian artists has been an important aspect of our cultural exchanges in recent years. The project that you are mentioning, “private value”, showed, for the third consecutive year, to which extent the young Serbian artists are not only talented but also are conveying important messages and reflections in times of crisis. More generally, we are supporting cultural initiatives not only in Belgrade but also beyond, working together with municipalities. We are go-

ing to launch an important initiative in that sense in the near future, strengthening cultural development throughout Serbia from a governance perspective.

Is there room for further improvement of our overall relations and what can we learn from Switzerland?

— In Switzerland, we tend to be modest and not to give lessons. In other words, yes, Serbia can learn from Switzerland but Switzerland can also learn from Serbia. That is I suppose what we mean by diplomacy, a constant exchange between countries in many areas with the aim of mutual learning and enriching our experiences.

WELCOMING PEOPLE What do you like the most in Belgrade, and is there anything in particular that you would like to point out when it comes to Serbia?

— Serbia is a country that has (and everybody who has come here will tell you) wonderful and very welcoming people. Belgrade in particular is a very dynamic capital, full of life and developing itself every day in an impressive way. The artistic and cultural scene is very rich, the gastronomy is excellent and like Switzerland, despite the fact we are landlocked countries, our landscapes are beautiful!

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Pioneers of New Technologies ABB is a company which relies on 130 years of experience, discoveries and tradition CORPORATE

DEJAN DEŠIĆ Transportation & Infrastructure Segment Manager at ABB

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the coming period, ABB wants to focus much more to the segment of digitization of all processes that surround us, both in industry and residential construction housing, as well as on alternative energy sources, i.e. sustainable energy sources.

I

Has the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus expedited industrial development and digital transformation of companies?

— Undoubtedly it has, which is, we all agree, inevitable. If we look back through history, every pandemic that had happened always brought revolutionary changes, and today is no different.

Throughout history, ABB has always been a pioneer of new technologies, starting back in 1890 when the first electricity transmission network was constructed. Many innovations, such as the first industrial robot in 1974, or the Azipod propulsion in 1990, without which cruisers, an increasingly popular form of tourism, would not be able to dock, are also ABB's products.

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More recently, at the beginning of this century, ABB built the first integrated DCS800xA industrial process control system. These are just some details from ABB's history, but significant changes are taking place in ABB today as well. Just before

and funds, i.e. everything ABB has at its disposal, to a segment on which ABB wants to focus much more. This segment is the digitization of all processes that surround us, both in industry and residential construction housing, as well as focusing on alternative energy sources, i.e. sustainable energy sources.

You are aware of the fact that the most adaptable ones have survived, not the strongest and the smartest. In this regard, we try to be as prepared as possible for the new circumstances.

As for the projects we are currently working on in Serbia, the segment I come from and cover is the infrastructure and transport segment. We have accumulated a lot of referrals in the last two or three years both in Belgrade and Serbia.

You have seen for yourself just how many shopping malls sprung up in the last few years.

We are leaders in that segment too since we equipped most of these shopping malls with ABB’s equipment – from substations to panelboards with electrical busbars in the facilities. In some malls, we have also provided lighting fixtures. And

So, raising awareness is a process that lasts. Nevertheless, it started in Serbia as well and that’s good news. But the whole process will take time.

I can also tell you from our experience that until half a year ago, it never occurred to anyone to take a more serious interest and start thinking about electric chargers and electric vehicles if they were not forced to think in that direction in some way. The reasons why there are only a couple of electric chargers in Serbia could be due to the dealers of certain car brands because these brands were planning to sell electric cars here in the future so they were instructed to acquire an electric charger, or maybe it was due to tourism and people transit because we are still a transit country. All in all, only a couple of chargers have been installed in total.

Just before the outbreak of this pandemic, there was a sharp increase in demand for electric chargers, and there is a huge range of so-called gamma products that ABB can offer.

Not to toot our horn too much, but ABB is number one in the world in this segment.

ABB COOPERATES WITH ALL LEADING CAR MANUFACTURERS, ON ALL CONTINENTS - ASIA, EUROPE AND AMERICA the pandemic, ABB decided to make one huge step forward in its business. One segment of the company was sold, which had been generating a quarter of the company’s global turnover, and which was the Core business, on which ABB relied.

This illustrates how much the world is changing, that is, how companies like ABB are behaving, planning and transforming in today’s challenging times.

How did you adjust your business to the crisis, in terms of working on current projects?

— As far as the business organization itself is concerned, the step forward in the sale of a segment of the company was made due to directing energy

as far as the transport segment is concerned, Serbia is still in its infancy in terms of electrical cars and electric mobility, both hot topics in the world.

How developed is the awareness of the use of electric vehicles in Serbia and what do we have to do for electric mobility to become our reality?

— Nothing can happen overnight. If we were now at the peak of awareness (i.e. the most conscientious), if we treated electric mobility as something we are not able to live without and if someone gave us an electric car each, it still would not be feasible at the moment because our power system would not be able to support it.

What has changed in the world when it comes to the use of electric vehicles and what are the predictions when it comes to the development of this segment?

— ABB has researched the situation with electrical mobility in the world, and the results show that around 170 different models of electric cars are being developed at the moment and that expectations are that there will be 330 different models of electric cars by 2025. Today, there are 72 models of fully electric - not hybrids, but electric cars - while in five years, there will be 176 different models of fully electric cars, which have a battery and only an electric engine, not an internal com-

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bustion engine.

In just five years from now, the production of electric cars is expected to be six times higher than today; four million cars will be produced, of which 60% will be solely electric cars and 40% hybrids. If we look at the research on the efficiency and sustainability of development, completely electric cars ranked ahead of vehicles using bio-fuel and hydrogen (the two fuel cells used today) behind.

ABB launched pilot projects in 2010. How do they fare in the world today and tell us a bit more about ABB chargers?

— As far as ABB is concerned, we have been dealing a lot with these technologies since 2010 and the development has been very turbulent. There have been quite a few achievements in the last ten years. We started with 50 kW electric chargers, and today we have 350 kW electric chargers. There are two basic types of electric chargers - the AC charger, that charges the car with alternating voltage and the DC charger, the so-called fast charger, which supplies cars with direct current.

These AC chargers are low power chargers, up to 22kW, and there is a problem with ‘the bottleneck’ that is formed when the car battery is powered

by AC voltage, which means that the car has to have a device that will convert that AC voltage to DC and then charge the battery. Car manufacturers, on the other hand, do not want their cars to weigh and cost more. That is why there are DC chargers that charge the battery directly with direct current, when you connect it, thus eliminating the need for additional devices in the car.

This also increases the charging power greatly, from 50 kW to today’s 350 kW, thanks to in ABB’s chargers.

Premium car models, that have been launched already, have a battery capacity of around 100 Wh. If you take ABB’s 350 kW charger, or perhaps the latest generation that came out for 94,124,184 kW, you’ll charge a car with a 100 kWh battery in 5 minutes, 8 minutes, to 10 minutes respectively. Thus, the technology is advancing fast, both with car manufacturers and ABB, which technology keeps up with these

developments.

ABB cooperates with all leading car manufacturers, on all continents - Asia, Europe and America. When a car manufacturer wants to launch a new model, they must work with electric charger manufacturers. ABB and car manufacturers are working together on the development of their new models and chargers, and all this must be incorporated and harmonized in the development process so that the car that is launched and the charger are compatible and able to function without problems. As for the global network of electric chargers, the first electric

ing power stations are there in Belgrade? Is there a plan to expand to the whole country?

— We are starting to wake up slowly, and a few months ago, we started receiving more orders for chargers, both for the low power ones, as well as for the fast ones. It is interesting to note that because of the crisis, we skipped a part of the industrial revolution and jumped into the information revolution.

Many of our people are currently engaged in creating software solutions for either global or domestic companies, so we use our intelligence. A similar thing has been happening to with electric chargers. Fortu-

tric chargers. We have sold 16 AC chargers to the Ada Mol shopping centre and that is now becoming the standard. Every building, that wants to meet the LID standard and be in some way recognized as self-sustaining, installs low-power electric chargers. Serbia is still at the beginning, but it seems that it will catch up to global trends in that segment.

Can Serbia really become the leader of this part of Europe when it comes to experts and solutions offered by companies?

— Absolutely! I have no dilemma about that. We just need to get better organized. I see that initiatives and desires do exist and they are all around us.

Here, for example, one of the projects that we are proud of is office buildings in Novi Beograd that we have completely equipped with ABB’s equipment - from substations to electrical sockets. A foreign company plans to hire 4,000 people from Serbia that will provide support services worldwide.

The building is currently under construction and will be completed very soon and the 4,000 people who are going to work there will provide support services worldwide with the help of ABB technologies.

Of course, that is a road that will lead us to a better tomorrow. We, as a company that operates in Serbia, could not do without people, both ours and our associates. We are very re-

TECHNOLOGY IS ADVANCING FAST, BOTH WITH CAR MANUFACTURERS AND ABB, WHICH TECHNOLOGY KEEPS UP WITH THESE DEVELOPMENTS charger road networks were formed in Estonia, Denmark and the Netherlands. At the moment, ABB has sold 13,000 of the so-called fast chargers in the world.

One of ABB’s most interesting references, globally speaking, is a 2-billion-USD contract which stipulates the delivery of electrical charges for the US road network in the following four years , signed with Electrify America. This means that ABB will fully cover motorways in the US. How does it all look like in Serbia and how many fast-charg-

nately or unfortunately, Serbia has skipped the first cycle of investments in the first generation of fast 50kW chargers. Europe and the rest of the world are now replacing that generation with a much more powerful one, while in Serbia, we have delivered maybe a dozen fast chargers, mostly to distributors and dealerships of certain brands, which have begun selling electric cars.

Of course, in addition to these fast chargers, there are also lower-power AC chargers, which dominate in numbers.

All shopping malls that are being built will have to have elec-

liant on all our partner companies with which we cooperate and are constructing the building I have mentioned earlier.

These include the contractors Energomontaža Južna Bačka, Strabag, Interfast and our distributors Expro, Feluka, Rasina and Sled. There are many companies we work with and without which we simply would not be able to do business in such a successful way.

Companies are people and nothing else. I am not afraid for Serbia and our future only if these people stay here and help us all do something better in our country.

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Successful Business is Based in Responsibility And Trust Food has a big impact on our lives and this is why it is our job, as the world’s largest food and beverage company with over one billion servings sold each day, to produce safe, high quality and tasty food

CORPORATE

MARIAN MARINOV Ad interim Country Manager of Nestlé Serbia and CFO of Nestlé South East Market

WEBSITE

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e in Nestlé strongly believe in the power of food to enhance life of people and their families. As the world’s leader in Food and Bevarages industry, with the best experts from the fields of nutrition and food safety, Nestlé constantly offers best choices for healthy and balanced nutrition, in sustainable way.

nothing come out of the factory as waste, but all waste material is being recycled or used to produce new energy. We want to help grow up healthier generations and do everything we can to save the planet for our children. It is our duty, as the world's largest food company, to be responsible for the environment and our inheritors.

Nestlé as the Switzerland based multinational company, is doing business in responsible and sustainable way in regard to individuals and families, local communities, but also to the entire planet. Tell us more about this.

— For years Switzerland is among the top ranked countries when it comes to innovation, not only in production but also in the areas of sustainable business and corporate social responsibility. Food has a big impact on our lives and this is why it is our job, as the world’s largest food and beverage company with over one billion servings sold each day, to produce safe, high quality and tasty food.

We are not only producing, we believe that the understanding of how to eat well is very important and it is our responsibility to educate people to have a good balance in their nutrition. This is why we invested over 500.000 euros in education of about 50.000 children in schools, on the importance of the proper nutrition and physical activity within „Zdravo Rastimo” project in last nine years.

We strongly believe that developing good healthy habits now to kids – will assure healthier future for Serbia.

What measures did you take during the COVID-19 pandemic?

— As the people are the heart of our business, we were working hard to keep safe our employees, business partners and the communitiy where we operate, during the coronavirus outbreak. In addition to our

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This year Nestlé celebrates 15 years of it's business in Serbia.

What are the most important achievements of the company since its arrival, and what are the plans for the next period?

— We are more than proud

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IN NESTLÉ WE LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT WE BORROWED THIS PLANET FROM OUR CHILDREN, SO ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS HAS LONG BEEN THE FOCUS OF NESTLÉ'S BUSINESS to be a reliable partner to Serbia for 15 years already. Nestlé brought many new products and inovations to Serbia, but at the same time we proudly embraced traditional „C“ brand, continued with production and improving it's portfolio, especially Serbian people's favorite and iconic Zacin C. Nestlé Surcin factory started with production in 2011 and since then we invested more than 15 million euros in plant, equipment as well as in product development. In our factory we produce products of brands C, Thomy, Maggi and Nestlé professional portfolio. With the investments, export expansion of its products is increased 5 times, to more than 40 countries worldwide where Nestlé operates. An investment of 2,3 million euros directly impacted on production increase of 3.500 tones, with the creation of 89 new product recipes, cooperation with additional new 45 local

suppliers and making more than 30 new job opportunities in factory. With this investment Surčin factory is not only serving 22 million consumers from the Adriatic region with high quality products, but it serves global consumers from markets such as Western Europe, the Russian Federation, South America and Asian countries.

Locally, Nestlé's largest environmental investment in Serbia so far is € 1.2 million, for the construction of a modern wastewater treatment facility.

What is your approach in terms of sustainability?

— In Nestlé we like to believe that we borrowed this planet from our children, so environmental awareness has long been the focus of Nestlé's business. The goal set by Nestlé - to use materials and resources repeatedly, on a mission to reach „Zero waste to landfill” goal at the Surcin factory - was achieved in December last year. This means that

regular high work standards, we have put in place additional safety measures in our factory in Surcin, offices and distribution centers. All conditions were immediately established in order our employees can work safely from their homes, and that our colleagues on the field have all the necessary protective equipment and stay safe and healthy. Also, we are very grateful for such a fast and successful reaction of our supply chain, distribution, as well as of our retail partners, which lead us to ensuring continued production and products' delivery to all our consumers during the pandemic.

Also, we immidiately reacted to crisis and donated Nestlé products to numerous hospitals and vulnerable citizens, as well as the very necessary infusion pumps to Clinical Center of Serbia. On this ocassion I would like to thank again all the doctors and medical workers who are our true heroes.

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We Need Much More Imagination than Before the Pandemic Entrepreneurs and family businesses are generally able to respond and adjust more quickly than others given their agility and flexibility CORPORATE

Atenica 001, Street 74/1 32104 Čačak, Serbia +381 (0) 32 543 53 63 info@ basna.net

WEBSITE

part from having serious implications for people’s health, COVID-19 is significantly impacting businesses and the economy. The long-term consequences of COVID-19 are still uncertain, but one thing is clear – leaders need much more imagination than before the pandemic to preserve the health of their employees and clients, provide cash and liquidity, and make changes in their operations and processes.

Entrepreneurs and family businesses are generally able to respond and adjust more quickly than others given their agility and flexibility.

We are now focused on continued research and market placement of one of the youngest and most promising fields of application of Biochar-Carbohran which is used in animal husbandry as a food additive.

Very clean and carbon-rich charcoal is required in order for it to be approved by the EU reg-

A

Balz and Vesna Baur and H.E. Philippe Guex, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia

There it gets charged with nutrients, prevents purification and enormously increases the fertilizing value (organic farming). Furthermore, methane production decreases and nitrogen losses are reduced. Biochar is permitted for use in conventional cattle farming

WE ARE NOW FOCUSED ON CONTINUED RESEARCH AND MARKET PLACEMENT OF ONE OF THE YOUNGEST AND MOST PROMISING FIELDS OF APPLICATION OF BIOCHAR-CARBOHRAN ulation. Our charcoal also has the European Biochar Certificate (EBC) for animal food.

Today, 80 % of the Biochar produced in Europe is applied in animal husbandry.

Because of its crystalline structure, Biochar will not degrade in the animal's stomach but will accumulate in manure.

and it is permitted for use as an additive for certified organic agriculture (BIO) in several countries.

Despite the COVID-19 contagion, we did not reduce our production output, but have rather implemented specific crisis management annexes thanks to which we can coor-

dinate with local authorities to provide an effective response to the pandemic threats.

Besides that, we think that it’s important to recognize socially responsible companies, encourage their work and show other organizations how they can successfully incorporate social well-being into their mission. In addition to the green economy, as an important tool for our sustainable development, facilitating employee gift matching and allowing paid time off to volunteer, Basna has also partnered with the Rotary Club. Both Basna’s owners are members of the Rotary Club in Čačak.

Last month, the Institute of Public Health in Čačak, which is the only independent microbiological diagnostic laboratory that provides a multitude of services and cares about the public health of the residents

of the Morava District, has approached the Rotary Club in Čačak in writing asking for the help in the shape of the equipment for the PCR testging laboratory with the aim of ensuring reliable diagnostics and better control and prevention of the COVID-19 contagion, as well as with the aim of providing better detection of various causes of the disease today.

The Morava District, which is located in Western Serbia and has the population of over 220,000 residents, doesn’t have a laboratory which is equipped for the COVID-19 testing and which is nowadays considered absolutely necessary.

Based on the performed analyses and the consultation with the scientists, as well as recognizing the required infrastructure and the needs of the community, the Rotary Club in Čačak has made a decision to supply this equipment.

With the support of the Rotary Foundation, the friends of the Rotary organization, the business community and the local government, the project can be implemented with a high degree of certainty, as it is significant not only for our local community, but also is considered a national and global priority.

Our company got involved in this project since we are aware that the supply of the PCR testing apparatus and the ancillary equipment is the biggest priority for the residents in order to promptly and successfully protect them from the further spreading of the disease.

ABOUT Basna is a Swiss company, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Čačak, which is engaged in the conversion of biomass into heat and high quality charcoal. The company’s vision is to implement sustainable, environmentally friendly technology in Serbia. Balz and Vesna Baur, the proprietors of this internationally renowned export-oriented company, advocate accountable business policy through the responsible treatment of the local community and environment. They would like to thank the Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Philippe Guex, for his fruitful cooperation, and voice their wish for continuing prosperity. The company is a member of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

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It is a Privilege and Honor to Continue My Work in This Region I have built friendships and memories that will stay with me forever ensuring that Serbia and the Balkans will always hold a special place in my heart INTERVIEW

H.E. OANA - CRISTINA POPA Romanian Ambassador to Serbia

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e spoke with Romanian ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Oana - Cristina Popa at the end of her mandate in Belgrade, about political and economic relations as well as what memories from Serbia she will carry with her.

“I am moving to another capital, not far from here, with optimism and with the strong belief that the place of Serbia and the whole region of the Western Balkans is in the European Union family. Romania and Serbia are constantly working together to strengthen the excellent historical relations and their strong traditional friendship” she pointed out.

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From the position of the Ambassador of Romania in Belgrade, you will be leaving for the position of the Head of the EU Delegation in Montenegro. What does it mean to you to be able to stay in the Western Balkans?

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— Thank you for the opportunity to address your readers once again before the end of my mandate as Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Serbia. I love the Balkans, I have worked, lived, travelled and studied in this region for the past 20 years. It is a privilege and honor for me to continue my work here. At the same time, it represents a great professional challenge as the relations between neighboring

the presidency of the European Union for the first time; we have been involved in the further development of bilateral relations; we have diversified the range of areas of bilateral cooperation; we have promoted Romanian values, traditions and culture in Serbia through numerous public and cultural diplomacy events and we have inaugurated a new headquarters of our diplomatic and consular missions. Towards the end

patience and resilience mean.

I am moving to another capital, not far from here, with optimism and with the strong belief that the place of Serbia and the whole region of the Western Balkans is in the European Union family.

What were the biggest challenges you had to face during your diplomatic mission in Belgrade?

— Unfortunately, I would have

OVERALL, I AM PROUD OF OUR EMBASSY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, IN COOPERATION WITH THE SERBIAN AUTHORITIES AND PEOPLE countries in the region are extremely dynamic.

It is not easy to summarize in few words the professional and personal experience at the end of an energetic term, rich in professional rewards both for me personally and for Romania. We have exercised

of my term, we have experienced one of the most unusual and challenging of times, that of the pandemic, when life as we knew it changed. Despite the difficulties faced by everyone, it was a time to re-analyze what is really important in life, what responsibility, solidarity,

to say COVID 19. The pandemic has put us in front of a whole new set of challenges. We reconfigured the functioning of the diplomatic mission, we reorganized our priorities to support Romanian citizens caught off guard by the rapid changes of the new border regime,

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but also to ensure the flow of goods between countries. We supported both bilaterally and as an EU member state Serbia's efforts to combat the effects of the pandemic. The crisis was a test of the diplomatic team's ability to adapt and react.

But, as always, in any challenge, there is an opportunity.

In terms of opportunities, the European Union's support to the region, both in combating the negative effects of the pandemic, as well as in supporting the economy in the medium and long term, provided an occasion to relaunch regional cooperation and increase the region's cohesion. One of the obvious changes revealed by the pandemic points at the need to support local production. People seem to become increasingly interested in moving away from a global economy to a more regional and local one.

The region has therefore the opportunity to advance the project of the regional economic area launched in the context of the European perspective. Overall, I am proud of our Embassy’s accomplishments over the past four years, in cooperation with the Serbian authorities and people.

I believe we should continue building on past achievements and shape the future of the region together.

Last year marked the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Romania and Serbia. What else can be done to boost the economic, cultural and other forms of cooperation between the two countries?

— Romania and the Republic of Serbia are constantly working together to strengthen the excellent historical relations and their strong traditional friendship. The relations between our two countries have been conducted under good neighborly environments, and have had as objectives to identify and de-

velop opportunities for cooperation on bilateral, regional and European level.

The geographical proximity favors the economic cooperation and the commercial trade along the common border. Therefore, the development potential of the economic cooperation in the region is considerable. Revitalizing the traf-

of the best known and most appreciated by the European citizens. The aim of the initiative is to promote and celebrate Europe's rich cultural diversity and shared aspects of our heritage, and thereby promote mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue.

The European Capitals of Culture represents also a unique

bia has changed profoundly, continuing the ‘healing’ process, while moving closer to the EU, on a path that has not always been easy.

It is a fabulous country, whose greatest asset are its people. Now, more than ever it is time to look forward, to the future, because that is where the answers lie and to invest

I WAS PARTICULARLY DELIGHTED BY THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF ROMANIANS WHO HAVE LIVED IN THESE LANDS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND WHO HAVE BEEN OUR PARTNERS IN PROMOTING THE ROMANIAN CULTURE fic on the Danube and further consolidating the cross-border cooperation are two pillars that can contribute significantly to the strengthening of the Romanian-Serbian business relations.

In 2021, Novi Sad and Timisoara will be European Capitals of Culture. Is there a chance of doing a joint project in the field of tourism, culture and development?

— The European Capitals of Culture is one of the most ambitious cultural projects both in purpose and size and one

opportunity to regenerate cities, to bring new vitality to the cultural life, to boost the creativity and to promote their images worldwide. This contributes to the long-term development of European cities and their regions.

What memories from Serbia will you carry with you? Do you promise to come back here and always be a very dear guest at our events?

— Serbia is a great country, fascinating at both professional and personal levels. In the four years of my term, Ser-

in the young generation who, through their talent and energy, prove that this country's place is and has always been in Europe.

I was particularly delighted by the rich cultural heritage of Romanians who have lived in these lands for hundreds of years and who have been our partners in promoting the Romanian culture, language and traditions. I have built friendships and memories that will stay with me forever ensuring that Serbia and the Balkans will always hold a special place in my heart.

EUROPEAN CAPITALS OF CULTURE IN 2021 What can we learn from each other?

— The Romanian community in Serbia and the Serbian community in Romania represent a solid bridge between our two countries and hold a crucial role in strengthening the bilateral relations. Therefore, there are many opportunities for our countries to highlight their positive historical relations, their strong traditional friendship and the common cultural heritage through joint projects in the margins of Novi Sad -Timisoara European Capitals of Culture - 2021.

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Leadership Challenges in Fast Moving Times - Business Unusual ZF is a global technology company that supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. ZF allows vehicles to see, think and act

CORPORATE

MILAN GRUJIĆ ZF Serbia Managing Director – Commercial

WEBSITE

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e have a special opportunity to talk with Mr. Milan Grujić, one of the two Managing Directors of ZF Serbia, responsible for all commercial aspects of this important ZF project that in every facet represents and underlines corporate strategy.

Milan Grujić has built his successful career in ZF group, working for the company for almost 20 years – starting at sales representative office of Aftermarket division which he and his team developed into a fast-growing distribution network and highly productive regional office. His local knowledge, results, education, experience, and skills recommended him for a leading position in the newest project at Division E-Mobility. His confidence, agility, contacts network and problem-solving abilities secured his indispensable position at Pančevo Plant from the start of the project in Serbia. His contribution and dedication in this 160 million EURO valued investment project, which is of great importance for the ZF company, city of Pančevo, Vojvodina, and Serbia, has been recognized across the business community and awarded with special honors - first with the title of Honorary Citizen of Pančevo in 2019 and also as the recipient of special Sretenje Medal of Merit received in 2020. from President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić.

Two years after the start of ZF Serbia project, marked with speed boat progress and now running production operation, during COVID-19 crisis that is transforming the world and business as we know it, we talk to Milan about everyday leadership challenges and rapid changes that shape and drive company business and decision-making process.

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ZF, WHICH ACQUIRED WABCO HOLDINGS INC. ON MAY 29, 2020, NOW HAS 160,000 EMPLOYEES WORLDWIDE WITH APPROXIMATELY 260 LOCATIONS IN 41 COUNTRIES You are one of the key people responsible for this great and important project. We have all seen the timely and impressive results of the investment so far, but at the moment when your operation was to express the full potential, the world was interrupted by a specific crisis that is still lasting. How do you manage to stay on track and confidently move forward as circumstances change and we can only rely on existing realities and must consider future uncertainties?

— Yes, we all found ourselves at the moment when the world and the businesses, and each of

us individually, are reacting to a new reality. I would say that the world is updating and we are all slowly accepting and understanding how to keep up.

As a leader, with responsibility for your team and people, besides personal concerns and care regarding your own family, there is considerable pressure on making the right move. You first need to ensure the safety and well-being of all employees, then think about how to manage the company’s survival and then concentrate on the future where you still envision only success and desired results.

What is significant is that ZF

Group is, and has always been, a company lead by innovation and future thinking.

In that way, we can say that we were seeing, thinking, and acting ahead of time and we now come prepared.

We stay with our vision of next-generation mobility and zero emissions, committed to our decisions just flexible with our approach.

All our goals and values, and our management system are rooted in sustainable and long term development of new mobility that is driven and excepted at an increasing pace, as technology is changing the way we live and work.

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We are aware of global digital acceleration and determined, together with our customers and suppliers to rethink our business processes so we can remain relevant and stay on top.

It is definitely too early for prognoses, but what are you noticing and considering as assumptions regarding the scope of globally proclaimed economical crises? Can this challenge be handled with existing methods, skills, and experiences? How will you combat with all occurrences?

— What we see is that the world’s economy is in a free-falling mode. It is already clear that the business map of the world will radically change.

Experts around the world are addressing this same question wondering about the survival of their businesses and categories and trying to figure out how they will react, turning to proven methods and previous experiences. On one hand, we all know that changes and crises are a part of everyday business, but on the other, we must see this is different.

We are facing something quite new. It affects world globally, our civilization is shaken in every aspect of life and business, each individual is personally affected in everyday life and most important thing we need to acknowledge is that this is an open-ended situation - we do not know how long it can last and what other surprises it will bring on us.

My first instinct was to recognize specifics and name the change, and for me this time the challenge is business unusual.

What I mean by this is there is no instruction manual to deal with this type of crisis so to manage it you need to rely on your existing skills and experience, but more on instinct and personality traits. You need to stay objective and rational.

Through this process, I am trying to avoid predictable moves and scenarios and learn through it, think, and feel as the circumstances develop. The world is moving so quickly right now,

there is no time for a controlled step by step uncompromising approach.

I think that the way to go about business is to become

the local community and the whole country. We are excited and impatient for all news from the company as we follow you and your colleagues

ject success. As we speak we are working on extending the team with more than 50 new specialists and experts to make our business ready R&D center

THANKS TO THE PERFECTLY COMPLEMENTARY PORTFOLIOS AND COMPETENCIES, ZF IS ABLE TO OFFER UNPRECEDENTED SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES FOR MANUFACTURERS AND FLEETS GLOBALLY more agile, work quickly, and make smaller steps and changes and confidently make decisions while getting instant feedback to adjust along the way.

Resilience and open mindedness are what we all need to emerge from this situation stronger and with the long lasting positive impact in our lives and our businesses.

It is clear to us that, regardless of the change of circumstances, ZF Serbia project is on the way to success and that we can expect results that are so important for this partnership your company has ventured into with Serbia, benefiting

in this pioneer undertaking.

What would you name as the crucial factor for success, what is it you count on, rely on and could not grow without?

— Commitment to people is one of ZF company values. We support and encourage our employees in the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities and in return, we expect their commitment and performance.

During two years on this project we have been growing our team and today we count 650 people actively working in Pančevo Plant. Their dedication and engagement is an essential part of overall pro-

fully operational.

If I would have to name one key factor that will not be changed by circumstances and is going to be long term company’s dedication those are people.

We are committed to keep with the people – support and build up each individual, promote behaviors and values to set an organizational culture that will ensure we can move forward together and overcome challenges. Only people, motivated and equipped with the right attitude can stimulate innovation and growth and support the ambition of our business.

COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS In the four technology domains Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Automated Driving, and Electric Mobility, ZF offers comprehensive solutions for established vehicle manufacturers

and newly emerging transport and mobility service providers. ZF electrifies different kinds of vehicles. With its products, the company contributes to reducing emissions and protecting the climate.

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We Made Guarding the Best in You Our Duty In the period behind us, we steered our marketing activities in raising awareness of the importance of prevention, promotion of healthy habits and being responsible to ourselves, and our loved once CORPORATE

IVANA ADŽIĆ CEO at Esensa

WEBSITE

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hen you have a well-established system, founded on knowledge, clearly defined procedures and implemented standards, professional and educated team ready to learn and accept changes, I know that we will always seek for the best possible solution for every situation that awaits us in the future”, said Ivana Adžić, CEO of Esensa.

“W

To what extent has the current virus outbreak affected your business, and how have you organized yourself to continue to work smoothly and ensure the safety of your associates?

— During the pandemic, we dedicated all our resources to protecting the health of our patients and colleagues, health workers. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Esensa employees were at their workplaces ensuring the availability and

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continuity in supplying the healthcare facilities and providers with our products, predominantly dietary supplements and disinfectants. We understood that our primary task was, and still is, to prevent the spread of the virus and preserve the health of our citizens, fully aware that we must show professionalism, respon-

responsibility of all of our 200 employees, we managed to ensure the business continuity, tackle any obstacles along the way and ensure seamlessness in our operations.

Has the virus pandemic transformed the business in your company and if so - in what way?

ing conditions. We managed to maintain our supply chains and secure resources for production. Our colleagues worked around the clock to supply the market with disinfectants and biocides: in one day we produced 4 tons of Alkoseptol and Aseptan in different packages! Also, we are proud that our leading trademarks, including Marisol (winner of a prestigious award “Best of Serbia”) Propomint, Imunobeta, Magnevital, Ferimed and EsenBak probiotics, were main allies in preserving our health and helping our immune system to stay strong.

Moreover, in the period behind us, we steered our marketing activities in raising awareness of the importance of prevention, promotion of healthy habits and being responsible to ourselves and our loved once. That is why we in Esensa have created a new motto: "Guarding the best in you", because only preserved health brings harmony, the power of joy and nourishes all the positive qualities that a person has.

Are there any predictions of what businesses in your industry will look like in the future and what risks/possibilities they might face?

— There are no obstacles and threats for the Esensa team, only opportunities and chal-

BECAUSE ONLY PRESERVED HEALTH BRINGS HARMONY, THE POWER OF JOY AND NOURISHES ALL THE POSITIVE QUALITIES THAT A PERSON HAS sibility and solidarity. That is our duty and obligation. At an important time for the health of the nation, we were just doing our job and staying at your service. With good organization, quick and responsible decision making, application of adequate protection measures and a high degree of personal

— New circumstances required businesses to reorganize fast and adjust to changing market demands, regardless of the industry. Being traditionally committed to innovation and continuous digitalization of our internal processes we, as a company, were able to show agility and adapt to new work-

lenges, to which we have been successfully responding for last 12 years. New circumstances required us to make new strategic decisions and reposition our product portfolio. By analyzing the market, we focused on products that are in demand and accordingly redefined priorities in our production line.

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We are aware that products for strengthening the immune system, nose and throat care, as well as disinfectants are, and probably will stay a priority for our patients, partners and market in general. As a company that has over 200 products in its portfolio, we know that we will have the right therapy and the right answer for the needs of our patients at all times.

I would like to emphasize that our products are developed by our devoted R&D department, found on knowledge and experience, latest trends in the global pharmaceutical

market, cutting-edge technologies and unique formulations based on tested active ingredients of predominantly natural origins. Professional service and quality of our products are also recognized by our foreign partners, as Esensa exports in 28 countries in the EU and globally.

What are your expectations regarding the pandemic? Do you have a prepared strategy in case a similar scenario occurs and is your business model flexible enough to recover from the impact of a crisis?

— I am, as my colleagues say, a realistic optimist as I do not acknowledge optimism without grounds. I always believe we can do more and better. However, we must not underestimate the pandemic and the risk of a potential crisis that may arise from it. A quick response to a crisis situation is becoming a new competitive advantage today. As much as it is a challenge for processes in a company, it is also a challenge for teams and employees- a way to maintain motivation, show devotion and collegiality and exchange information. According

to Nassim Taleb, renowned professor of risk analysis, essence of crisis management is to get out of it better than you got into it. And that is what we are doing. Our management team is setting our priorities wisely, we are adjusting and constantly challenging our business strategy, but we are also are learning along the way and are open to advices and different opinions. We are focused on what is important and what we can influence. Brave, quick and responsible decision making is a priority in an environment as this one.

Family Of Good Probiotic Cultures t is known that more than 1000 different types of bacteria, viruses and fungi live in our body. The common name for all these microorganisms is microbiota and the largest number of them, as much as 70%, live in our intestines.

Their primary role is to ensure proper digestion and absorption of nutrients and to regulate fat deposition, but also to contribute to the development and strengthening of our immune system and to protect us from bad, pathogenic microorganisms.

Microbiota consists of useful and pathogenic microbes that are in a delicate and dynamic balance. The composition of microbiota is developed mainly under the influence of our diet and the type of food we intake, however over time the changes in the flora also depend on the medications we use (such as antibiotics), lifestyle and other external and internal factors. The influence of stress should also not be neglected, as recent studies show that stress has a negative impact on gut microbiota and on our organism overall.

When balance between pathogens and friendly bacteria is disturbed, severe indications may arise in a form of improper food absorption (which can result in lack of vitamins and minerals), high body lipids, constipation or diarrhea, weakened immunity...

We restore the altered bal-

I

ance by using products called probiotics, living microorganisms that have a beneficial effect on the human health. To be effective, these supplements must contain a sufficient number of living bacteria that will remain viable during the shelf life of the product and that can pass through the gastrointestinal tract by surviving in sufficient quantities.

Such is the EsenBak Direct probiotic, with 20 billion good bacteria, which ensures a strong effect and a maximum efficiency of the product. The product contains a combination of 4 efficient, tested, genetically identified and safe strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and is the optimal solution for establishing the balance of the intestinal microbiota in children and adults. These cultures

are dominantly present in the upper and lower parts of the intestine and contribute to maintaining the health of the digestive system. They balance the intestinal flora, strengthen the immune system, prevent urinary tract infections and help preserving health of the urinary tract.

In addition, research has shown that Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lr-G14 in EsenBak Direct probiotic has an anti-allergic effect, is effective in reducing symptoms of atopic dermatitis and eczema and contributes to faster recovery from respiratory infections. Moreover, evidence show that it can significantly reduce stress and anxiety-related behavior.

EsenBak Direct probiotic also contains DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid and one of the fundamental components of

phospholipids found in cell membranes, that contributes to maintaining normal brain and vision functions (which is especially important in children's nutrition).

The amino acid Taurine also contained in the product equally contributes to this function and to a normal development of the retina and brain in children.

The EsenBak Direct probiotic has a highly innovative dosage form designed for direct application and is delivered in convenient and easy to open on-the-go powder sticks, that you can use at any occasion without the use of liquids. EsenBak Direct features delicious strawberry and milk taste and dissolves instantly on the tongue.

EsenBak Direct probiotic is intended for the whole family as it is safe for use with children older than one year.

And that's not all, we continue to expand the EsenBak family of good probiotic cultures with two new products: EsenBak Intens 10/10/10 probiotic with 10 billion friendly bacteria in one capsule, 10 effective, safe and tested probiotic strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and 10 capsules in a package. For strong immunity and good digestion, there is EsenBak Imuno Digest probiotic, a synergy of carefully selected strains of probiotics, zinc and B vitamins.

Make feeling light your new norm, thanks to powerful Esenbak direct form!

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Know-how is the Main Advantage in Business Ongoing construction projects are leaning on the economic environment created by the state, while their implementation depends on our knowledge, deadlines, quality and price

CORPORATE

OGNJEN KISIN CEO of Konstruktor Grupa

he beginning of this year was marked by construction growth which continues as we speak.

None of the contracted investments stopped, and all the facilities which we started to build prior to the pandemic are on schedule ", says the CEO of Konstruktor Grupa, Ognjen Kisin, with whom we talked about the economic environment in Serbia, the large-scale construction projects that the company is currently implementing and future projects.

on our knowledge, deadlines, quality and price.

”T

What is your view of the current situation the Serbian construction sector, concerning the pandemic, and how do you think the crisis will affect the construction sector?

— Construction in Serbia has been developing rapidly in the last few years. Now, everything is perceived through the aspect of project implementation, so that the investment begins to bring a return. The begin-

THE GOALS FOR 2021 ARE TO CONTINUE COOPERATION WITH LONG-TERM CLIENTS, EXPAND PRODUCTION CAPACITIES AND MAINTAIN THE GROWTH FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, DESPITE THE ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES ning of this year was marked by construction growth which continues as we speak. None of the contracted investments stopped, and all the facilities which we started to build prior to the pandemic are on schedule. We also contracted certain projects during the state of emergency.

The construction sector is closely related to the influx of foreign investments, as well as the growth of domestic ones.

In this regard, the overall situation in the economy reflects on the overall situation in the construction sector. The economy, including construction, has not stopped but has to adapt to new circumstances that are challenging and un-

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predictable. I think that quality companies always have something to do in the market. Possessing the knowledge of business and specialized know-how is the strength and support in every business segment. Knowledge and knowhow are basic advantages in business, especially in times of crisis.

How important is state support when it comes to largescale projects, and especially the projects of foreign investors that your company is working on?

— It is clear to everyone that the general progress of the country’s economy is paving the way for greater success. Considering

that we have had positive economic developments in the last ten years, there are more successful, domestic companies that are progressing well as a result. Hypothetically speaking, you cannot have a good civil engineer if you do not build motorways. Now that many motorways are being built in our country, we can expect to have experts in that and many other fields very soon.

The state plays an important role in devising fiscal policy and fiscal incentives that are directly related to attracting foreign investments. Ongoing construction projects are leaning on the economic environment created by the state, while their implementation depends

Konstruktor Grupa is engaged in building numerous production facilities throughout Serbia. Which of them would you like to single out?

— In terms of the projects implemented in 2020, I would like to single out the business/production /storage complex of the company Minth Automotive Europe in Loznica, spanning 67,000 square metres, which we completed within a year.

The whole process included doing project design, obtaining all permits, construction and preparation for the company to move in, in line with the turnkey system. The company has also hired us to proceed with the implementation of the second project phase whereby we are going to build an additional 45,000 square metres of space.

In Niš, we are building a complex commissioned by the Chinese company Xingyu, which spans 47,000 sqm, in line with the design and build system.

These are two new significant projects from 2020.

Parallel with them, we are constructing other facilities in cooperation with other clients such as Zelena Avenija, Lidl, KLP, Miškone Plastic, etc.

What challenges do you expect to face in 2021, and can you tell us about your future projects?

— The challenges are unpredictable, and it seems that they will affect each branch of the economy differently. It is our job to adapt and create solutions for every new situation, just as before. The goals for 2021 are to continue cooperation with long-term clients, expand production capacities and maintain the growth from previous years, despite the altered circumstances.

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E-COMMERCE IN SERBIA 2020

INTERVIEW

THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-COMMERCE IS ONE OF THE NBS’ PRIORITIES

Together with the banking sector, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) has facilitated the use of the exceptionally current NBS IPS QR code for online payments, which ensures additional cost efficiency, but also maximum security and fast execution of payment transactions

DRAGANA STANIĆ

Vice- Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

overnor Jorgovanka Tabaković has placed e-commerce high on the list of priorities which is why the National Bank of Serbia is an important participant in this process and has made a very significant contribution by creating an extremely favourable and stimulating regulatory framework to remove all administrative barriers and simplify the purchase process by enabling the use of efficient online payment instruments," says Dragana Stanić, Vice-Governor at the National Bank of Serbia, about e-commerce in Serbia.

"G

What do you think how will e-commerce develop in the future in our country and the rest of the world, especially after the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the trends and transformations that await us?

— E-commerce has been growing strongly year-on-year, as evidenced by the fact that in the first quarter of 2020, the number of transactions related to online purchase of goods and services increased by 48.13% compared to the first quarter of 2019.

We are especially pleased with the fact that domestic retailers have achieved significant growth in online sales (an 80% growth in the number of online transactions relative to the first quarter of last year, and in 2019, the number of transactions made on domestic sites was as much as 146.78% higher compared to 2018).

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This trend in the growth of online commerce is the result of joint activities of businesses and the state in the field of development and popularization of the digital way of doing business and directing activities to virtual environments to increase business efficiency.

In addition to the development of national payment instruments, the National Bank of Serbia has adopted two very important regulations that eliminate obstacles to the growth and development of e-commerce, namely the Law on Interbank Fees, which significantly reduced commercial fees for accepting payment cards at online points of sale which caused the growth of the online acceptance network. In just two years, the online acceptance network in Serbia has grown by 77%.

Another important regulation that opened the door to boosting virtual economic activity and the development of digital banking is the decree regulating the verification of the identity of a natural person using electronic means of communication, which created the conditions for establishing a business relationship with a financial institution via the Internet.

All the above activities that we carried out before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, gained in importance during the state of emergency in terms of relatively easy adaptation of our virtual vendors to the new situation.

What is Serbia’s current position in

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terms of the development of e-commerce services compared to the global market?

— We have a growing number of consumers who are not only skilled in using digital technologies, but they are also demanding in this regard. Retailers must adapt their business strategies, as well as expand and improve their services to keep pace with rapidly evolving needs. Every generation is looking for more efficient and faster solutions to fulfil their wishes, which online purchase of products and services certainly is, considering it saves time and is simple.

Our e-commerce market has been recording significant growth, as aforementioned. The number of virtual shopping outlets increased by 36.60% at the end of the first quarter of 2020, which in absolute numbers stands at IQ - 1,228 virtual outlets compared to 899 at the end of the first quarter of 2019.

The IPS NBS system is the first instant payment system in the Balkans

The National Bank of Serbia has introduced instant payment by scanning the QR code. Can you give us a brief overview of the instant payment project in the Republic of Serbia? What exactly does instant payment at a point of sale entail?

— The IPS NBS system is the first instant payment system in the Balkans.

We are proud of the fact that the implementation of this system has positioned the Republic of Serbia in a small group of the most developed countries that have such a system and in the group

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of leaders in terms of implementing instant payment at the point of sale.

In late February 2020, again in collaboration with the banking sector, the National Bank of Serbia facilitated the use of the NBS IPS QR code at points of sale through mobile banking applications, and the Governor officially launched this payment instrument at one of our largest retail chains.

It is important to underline that this is an NBS IPS QR code and not just a QR code, because consumers may think that any QR code allows this type of payment, which is not true.

For the purposes of payment, the NBS IPS QR code is standardized and prescribed by the National Bank of Serbia’s decree.

The NBS IPS QR code is a standardized two-dimensional bar code with a predefined set of data for making payments at physical points of sale, as well as for online payments and invoice payments. This NBS IPS QR code is unique in our market and unequivocally designates that an instant payment is made through the IPS payment system of the Na-

The number of transactions related to online purchase of goods and services increased by

48.13%

tional Bank of Serbia.

For that reason, and in order to make this new payment instrument recognizable to the public and to encourage its use, but also to make it easier to understand which QR code is used for payment, we have branded the service in cooperation with banks and are insisting on using the real name of this payment instrument. This also makes it easy for users to immediately recognize the point of sale that allows payment by NBS IPS QR code which is marked with a sticker bearing the abbreviation "IPS", while the point of payment bears a sticker that gives information to the customer which IPS payment method they can use IPS Scan or IPS Show.

The advantages of paying with the NBS IPS QR code at the online point of sale lie in the fact that the customer, by simply scanning this code which is displayed on the retailers’ website and choosing the IPS Scan payment method after completing the order, downloads all the data necessary to execute the payment transaction in two clicks, i.e. makes the payment without the need for additional data entry. The payment security is an important element in this online payment method, considering that the customer does not leave any information on the retailers’ website, unlike when using payment cards, but the entire payment process is managed by the customer via their mobile device.

How much do people in our country use the option of paying via a mobile phone, i.e. via mobile banking applications?

— In the first quarter of 2020, relative to the same period of the previous year, the number of executed transactions using mobile banking increased by 25.62%, while the number of executed transactions using e-banking increased by 0.5%.

If we look only at transactions initiated by individuals, the number of transactions performed using mobile banking in the same period increased by 24.45%, while the number of transactions performed by individuals using e-banking decreased by 1.66%.

In transactions initiated by legal entities and small businesses, using mobile banking, the number of transactions increased by 35.7%, or by 0.94% when observing the number of transactions performed by legal entities and small businesses using e-banking. 

ADVANTAGES OF USING NBS IPS QR CODE AT POINTS OF SALE The costs of accepting instant payments are significantly lower for retailers than the costs of accepting payment card. This means that the National Bank of Serbia, thanks to its extremely favourable tariff policy, has created prerequisites for banks to offer this service to retailers at significantly lower fees than online payment acceptance fees.

We believe that the aforementioned advantages of using the NBS IPS QR code are sufficiently stimulating that even small shops, which do not accept payment cards at their online points of sale, can use this innovative, but also more cost-effective payment method which is of great importance for further development of e-commerce in Serbia.

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CORPORATE

A JOINT PERFECT MATCH PLATFORM

Saša Filipović, Chief Commercial Officer at Telenor

elenor and Mobi Banka have launched a joint Perfect Match platform, which will provide special benefits to shared customers – with greater savings and even more traffic.

As part of the offer, customers have at their disposal an additional gigabyte of free mobile data, a 50 percent discount on current account maintenance, but also an even more favorable exchange rate at the Mobi Banka online exchange office for up to 3,000 euros.

The Perfect Match comes as a result of an even stronger connection between Mobi Banka and Telenor and a continuation of a very successful cooperation on the project of mobile device purchase through loans that has been ongoing for almost six years now.

"Loans for the purchase of a mobile device are the backbone of our cooperation with Telenor, and our connection is getting even more dynamic with this project. We share the vision of our joint owner PPF Group and we are confident that this project will be as successful as the first one, thanks to which we have credited the purchase of more than half a million modern devices in excess of 160 million euros. The loan for the purchase of devices in installments is an invaluable benefit for our customers, the citizens of Serbia, and a great impetus for the development of digitization in the country," said Marija Popović, President of the Executive Board of Mobi Banka.

Popović added that she would also like to thank the National Bank of Serbia, which recognizes innovative banking products and thus encourages the growth and development of the entire market in the interest of all citizens, with a high degree of protection for financial services consumers.

"The cooperation between Telenor and the Bank has been ongoing for several years now and has proven to be very successful. The bank

T

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Joint offer of Mobi Banka and Telenor: The Perfect Match for a more favorable current account and even more mobile data. In six years, Mobi Banka has credited the purchase of half a million modern devices, worth more than 160 million euros

Loans for the purchase of a mobile device are the backbone of our cooperation with Telenor, and our connection is getting even more dynamic with this project

Marija Popović, President of the Executive Board of Mobi Banka

has developed a range of innovative services in the market, such as payment on mobile phone number or email, ATM transactions without the use of cards and, one of the last in a series, payment via IPS QR code. We expect the latest Perfect Match platform to further enhance the experience of our shared users", says Saša Filipović, Chief Commercial Officer at Telenor.

Perfect Match can be activated by all customers who meet the requirements in Mobi Banka app. In addition to the benefits, customers who activate this offer can potentially achieve significant annual savings. If we take Progresiv account users as an example, the approximate value of annual savings is more than 65 euros. You can read more about this campaign and any potential novelties on the Bank's website. 



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COMMENT

THERE‘S THE RUB?

Or: At what stage are the data and information in an e-commerce process most sensitive?

"Data protection (84.4%), cost transparency (83%) and menu transparency (80%) are the most important success factors.“ Leitfaden E-Marketing & E-Commerce

RADINKA DANILOV ŠEHOVIĆ

EMBA, DPO specialized in dataprotection in marketing and communications

rom the time when the Internet revealed many possibilities and potentials, especially since it ceased to exist as a parallel universe and competition to the "real world", our rights to privacy, data protection and information security have become so sensitive, and we have become exposed in this evolutionary process like never before. Accordingly, this field is rapidly becoming more complicated as an increasing number of laws are coming into force to protect the rights of all market participants.

And the right to privacy is one of the basic human rights guaranteed by the Convention (Article 8).

F

COMPLEXITY OF THE PROCESS E-commerce, and its extension M-Commerce, is one of the most complex processes from the information’s security point of view.

Almost all the laws regulating the mentioned areas have coalesced in this seemingly simple process. The complex legal picture needs to be incorporated with the dimension of infinity, the possibility of sale on all meridians, and thus the (non-)existence of national legislation, as well as its pecularities. Where are my servers located? What law protects my customer? Should I open a company in the USA / EU / Brazil or some other country that enforces some of the data protection laws? How can I resolve problems most easily?

If you were to ask your customers what they are afraid of when shopping online, most would answer with „misuse of information in the payment stage“. Only a few are aware that an e-commerce company could shut down if found misusing sensitive personal data, which is hidden in almost all phases of the e-commerce process. The customer will be less comfortable with someone stealing their bank account number, compared to stealing information about their sexual orientation or

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political beliefs. The latter could cost companies much more. Thus, solution to the problem is multi-fold, depending on the viewpoint.

More precisely, depending on the viewpoint of data protection and information security, problems are lurking everywhere.

A STEP BACK Although the presentation of the offer is considered the first phase in the e-commerce process, ISO and DPO cause the process to make one step back in the beginning, i.e. to revert to the phase while sales are still being planned. This is not just about a responsible approach to work, but also a legal obligation.

Some laws require dataprotection to be an active part of the process from the very beginning (GDPR, Art. 25, Privacy by Design). Besides, the preparation of a strategy requires some information, so it is very important to know whether this information can directly or indirectly identify a person. If so, pay attention to dataprotection laws in countries where you have registered legal entities. Above all, it is important to make sure that the information about your plans sees the light of day only when it is least harmful to your online ‚baby‘, and to implement all available measures to educate and inform people involved in the production process, as well as other protection systems.

Creating a sales platform, as one of the first major steps, is technically one of the most complex endeavours. It is important to apply all the necessary technical measures, e.g. se-

The customer will be less comfortable with someone stealing their bank account number, compared to stealing information about their sexual orientation or political beliefs

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cure database, secured proxy server, technically predefined data access control, secure interfaces, etc. No less important are organizational measures, which include educating the team, drafting procedures and business rules, compliance with legislation, etc.

The moment your webshop goes live, you become the target of various malicious individuals and software and you have a permanent obligation to protect yourself from it through password management, antivirus programmes, constant employee training, data encryption, etc. You are responsible for each piece of personal data you collected during user registration, which is why it is advisable to collect a minimum amount of data.

WHAT IS BEHIND ALL OF THIS? If we agree that the secret of success in online sales is painting a picture of the potential customer's needs, creating an offer, and an adequate presentation, we will also agree that a process of precise profiling is behind everything, which is another sensitive point from the data protection viewpoint providing it includes evaluation of a person in any sense. Through profiling, we come to several stages of the process which relate to product presentation, CRM and further customer relations, data storage and database management. In addition to the minimization principle mentioned above, keep in mind that the use of each piece of data must have its purpose. If you are collecting data for no reason, you are not on the right track. Add to that the principle that prescribes limited data storage (accuracy). As soon as you have fulfilled the purpose of taking and processing someone's data, you are obliged to delete / anonymize it.

Integrity and confidentiality principles require you to secure data and information from unauthorized access and misuse by any party, even yourself. The best example is sending emails with commercial content. If the customer has not expressly and provably agreed to receive the commercial newsletter, you should not send it to them. If they did not consent to all Cookies‘ categories, because the IP address is also considered personal data, you are not allowed to activate them. Most activities are allowed only if the customer agrees.

There are, fortunately for those who rely on direct mailing, agencies which can sell you lists of email addresses of people who want to receive your commercial offers.

already tested, certified applications which quality has been tested.

IN THE END OF THE CYCLE Product distribution and eventual return of goods are the last phases of each e-commerce cycle. In this stage, it is extremely important to be aware that you are also responsible for the data that is processed on your behalf, i.e. based on a contract concluded with you, by another person (supplier). You are responsible for all data collected through direct registration on the webshop or via cookies, and for handing it over to someone else to process them. If you do business in the EU, it is always better to choose a company registered in the EU, which servers are located in the EU and which, even if it has headquarters on another continent, does not use data and information from the EU in global analyses.

Based on these few selected examples, you can guess how complex this process is and why it is important to avoid draconian penalties that would surely affect the destiny of your webshop. "You sell on the web by making it easy to buy" (Jakob Nielsen), and the more you try to simplify the process, the more complicated everything becomes for the other side. The more you try to be personalized, the deeper you step into the waters of personal data protection. This increasingly important issue is not new, but it is rapidly gaining momentum with the development of e-business. Catch up and surf without fear, because business will have no future without this. ď‚Ł

The moment your webshop goes live, you become the target of various malicious individuals and software

PAYMENT STAGE Data is most difficult to preserve during the payment stage, largely because it is most appealing to thieves and because it involves at least one other participant, so there is communication between at least two systems which, therefore, creates a weak point in terms of security. Security systems are being improved every day, and currently 3FA is one of the most popular. It usually consists of 3 different elements: one that I posses (card, token, etc.), one that I know (PIN, ID, etc.) and one that I get (e.g. TAN). This phase is far more complex and requires multiple protection, which is why the optimal solution is to use

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CORPORATE

PEOPLE, AS THE MAIN RESOURCE, ARE THE ESSENCE

We plan to grow. We have serious projects ahead of us and I am confident that we are going to need a lot of people who will be able to participate in this story that we are ‘writing’ which will result in new services that will facilitate life both for our current and future clients

VUK GUBERINIĆ

Founder and CEO of CarGo Technologies any of our users, and we have over 800,000 registered users, need a daily service. We have serious plans on how to extend our service range to offer something completely new and innovative in the Serbian mobility market,” says Vuk Guberinić, founder and CEO of CarGo Technologies.

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What is an innovative technology company like CarGo working on at the moment? Which projects are you currently implementing? What is your view of the development of e-commerce?

—We started developing software for the Mobility and Ridesharing industry five years ago. We have developed our software applications that help people in daily mobility and all of that is closely related to e-commerce. We are aware of global trends and we have been trying to make something similar, adapted to the legal framework here in Serbia, that is sufficiently acceptable to end-users so that they can order a service with the help of the simplest protocol available, with only two clicks. In the meantime, we have become the largest online vendors in terms of the number of transactions.

Could you tell us more about the new service you are launching, CarGo Butler (CarGo Batler, in the Serbian language)?

— CarGo Butler will be everyone's personal assistant. Butler will, for instance, bring freshly prepared food from a special CarGo kitchen. We have a couple of new concepts that we will launch in the market with one of them being the Cloud Kitchen, all in line with the global trends. We have created a range of digital brands that will represent top-notch food that will be prepared in premium restaurants but at an affordable price.

We also plan to develop a delivery

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service, as there is great potential in the same-day-delivery of packages, especially express delivery within an hour or two. The idea is that the user can rely on us, that if they buy something online, be it through the CarGo app or in some webshop, our Butler will deliver that to them. Regardless of the situation we all find ourselves in, the launch will be in August. We have already signed several contracts, with our clients eager to start cooperation. We will have the right to promote and escalate the service with many more points of sale and partners as of September.

CarGo Pay is also a new service. What novelties does it bring in terms of payment options?

— CarGo Pay will complete our eco-system of products and services. The idea is to offer our customers another payment method or rather a simpler way of sending and receiving money via the CarGo Pay application. Once a user creates an account, they will have a range of services at their disposal. The idea is to make it easier for people to make contactless payments as something that a global trend that comes from the East. China is an excellent example for us as people there can use QR codes for payment.

We want to offer a similar user experience whereby people will use their phones for practically all transactions, both online and offline so that once they put money in that electronic environment, i.e. deposit it in their phone, they will no longer need a wallet. For example, if they buy something online and want to pay by cash on delivery and not by card, then they will pay the CarGo Butler by scanning the code. This is a very advanced technology and an innovative thing in our region.

Tell us more about your contract with

SEE THIS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

Telenor stipulating free Internet. Will Belgrade become a Smart City?

— Yes, it is slowly becoming one. We decided to take that step for two reasons.

One of them is connectivity. It is important for us to know what happens to vehicles when they are in traffic and to obtain information about them in real-time, and that is something that this device will help us to do. We will have real-time communication with vehicles in the sense that we will be able to know whether it on or off the road and how fast it is going. We will use all that information. Furthermore, the Internet will be available practically as mobile WiFi in Belgrade for the first time. And the Internet will work, believe it or not. We have established such cooperation with Telenor, and during the promotion campaign, we are going to describe all the characteristics of this service.

You have repeatedly pointed out that people are the most important resource. You work a lot in the CSR. Which CSR project would you like to single out?

— We have invested a lot of time and money in CSR which has become an integral part of our business, i.e. to help our community as much as we can. We feel good doing it. I would like to single out the campaign we did with NURDOR last year. We also supported children from lesser developed regions in Serbia. The campaign was organized by the Hilandar Monastery and we were recognized for our participation.

As far as people are concerned, as the main resource for both software development and business development, we need qualified staff. Working with high-quality people who take their job seriously is the best investment in the growth and development of startups. This gives us the motivation to continue. 

VISIT 

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

We have invested a lot of time and money in CSR which has become an integral part of our business

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CORPORATE

INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS FOR EASIER AND MORE SECURE PAYMENT

Making a payment is becoming a background operation that does not waste time, does not spoil user experience and most importantly, leaves a record (review of card or account transactions if instant payment is used) CLICK TO SEE THIS ON WEB

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WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

LINKEDIN

TWITTER

n recent months, there has been an increase in online sales in Serbia, and retailers are now much more interested in e-commerce than ever before. We talked to the Digital Channels Manager at OTP Bank, Vladimir Dornik, about the Apple pay service in Serbia, new payment methods and what awaits us as a result of the development of digitization and solutions.

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What does the introduction of the Apple pay application mean for people in terms of cashless and card payments?

— Apple Pay is a mobile wallet functionality that allows customers to digitize their payment card and pay by a smartphone or smartwatch without having to pay with actual money. As a result, the user pays bills by putting their phone on the POS device just as they would do with a payment card. Instead of typing their PIN in the POS device, users confirm their identity with biometrics, which is a safer and faster way of authentication during the payment process. In fact, when paying with a mobile phone with a card, the client is charged from the debit or credit card which they chose in the mobile wallet at the time of payment, because they can have more than one card ‘stored’ in their mobile wallet, regardless of the card’s issuing bank.

On the other hand, I would also like to underline that our customers, who have an Android phone, have been able to in the same way via the mCard mobile wallet since last year.

Participants of several online conferences have concluded that the coronavirus brought on the Golden Age of

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VLADIMIR DORNIK

Digital Channels Manager at OTP Bank

e-commerce in Serbia. What is your view of the current situation in the e-commerce segment in our country?

— Retailers are now much more interested in e-commerce than ever before.

Online shopping definitely takes precedence because customers don’t want to spend time in a physical shop if they don’t have to. Therefore, they choose stores that have a webshop and those that do not, they perceive as less competent until they start offering online shopping services.

In only three months, over 200 new retailers contacted our bank and wanted to find out more about the card and instant payments. Some of them don’t even have a webshop and are just planning to start one, but have still inquired about payment options. In a conversation with them, we learned that the Pay

by Link functionality solves all their problems, because thanks to it, they can immediately sell their products and accept remote payment for them without waiting for their website to be set up.

taxi ride or toll because the ENP device is now directly connected to their payment card. Also, thanks to the same functionality, they can order their favourite meal via the Glovo application without having to enter the information on their card every time, or finding the exact amount of cash to pay the delivery guy when he comes with the order.

How much do banks with an innovative approach and allowing new payment methods contribute to boosting e-commerce?

— Innovative payment systems certainly contribute to the development of e-commerce as they make room for new business models, but they also cover business models that could not use standard functionalities to provide their services in an adequate way. As an example, I would like to mention a card on file option thanks to which customers can use CarGo’s services without fretting about in which way they are going to pay for a

In November 2019, you talked about the topic interestingly titled as „Would you give your payment card to a drone“.

What is your answer – yes or no?

— You need to fill up a fridge or a car for it to have its use-value. Drones have the capacity to be used in farming, as well as for making payments for us. And that can only make us happier, save us time and reduce worries. The one thing that I will definitely miss is saying: “Hey, waiter, the bill is on me“ when I'm in a restaurant with friends because that will soon be regulated by a digitized menu in which everyone will pay for their order. 

What new projects will OTP Bank Serbia implement by the year-end?

— OTP Bank will have launched a developer corner by the year-end, intended for retailers interested in e-commerce services. This platform will contain the required information about all e-commerce services, as well as a test environment that allows retailers to test what they are interested in. Also, the platform will make it possible to apply and submit all the necessary documentation for concluding an agreement on accepting payment cards or instant payment in the online store. The platform is a one-stop-shop for e-commerce at OTP Bank.

CLICK TO GO  www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

ANALYTICS

E-COMMERCE IN SERBIA: FROM MYTH TO OPTIMISTIC REALITY One thing is sure – the pandemic has shown and confirmed the necessity and rationalization of additional investments in developing digital business in general, and e-commerce in particular

By RUŽA VELJOVIĆ D&C magazine commerce has never been closer to us than at the time of the coronavirus pandemic. We're hungry, let's order food. I need trainers - there's a discount on the shopping site. I saw a great dress. I can’t go shopping for it amid the pandemic but there is a great site where I can buy everything online.

Back in the day, e-commerce was a myth in Serbia that was perpetuated by stories of people having their credit card numbers stolen when used online and all their money from the account disappearing. Today, e-commerce is our reality. There is a pandemic outside and we are not leaving our homes. In terms of statistics, e-commerce has been growing rapidly year-on-year in Serbia, as evidenced by the fact that, in the first quarter of 2020, the number of online transactions when purchasing goods and services increased by 48.13% compared to the first quarter of 2019. I am especially pleased with the fact that domestic retailers have achieved significant growth in online sales (an 80% growth in the number of online transactions relative to the first quarter of last year).

WHERE DO WE STAND IN COMPARISON TO THE REST OF THE WORLD?

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The number of virtual points of sale increased by

36.60%

at the end of the first quarter of 2020

Official statistics in Europe show that e-commerce has declined and that only certain areas have benefited. In terms of our country, the data show stagnation, although, in Serbia, the problem is more of logistical and software nature, because the numbers show that the interest in e-commerce has definitely increased. Something that had been worked on for years, has flourished in times of crisis and state of emergency. Those companies that already had developed online activities overcame the crisis more easily because they directed clients and customers to their existing online platforms. Also, a significant number of companies started to expand their online presence for the first time. Among other things, Diplomacy & Commerce magazine published its April and May issue on its online platform. Our parent company, Color Media Communications, has become a leader in online events by holding 7 online conferences, which once again validated the favourite slogan of Robert Čoban, the CEO of our company – „Change or die“.

PREDICTIONS FOR 2020 Revenue in the eCommerce market is projected to reach €366m in 2020.

Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2020-2024) of 7.1%, resulting in a projected market volume of €482m by 2024. The market's largest segment is Toys, Hobby & DIY with a projected market volume of €103m in 2020. User penetration will be 48.1% in 2020 and is expected to hit 60.3% by 2024. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to amount to €109.56.

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CLICK TO GO  www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

measures relate to increasing the capacity of information flow on the Internet, improving delivery services and other logistics, using digital tools for implementing measures and disseminating information, promoting telecommunications services and the like.

The global COVID-19 crisis and its impact on e-commerce have boosted international cooperation, the further development of e-commerce and the use of digital channels for online shopping and supply. The pandemic has made it clear that e-commerce can be an important tool for consumers. E-commerce can also support small businesses and be an economic driving force behind both domestic growth and international trade.

ONLY NUMBERS MATTER

The pandemic has made it clear that e-commerce can be an important tool for consumers

The pandemic that hit the world hard showed certain weaknesses of the global online market and its participants. The supply chain was most affected by the disproportion between the increased online activity by consumers on the one hand, and the limited capacities of traders in terms of human resources, on the other. Furthermore, other challenges for e-commerce have emerged during the pandemic, such as unjustified price increases, issues of online payment security, product security concerns, fraudulent activities, development problems, etc. Fortunately, there were no such phenomena in our country or if they were, they were negligible.

Our e-commerce market has been recording significant growth, as aforementioned. The number of virtual points of sale increased by 36.60% at the end of the first quarter of 2020, which in absolute numbers stands at IQ - 1,228 virtual outlets compared to 899 at the end of the first quarter of 2019.

In the first quarter of 2020, relative to the same period of the previous year, the number of executed transactions using mobile banking increased by 25.62%, while the number of executed transactions using e-banking increased by 0.5%. If we look only at transactions initiated by individuals, the number of transactions performed using mobile banking in the same period increased by 24.45%, while the number of transactions performed by individuals using e-banking decreased by 1.66%. In transactions initiated by legal entities and small businesses, using mobile banking, the number of transactions increased by 35.7%, or by 0.94% when observing the number of transactions performed by legal entities and small businesses using e-banking. ď‚Ł

Diplomacy & Commerce magazine published its April and May issue on its online platform

COOPERATION BETWEEN THE STATE AND COMPANIES Cooperation between the public and private sectors has come to the fore globally, and state governments and their measures, devised to support the private sector, have affected e-commerce in a way to help mitigate the negative effects and solve situations faced by different countries in the fight against the coronavirus contagion. Some of the adopted

DOUBLED DURING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY E-commerce in Serbia, according to the research of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, doubled during the state of emergency, compared to the time before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the growth of buying and selling over the Internet is expected in the next period as well. In March and April, in addition to groceries, computers and computer equipment, small household appliances, clothes, and shoes were mostly bought online. Food sales in that period increased tenfold compared to the average monthly turnover before the pandemic. Large retail chains have activated and strengthened their online stores and their own delivery services due to the required high standards for the transport of food products.

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THE BIGGEST SLUMP IN 50 YEARS

Amid a Brutal Contraction, Corporate Germany Assesses the Damage But business leaders think the worst may be over not reattain its pre-crisis level until 2022 at the earliest.

One ray of light is unemployment, which held steady at 6.4% in July, with 18,000 fewer people out of work than in June. For that, credit the country’s Kurzarbeit, short-time work schemes that help companies keep staff employed at reduced (or even no) hours while the state pays the bulk of salaries.

About 6.7m workers are enrolled.

Before the pandemic unemployment was at a record post-reunification low, hovering at 5%. Skilled workers in particular were scarce.

Retail sales have been recovering, jumping by 12.7% in May after most shops were closed in March and April. Industrial production rose around 10.4% in the same month, according to Destatis. German business leaders are cautiously optimistic that the worst is behind them. Ola Källenius, the chairman of Daimler, another big carmaker, said recently that he had spotted the first signs of a recovery of sales.

VW thinks that in spite of its disast was even worse than expected. On July 30th Destatis, Germany’s federal statistics agency, announced that the economy shrank by 10.1% in the second quarter, compared with the first—largely the result of the government’s measures to contain the spread of covid-19. The drop was the deepest in half a century. Destatis also reported associated slumps in exports and imports, household consumption and investment in machinery and equipment.

The plunge in output returned GDP to where it was ten years ago.

Even so, according to Florian Hense, an economist at Berenberg, a German private bank, it “could have been much worse”. Germany’s lockdown was softer and shorter than in other European countries. Moreover the government responded with one of the most comprehensive fiscal stimuli around the globe, writes Mr Hense, which further cushioned the blow to the economy and accelerated its recovery. On the day after the grim German announcement France, Italy and Spain reported even

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MOST GERMAN BUSINESSES ARE EXTREMELY DEPENDENT ON EXPORTS. THEIR FATE WILL DEPEND ON THE RECOVERY OF ECONOMIES—AND THE TAMING OF THE VIRUS—IN THE REST OF THE WORLD sharper contractions, of 13.8%, 12.4 % and 18.5% respectively.

Nearly all businesses are feeling the pinch. The second-quarter reporting season, now halfway through, has been miserable. Heidelberg Cement, a maker of concrete, made a loss of €3bn in the first half of 2020, compared with a profit of €290m a year earlier.

Volkswagen (VW), Europe’s biggest carmaker, lost €1.4bn, against a profit of €9.6bn, and said car sales had dropped by 27% to 3.9m vehicles. And BASF, the world’s biggest chemicals company, said that sales slumped by 12%, year on year, in the second quarter, chiefly because demand from the car industry had collapsed. It too reported a net loss of €878m, having raked in almost €6bn in the same quarter in 2019.

This week Lufthansa, the national airline, Siemens, a giant engineer-

ing company, and others report, most likely intensifying the gloom.

Business leaders are pinning their hopes on an economic recovery in the third quarter, assuming that a resurgence of coronavirus infections will not lead to another lockdown of the economy. The government’s stimulus of more than €130bn—equivalent to 3.8% of last year’s GDP—including a temporary cut of value-added tax to boost domestic demand, should help the economy return to growth. The European Union’s €750bn package (to which Germany will be a big contributor) should help further by boosting German exports within the bloc. Peter Altmaier, the economy minister, thinks the economy will start to grow again in October “at the latest”. He expects it to shrink by 6.3% this year but to grow by 5.2% next year. Still, it will

trous second quarter it will be profitable this year.

On July 21st HSBC, an international bank, published a survey of 2,600 firms with sales of more than $5bn in 14 countries. It suggested that the 200 German firms included should weather the crisis better than those elsewhere: 53% of them said they were strongly affected by the pandemic, compared with 72% in the other 13 countries (including America, Britain, Canada, China, France and Mexico). Maybe. Most German businesses are extremely dependent on exports. Their fate will depend on the recovery of economies—and the taming of the virus— in the rest of the world.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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INTRO

Svako od nas nek bude čuvarkuća

By RUŽA VELJOVIĆ

Direktor magazina Diplomacy&Commerce

egde polovinom juna na Instagramu sam uhvatila stori na profilu Marka Čadeža sa promocije novog projekta. Odmah kako sam čula Stvarano u Srbiji, krenem da istražujem. Nađem, vidim i – osmeh dobijem. Ne samo zbog toga što znam da čim je tu PKS, tu mora da se nešto dobro kuva; a ono tu je i moj profesor Saša Veljković (Ekonomski fakultet u Beogradu) od koga sam zaista naučila sve što znam o marketingu. To mora biti baš dobra kombinacija, pomislih.

Daljim istraživanjem nađem da je Privredna komora Srbije pokrenula novu akciju Stvarano u Srbiji, usmerenu na podršku domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima, kao i na jačanje svesti potrošača o značaju kupovine domaćih proizvoda. Firme koje žele da njihovi proizvodi ponesu žig Čuvarkuća od 16. juna mogu da se prijave Privrednoj komori Srbije.

Smatrala sam da je veoma važno da ovaj projekat predstavimo našoj ciljnoj grupi koju čine predstavnici diplomatske, političke, poslovne, kulturne i zajednice eksperata u Srbiji. Ne zato što je ovo nešto nikad viđeno dosad ili, zato što bi neki rekli – sve je marketing; ne, već zato što je, mišljenja sam, ovaj projekat akcija koja budi svest o tome šta je odgovornost, šta zapravo radimo kada kupujemo jedan proizvod i koliko zajedno možemo biti odgovorni, i ponosni.

Cenim da kada se kompanije prijave i počnu da dobijaju žig Čuvarkuća i obeleženi proizvodi osvanu na policama u radnjama, svako ko kupi tako obeležen proizvod znaće da je kupio najbolje što imamo. A imaće i potvrdu toga.

Znaće da taj proizvod iza sebe ima vrednost u koju su utkani sati i sati rada naših ljudi, ideje i ideje naših ljudi, inovativnost i dizajn naših kreativaca, sa sirovinama sa naših prostora…

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Namerno izbegavam reč „domaći”, jer mi je nekako srcu bliža reč „naši” proizvodi od onog ishabanog rekla bih, izanđanog i suviše često bez osnova upotrebljavanog izraza domaći. Probajte nekoliko puta naglas da ponovite Stvarano u Srbiji, Stvarano u Srbiji…

Momentalno izraz dobija potpuno drugu dimenziju, dublje ulazite u značenje…

Izraz Stvarano u Srbiji zaista nosi poseban duh, duh ovog našeg ovde vremena i duh ovog našeg ovde čoveka.

A taj naš čovek će pokazati da ume da stvori natprosečan kvalitet, koji stvara domaća radna snaga, koji daje najviši nivo kvaliteta i koji ima posebnu vrednost, da ne kažem onaj marketinški izraz unique preposition… (a kako bih se drugačije i izražavala nego rečnikom marketinga koji jeste ono što umem i prepoznajem).

Umem da prepoznam i projekte koji će, sasvim sam sigurna, doneti više vrednosti i našoj privredi u ovim i ovakvim preteškim uslovima i vremenima. Doneće tu kolektivnu svest, pa ćemo kad odemo u nabavku, znati da postoji neki proizvod na polici čijom kupovinom možemo i sami da doprinesemo; jer kupovinom tog žigom obeleženog proizvoda znaćemo da možemo i sami vratiti bar jedan dinar našoj zemlji, našoj zajednici, za dobrobit svih nas.

A gde ćete lepšeg osećaja i ličnog zadovoljstva ako znate da ste barem malo doprineli da ovo naše društvo i naša država postane bolje mesto za život? Čuvarkuća, neka čuva i nas i našu kuću. Jer drugu i druge nemamo. Imamo nas, i svako od nas neka bude čuvarkuća.

Izraz Stvarano u Srbiji zaista nosi poseban duh, duh ovog našeg ovde vremena i duh ovog našeg ovde čoveka

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

Privredna komora Srbije pokrenula projekat Stvarano u Srbiji

Privredna komora Srbije polovinom juna je u Etnografskom muzeju u Beogradu predstavila projekat Stvarano u Srbiji, u okviru koga je kreirala oznaku Čuvarkuća kao podršku domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima nak Čuvarkuća nosiće isključivo veoma kvalitetni proizvodi, proizvedeni u Srbiji domaćim resursima. Cilj projekta je da se podrži inovativnost i konkurentnost srpske privrede, kao i da se omogući otvaranje novih radnih mesta i veće zarade. „Stvarano u Srbiji je akcija kojom želimo da probudimo svest o našoj odgovornosti, o tome šta kupujući jedan proizvod u stvari radimo.

Ono što kupimo sa žigom Čuvarkuće znači ne samo da je proizvod proizveden u Srbiji nego da je naprav-

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ljen od najboljeg što imamo i da takav proizvod sadrži vrednost našeg rada, ideja, kreativnosti, dizajna, inovacija, domaćih materijala i sirovina”, izjavio je Marko Čadež, predsednik PKS, predstavljajući projekat u Etnografskom muzeju.

Predsednik PKS je istakao da je akcija namenjena jednom cilju – da zajedno čuvamo našu kuću, Srbiju i da će za nas, ako motivišemo barem jednu firmu da shvati da je korisno da dobije ovakav žig, ova akcija već biti uspešna. Kako je istakao, želimo da se obratimo ne samo potrošačima

U pitanju je strateški osmišljen projekat koji počiva na stručnim, organizacionim, marketinškim i kreativnim aktivnostima

koji donose odluku da nešto kupe iz domaće proizvodnje već i kompanijama koje ovde proizvode i stvaraju novu vrednost u Srbiji, bez obzira na to da li je kompanija sa stranim ili domaćim kapitalom, i da pokrenemo jednu novu filozofiju življenja u kome znate na koji način možete uticati na svoje i živote vaše dece. Čadež je na skupu, kojem je prisustvovao i ministar privrede Goran Knežević, pozvao domaće kompanije da se prijave za učešće u ovoj akciji i postanu čuvarkuće.

Saša Veljković, redovni profesor Ekonomskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu, ukazao je da je u pitanju strateški osmišljen projekat koji počiva na stručnim, organizacionim, marketinškim i kreativnim aktivnostima i da su kriterijumi za dodelu prava na korišćenje žiga postavljeni na stručnim osnovama.

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Žig Čuvarkuća štiti domaću privredu Podrškom domaćim proizvođačima da stvaraju kvalitetne i dominantno domaće proizvode, angažuju naše ljude, dobavljače i partnere iz Srbije i podsticanjem potrošača da takvu robu kupuju, jačamo ekonomiju i državu – čuvamo našu kuću MIHAILO VESOVIĆ

Direktor Sektora za strateške analize, usluge i internacionalizaciju

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rivredna komora Srbije je polovinom juna pokrenula nov projekat Stvarano u Srbiji sa ciljem da podrži domaće proizvode i proizvođače, uz istovremeno jačanje svesti potrošača o značaju kupovine kvalitetnih i konkurentnih proizvoda stvorenih u Srbiji, čime se podstiče i razvoj domaće ekonomije.

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Detaljne informacije o prijavi, postupku i svim detaljima dostupne su na sajtu projekta www. stvaranousrbiji.rs

Kako ste došli do ideje pokretanja Čuvarkuće?

— U pitanju je strateški projekat koji ima težnju da unapredi svest o značaju kupovine domaćih proizvoda, kao i da na najbolji način iskoristimo ono najbolje što imamo u svojoj kući, da to obogatimo, razvijemo, dodamo novu vrednost. Umesto da uvozimo, da proizvodimo od domaćih sirovina. Kupovinom proizvoda stvaranih u Srbiji od domaćih materijala podržavamo domaće proizvođače, našu ekonomiju i jačamo svoju državu. Novac ostaje u Srbiji, privreda će imati više sredstava

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za ulaganja u novu proizvodnju i pogone, istraživanja i inovacije, u nova radna mesta, veće plate zaposlenih.

Takođe, biće više sredstava i za velike projekte – opremljenije škole, savremenije bolnice, modernu saobraćajnu infrastrukturu. Čitava akcija zahteva kontinuirano angažovanje ne samo Privredne komore Srbije, kao pokretača projekta, već i podršku medija, stručne i naučne javnosti, poslovnih ljudi različitog profila, potrošača i društva u celini.

Šta je sve potrebno da bi se privredni subjekt prijavio za projekat Čuvarkuća?

— Privrednici koji proizvode u Srbiji i imaju kvalitetne proizvode domaćeg porekla mogu aplicirati za dobijanje žiga. Proizvod mora da bude stvoren od najmanje 80 odsto domaćih resursa – rada i materijala. Lista proizvoda za koje se može dobiti žig Čuvarkuća dopunjava se u skladu sa interesovanjem privrednika i ciljevima projekta.

Kvalitet mora biti merljiv i natprosečan, što znači da se očekuje da preduzeća prijavljuju svoje najbolje proizvode. Ukoliko ispunjavaju navedene uslove, preduzeća popunjavaju obrazac Zahteva, sa nekih četrdesetak opštih i specifičnih pitanja, prilažući dokaze kojim potvrđuju ispunjenost osnovnih kriterijuma za dobijanje žiga. Nadležna tehnička komisija i Savet ocenjuju ispunjenost kriterijuma, a ceo postupak od trenutka ispravno podnetog zahteva do dobijanja žiga traje 45 dana. Pravo korišće-

nja žiga Čuvarkuća dobija se na tri godine, sa mogućnošću resertifikacije.

Koliko se zasad privrednih subjekata prijavilo za projekat Čuvarkuća iz oblasti poljoprivrede i prehrambene industrije?

— Veliki broj kompanija iz različitih sektora privrede, od prehrambene do hemijske i farmaceutske industrije, od početka akcije konkurisalo je sa više od 100 proizvoda. Od toga broja više od 60 su proizvodi prehrambene industrije. U avgustu će biti dodeljene prve Čuvarkuće. Podnošenje zahteva za dodelu žiga počelo je polovinom juna (tačnije 16. juna), a ceo postupak traje 45 dana.

Kakve koristi za privredni subjekt donosi znak Čuvarkuća?

— Proizvođači i preduzeća, bez obzira na to da li imaju domaće ili strano vlasništvo i/ili brendove, mogu da postanu deo akcije unapređenja privrede Srbije i našeg društva u celini, stvarajući kvalitetne proizvode u Srbiji, od domaćih sirovina.

Domaćim, naročito lokalnim proizvodima znak Čuvarkuća daje potvrdu da imaju natprosečan kvalitetan, na nivou ili iznad uvoznih proizvoda iz date kategorije.

Sa druge strane, stranim proizvodima poznatih brendova znak Čuvarkuća daje potvrdu da su deo lokalne zajednice, jer koriste materijale, sirovine i radnu snagu Srbije, a time pomažu državu i celo društvo, postajući na taj način njegov deo.

Tehnička komisija Ko odlučuje o dodeli žiga?

— Tehničku komisiju za dobijanje žiga čine eksperti i analitičari specijalizovani za oblast iz koje je proizvod. Oni, uz podršku zaposlenih u nadležnom sektoru PKS, daju svoje stručno mišljenje, a konačnu odluku donosi Savet, u kome su stručnjaci velikog iskustva iz oblasti tehnologije, standarda kvaliteta, marketinga i kreativne industrije, predvođeni menadžmentom PKS.

Za žig Čuvarkuća više od 100 prijava

iše od polovine kompanija koje su konkurisale jesu prehrambene industrije. Očekuje se pozitivan efekat na privredu i podizanje poverenja u domaću proizvodnju Od početka akcije polovinom juna, za žig Čuvarkuća konkurisalo je više od deset kompanija sa više od 100 proizvoda, a prve dodele te oznake očekuju se u drugoj polovini avgusta, možda i dok čitate ovaj broj D&C magazina.

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Više od polovine kompanija koje su konkurisale jesu prehrambene industrije. Očekuje se pozitivan efekat na privredu i podizanje poverenja u domaću proizvodnju Preduzeća koja su aplicirala za žig su iz različitih sektora privrede – iz hemijske i farmaceutske industrije, ali i prehrambenog sektora, čak više od polovine, što je i očekivano. Projekat Stvarano u Srbiji pokrenula je PKS sa ciljem podsticanja i razvoja domaće ekonomije. Žig Čuvarkuća, prema propozicijama, mogu da dobiju isključivo proizvodi napravljeni od najmanje 80 odsto domaćih resursa. Osnovna ideja jeste da na ovaj način uposlimo, s jedne strane, kapacitete domaćih proizvođača, ali i njihovih partnera u smislu nabavki sirovina, repromaterijala koje, po pravilu, rade neka manja preduzeća, preduzetnici, poljoprivredni proizvođači Osim domaćih preduzeća pravo da konkurišu imaju i strane kompanije sa poznatim brendovima jer im ta oznaka daje potvrdu da su deo lokalne zajednice.

Akcija Stvarano u Srbiji se ne finansira se iz državnog budžeta, već od onih koji žele da učestvuju u akciji. Među privrednicima ima interesovanja i dobro je što se uključuju i manji proizvođači, nekada samostalno, a nekada i u saradnji sa trgovinama ili drugim partnerima.

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Čuvajmo našu P zajedničku kuću!

Projekat je usmeren na podršku domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima, kao i na jačanje svesti potrošača o značaju kupovine domaćih proizvoda

rivredna komora Srbije pokrenula je projekat Stvarano u Srbiji i kreirala oznaku Čuvarkuća kako bi podržala domaće proizvode i proizvođače i edukovala potrošače o važnosti kupovine tih proizvoda, kao i o njihovom visokom kvalitetu i domaćem poreklu. Ova oznaka će svima pomoći da pri kupovini budu sigurni da kupuju iz Srbije i da time čuvaju Srbiju, sebe i svoju porodicu!

ZNAK KOJI POTVRĐUJE KVALITET I POREKLO Sistem markiranja proizvoda Čuvarkuća, kao osnovni alat pomenutog projekta, predstavlja potvrdu domaćeg porekla i kvaliteta proizvoda. Njime se daje potvrda da privrednik proizvodi robu određenih karakteristika koja može da zadovolji potrebe krajnjih korisnika, ili da predstavlja pouzdan input u daljoj preradi. Ovaj znak je, takođe, i siguran pokazatelj da se njihovom

PRAVO NA ŽIG Proizvođači i preduzeća, bez obzira na to da li imaju domaće ili strano vlasništvo i/ili brendove, mogu da postanu deo akcije unapređenja privrede Srbije i našeg društva u celini stvarajući kvalitetne proizvode u Srbiji, od domaćih sirovina.

Domaćim, naročito lokalnim proizvodima, znak Čuvarkuća daje potvrdu da imaju natprosečan kvalitet, na nivou ili iznad uvoznih proizvoda iz date kategorije. Sa druge strane, stranim proizvodima poznatih brendova znak

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Čuvarkuća daje potvrdu da su deo lokalne zajednice, jer koriste materijale, sirovine i radnu snagu Srbije, a time pomažu državu i celo društvo, postajući na taj način njegov deo.

Uslovi i postupak sticanja prav na znak, samo korišćenje i nadzor, prestanak prava na njegovo korišćenje i odgovarajuće evidencije regulisani su Pravilnikom o označavanju proizvoda/linija proizvoda kolektivnim žigom Čuvarkuća koji se nalazi na sajtu Stvarano u Srbiji.

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Sve dodatne informacije možete dobiti na telefon 0800 808 809 ili putem i-mejla cuvarkuca@ pks.rs kupovinom ne doprinosi samo rastu prometa kompanije koja ga proizvode već se indirektno ulaže u dalji rast i razvoj privrede Srbije.

PROMOCIJOM DO VEĆEG IZBORA ROBE Važno je istaći neprofitni karakter projekta Stvarano u Srbiji: sva sredstva od naknada za tehničke troškove provere ispunjenosti uslova za sticanje znaka Čuvarkuća biće utrošena za promociju etiketiranih proizvoda. Takođe, promovisanjem domaće proizvodnje stvara se veći izbor za potrošače i kompanije na slobodnom tržištu.

PRIJAVLJIVANJE ZA ŽIG STVARANO U SRBIJI OD 16. JUNA Privredna komora Srbije poziva sve kompanije da prijave svoje proizvode za žig Čuvarkuća u okviru projekta Stvarano u Srbiji.

Zainteresovane kompanije koje u svom asortimanu imaju kvalitetne proizvode napravljene u našoj zemlji od domaćih sirovina, domaćim radom i znanjem, kakvi mogu da ponesu oznaku Čuvarkuća, a bez ograničenja kada je u pitanju veličina kompanije, njena tržišna pozicija ili vrsta proizvoda, prijavljuju se popunjava-

njem Zahteva koji je objavljen na sajtu www.stvaranousrbiji.rs.

Potrošačima oznaka Čuvarkuća predstavlja potvrdu domaćeg porekla i kvaliteta proizvoda i siguran pokazatelj da se njihovom kupovinom, osim same vrednosti artikla, i direktno ulaže u dalji razvoj i budućnost Srbije.

PRIJAVA ZA ŽIG Zahtev za sticanje prava korišćenja žiga Čuvarkuća podnosi se Privrednoj komori Srbije na propisanom obrascu. Procedura izdavanja žiga Čuvarkuća, nakon pravilno podnetog Zahteva, podeljena je u tri faze, a okončanje celokupnog procesa je u roku od 45 dana od dana podnošenja Zahteva.

Detaljne informacije o pravima na upotrebu znaka, procedurama izdavanja žiga Čuvarkuća, potrebne obrasce za podnošenje zahteva i druge informacije možete pronaći na sajtu projekta.

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Garant kvaliteta i domaćeg porekla Striktna pravila i procedure ukazuju na to da samo proizvod koji poseduje natprosečan kvalitet i proizvodi se u Srbiji, od domaćih resursa, može dobiti pravo na korišćenje žiga dr SAŠA VELJKOVIĆ

Redovni profesor, Univerzitet u Beogradu - Ekonomski fakultet

roizvodi koji svojim ukupnim svojstvima osiguravaju viši nivo merljivog kvaliteta imaju bolju funkcionalnost, višu upotrebnu vrednost, tržišnu prepoznatljivost, savremeni dizajn, međunarodno priznate standarde i sertifikate, ekološke materijale i oni koji imaju dominantno učešće srpskog rada i materijala, u vrednosti od minimum 80% od franko fabričke cene proizvoda ili linije proizvoda, po pravilu postaju nosioci žiga Čuvarkuća.

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Šta projekat Stvarano u Srbiji znači za potrošače, preduzeća i društvo u celini i kako će žig Čuvarkuća uticati na brend proizvoda?

— Projekat Privredne komore Srbije Stvarano u Srbiji pokrenut je sa željom da se pruži podrška domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima. Istovremeno, cilj je i da se edukuju domaći potrošači, uključujući i one iz dijaspore, o važnosti kupovine tih proizvoda, njihovom visokom kvalitetu i domaćem

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Porast svesti potrošača o kvalitetu domaćih proizvoda sa žigom Čuvarkuća pruža diferentnu prednost proizvodima i proizvođačima sa ovom oznakom na tržištu

poreklu, a kasnije i da se izgradi dobar imidž ovih proizvoda kod različitih tipova potrošača u inostranstvu.

Oznaka Čuvarkuća kreirana je kao garant kvaliteta i domaćeg porekla proizvoda i služi da s jedne strane izdvoji najbolje domaće proizvode i proizvođače, a s druge da pomogne potrošačima da pri kupovini ovih proizvoda budu sigurni da kupuju najbolje što Srbija može ponuditi. U tom smislu Čuvarkuća podržava i potpomaže osnovni brend proizvoda, dajući mu novu dimenziju i garanciju kvaliteta, ali i potvrdu njegovog porekla.

Kakve su razlike projekta Stvarano u Srbiji i žiga Čuvarkuća i ranijih kampanja koje su u Srbiji pozivale na kupovinu domaćih proizvoda? Po čemu je ovaj novi projekat jedinstven?

— Veći broj preduzeća, udruženja, pa i državnih organa pokretao je različite tipove kampanja koje su u foku-

su imale podršku kupovini domaćih proizvoda. Većina tih kampanja bila je kratkog daha, bez uspostavljenog partnerstva i šireg fronta unutar privrede, stručne javnosti i društva u celini. Osim toga, primetan je bio nedostatak vizije i dugoročnih planova, a kampanje su bile primarno usmerene na promotivne aspekte. Stoga, iako u najboljoj nameri pokrenute, nisu imale zapaženije rezultate.

Projekat Stvarano u Srbiji je strateški osmišljen projekat koji počiva na stručnim postulatima. Organizaciono je adekvatno postavljen, sa posebno osmišljenim marketinškim i podržavajućim kreativnim aktivnostima.

PKS je godinama sprovodila aktivnosti prepoznavanja, izbora i nagrađivanja najboljih brendova u Srbiji, u okviru akcije Najbolje iz Srbije. S vremenom se ukazala potreba da ova akcija pređe na viši nivo. Uz višemesečnu pripremu, prateći najbolje svetske

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prakse, ali pre svega pošavši od realnih problema i potreba preduzeća i potrošača iz Srbije, osmišljen je dugoročni samoodrživi projekat Stvarano u Srbiji, koji uključuje partnerstvo PKS sa proizvođačima i trgovinama, potrošačima, naukom i strukom. U okviru projekta važnu ulogu ima žig Čuvarkuća, a kriterijumi za dodelu prava na korišćenje ovog žiga su transparentni i na stručnim osnovama postavljeni.

Projekat u svojoj suštini ima strategijski marketing i njegove krucijalne aktivnosti, gde su u fokusu razvijanje inovativnosti i kvaliteta proizvoda, stvaranje dodate vrednosti, podizanje konkurentnosti, davanje podrške osnovnom brendu i njegovo diferenciranje od konkurencije, pomoć potrošačima pri izboru proizvoda i preduzećima pri građenju lojalnosti sa njima, strateško razmišljanje i usmerenost na proverene partnere iz Srbije... Kreativne marketinške aktivnosti su poseban segment i služe da na dopadljiv i razumljiv način komuniciraju osnovne vrednosti projekta, koristeći različite načine, poruke i medije, kojima je zajedničko da su inspirisani Srbijom i onim najboljim što se u njoj stvara.

Šta mislite o uticaju etnocentrizma danas na privrede država i kampanje i projekte poput ovoga?

— Potrošački etnocentrizam ukazuje na stavove i ponašanje potrošača u pogledu kupovine domaćih i inostranih proizvoda. Iako je kao koncept uveden mnogo ranije, potrošački etnocentrizam naročito zaokuplja pažnju naučnika i praktičara od kraja XX veka. Pojava da etnocentrizam utiče na ponašanje potrošača u kupovini i potrošnji domaćih proizvoda u odnosu na inostrane utvrđena je u različitim zemljama i kulturama.

Jačina uticaja varirala je po pojedinim područjima, što je posledica različite istorije i kulture naroda, ekonomskog stanja i nivoa razvijenosti privrede, otvorenosti prema svetu...

Kao što je utvrđeno u velikom broju zemalja, može se konstatovati da potrošački etnocentrizam postoji i u Srbiji. O tome svedoči i više istraživanja sprovedenih posle 2000. godine.

Da li se možda uticaj etnocentrizma promenio u skladu sa novonastalim okolnostima, kriza je pogodila ceo svet i našu zemlju? Kakvo je stanje sa etnocentrizmom u Srbiji?

— Iako je intenzitet potrošačkog etnocentrizma varirao, krećući se od nižeg

Kakav je istorijat podrške država kupovini domaćih proizvoda i kako zakonske regulative danas, te liberalizacija i otvaranje država jednih ka drugima i različiti međunarodni trgovinski sporazumi utiču na projekte podrške domaćim proizvodima?

— Pokretanjem nacionalnih kampanja u svrhu promocije domaće privre-

ka umerenom, može se zaključiti da stariji potrošači, potrošači iz ranjivijih kategorija, poput potrošača sa nižim prihodima, osoba u penziji ili bez posla, kao i osobe koje generalno ispoljavaju viši nivo patriotizma, mnogo više vode računa o raspoređivanju svog budžeta i izboru proizvoda iz Srbije. Procena je da u situacijama po-

put ove izazvane pandemijom virusa kovid-19 dolazi do daljeg porasta patriotizma i posledično potrošačkog etnocentrizma, na koji utiču i neizvesnost u pogledu posla, rizik pada životnog standarda i čitav niz drugih faktora karakterističnih za trenutno stanje privrede i društva. Kupovina domaćih proizvoda ima za značajan broj potrošača i moralni aspekt.

To se naročito odnosi na one kategorije proizvoda koji su dostigli zavidan nivo kvaliteta, odnosno na za koje potrošači procenjuju da postoji dobra domaća sirovinska baza, kao i odgovarajuća tradicija proizvodnje, visok nivo znanja, posvećenosti i kreativnosti proizvođača u Srbiji. U postojećoj situaciji mora se istaći i postojanje bezbedonosnih i zdravstvenih rizika uvoza stranih proizvoda ili sirovina, naročito iz pandemijom jako pogođenih zemalja. Tome treba pridodati i otežan transport, kao i druge barijere koje je trenutna situacija nametnula. Stoga prilikom kupovine proizvoda, i njihove proizvodnje, sve veću ulogu imaju i racionalni razlozi.

Odanost prema sopstvenoj zemlji, u mirnodopsko vreme, može se iskazati upravo preferencijama domaćih proizvoda kada su dostupne i strane alternative

de i proizvoda države širom sveta nastoje da objasne potrošačima značaj njihovog izbora i pozitivne efekte koje kupovina domaćih proizvoda i usluga može imati na ekonomski rast i razvoj zemlje. Prve kampanje usmerene na podsticanje kupovine domaćih proizvoda i usluga vezuju se za SAD i Australiju i godine posle Prvog svetskog rata, a prva moderna kampanja ovog tipa u Evropi odnosi se na Veliku Britaniju i tridesete godine prošlog veka.

Sa porastom liberalizacije spoljne trgovine, izraženim trendom globalizacije i pojavom jakih multinacionalnih kompanija, te izraženim procesima udruživanja zemalja, poput EU, i ugovorima i savezima kojima se promoviše slobodna trgovina, smanjuje se mogućnost organizovanja kampanja za podršku kupovine domaćih proizvoda. To se naročito odnosi na situacije u kojima podrška, pre svega finansijska, dolazi od državnih organa, a zabeleženi su i slučajevi kažnjavanja ovakve prakse. Svojevremeno Evropski sud pravde utvrdio da je Republika Irska prekršila obaveze iz

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čima i državi u vreme najnovije krize izazvane pandemijom. Čini se da se sa jedne strane koristi narastajući potrošački etnocentrizam, kako bi se uticalo na kupovno ponašanje, ali i svest privrednika, a istovremeno se etnocentrizam i podgreva izjavama, edukativnim i promotivnim kampanjama i materijalima.

Ugovora o Evropskoj zajednici time što je, uz aktivnu ulogu i finansiranje vlade, sprovela kampanju kao podršku favorizovanju kupovine domaćih proizvoda naspram inostranih. Stoga se vremenom aktivnosti podrške domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima ne obustavljaju, ali sa državnih organa i institucija prelaze na nacionalna udruženja proizvođača, neprofitne organizacije i pogotovo na privredne komore.

Nedavno je i francuski predsednik Makron najavio povlačenje proizvodnje farmaceutskih proizvoda u Francusku. Da li je to najava promena u politici država u pogledu podrške domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima?

— Danas se sve više ističe značaj podrške domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima, ali su primetni različiti pristupi i različiti nosioci ovih aktivnosti. Tako, na primer, treba istaći da, pored aktuelne podrške i apela predsednika Makrona, u Francuskoj već deset godina egzistira oznaka Origin France Garantie, koja predstavlja garanciju da je proizvod svoje osnovne karakteristike stekao u francuskoj fabrici i da domaće sirovine i rad imaju natpolovični udeo u ceni proizvoda.

Trenutno više od 600 kompanija proizvodi sa ovim sertifikatom. Promociju obezbeđuje udruženje Pro France, a sertifikaciju vrše nezavisna tela, sve uz podršku privredne komore.

Kakav je aktuelni trenutak? Vraća li se uticaj potrošačkog etnocentrizma?

— Ako posmatramo neposredno okruženje Srbije, može se takođe konstatovati veoma izražena aktivnost u domenu podrške domaćim proizvodima i proizvođačima. U Hrvatskoj od 1997. godine postoje dve oznake koje ukazuju na kvalitetne i originalne domaće proizvode, čiji je garant Hrvatska gospodarska komora. Akcije podrške kupovini domaćih proizvoda pokrenute su i u Sloveniji, Crnoj Gori, Republici Srpskoj i Federaciji BiH, Mađarskoj, Bugarskoj... Čak se može konstatovati da državni organi igraju sve veću ulogu i da je primetna njihova javna podrška ovakvim kampanjama. Tako je nedavno Udruženje poljoprivrednih proizvođača u Bugarskoj pokrenulo informativno-edukativnu kampanju Ja biram 380, uz podršku Ministarstva poljoprivrede, dok se u Sloveniji, na vladinom portalu, pozivaju potrošači da kupuju slovenačke proizvode, pomažući time domaćim proizvođa-

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Kao garant znak Čuvarkuća govori svima nama, kao potrošačima, o kvalitetu, odličnoj izradi i vrhunskom proizvodu, što pomaže da se lakše odlučimo prilikom kupovine

Šta treba kupci da pomisle kada vide žig Čuvarkuća?

— Kao garant znak Čuvarkuća govori svima nama, kao potrošačima, o kvalitetu, odličnoj izradi i vrhunskom proizvodu, što pomaže da se lakše odlučimo prilikom kupovine. Osim toga, kontrolisani kvalitet i poreklo utiču i na značajno niže bezbedonosne i zdravstvene rizike, jer lokalna sredina omogućava da se lakše proveri i kontroliše izvor snabdevanja. Istovremeno, kupovinom domaćih proizvoda čuvamo radna mesta i stvaramo nove poslove za sadašnje i buduće generacije. Čuvarkuća informiše i o proizvodima koji su proizvedeni u skladu sa ekološki prihvatljivom praksom, koji čine dobro i prirodi i ljudima, pa time mi sami, svojim izborima proizvoda, postajemo odgovorni i za svoju životnu sredinu. Kupovinom domaćih proizvoda sa oznakom Čuvarkuća svako od nas, kao pojedinac, pokazu-

je i visok stepen odgovornosti prema društvu, jer kupujući ove proizvode, pomaže da sredstva od poreza i zarada ostanu u Srbiji, omogućavajući na taj način kvalitetnije zdravstvo, školstvo, socijalnu zaštitu, podršku lokalnim zajednicama…

Iz navedenog proističe da žig Čuvarkuća nije namenjen samo etnocentričnim potrošačima, već je cilj da se putem racionalnih apela i garancija privuku svi potrošači koji shvataju višestruki značaj i ulogu koju svako od nas ima svojim izborima u kupovini, kao i reperkusije koje ti izbori imaju na potrošača kao pojedinca, njegovu porodicu, prijatelje, rodbinu, lokalnu zajednicu i društvo u celini.

Koje mogućnosti projekat Stvarano u Srbiji pruža kompanijama?

— Kada su u pitanju preduzeća, projekat Stvarano u Srbiji ukazuje menadžerima i vlasnicima na mnogobrojne prednosti koje proističu iz proizvodnje kvalitetnih, ekoloških i inovativnih proizvoda, uz dominantno učešće domaćeg rada i materijala. Razvijanjem zaokruženog lanca snabdevanja unutar Srbije izbegavaju se mnogobrojni rizici koji mogu nastupiti usled različitih kriznih situacija u bližem i daljem okruženju, ali i svetu u celini.

Osim toga, omogućava se značajno kraće vreme isporuke, kao i reagovanja. Čuvarkuća podstiče inovativnost i garantuje da je proizvod istinski domaći, stvaran s ljubavlju od strane naših ljudi i naših sirovina, čime podiže vrednost brendu i samom proizvođaču. Težeći da dostignu standarde neophodne za dobijanje znaka Čuvarkuća, proizvođači unapređuju i sebe i zdravu konkurentsku tržišnu borbu u Srbiji. Zaokruženo snabdevanje i saradnja dovode do razvoja povezanih delatnosti unutar Srbije, što dodatno utiče na porast zaposlenosti i zarada, kao i na viši nivo tražnje u Srbiji.

Mnogobrojne aktivnosti podrške PKS, saradnja sa vodećim trgovinskim lancima i komunikacija sa potrošačima podižu imidž obeleženih proizvoda i daju im vetar u leđa. Sve navedeno podiže imidž i pojedinih grana, kao i Srbije kao zemlje vrednih i kreativnih ljudi i odličnih proizvoda.

Iz navedenog proističe da projekat Stvarano u Srbiji pruža mogućnost svima nama da stvarajući i kupujući proizvode sa oznakom Čuvarkuća utičemo na stvaranje boljih uslova za život i rad u Srbiji, sadašnjim i budućim generacijama.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

Doprinos stabilnosti domaćeg tržišta Ideja promocije vrednosti Stvaranog u Srbiji posebno je aktuelna u periodu krize koja otežava poslovanje. Takve okolnosti zahtevaju odgovoran odnos prema sopstvenim resursima nalažući da postanemo čuvarkuće BOJAN STANIĆ

Pomoćnik direktora, Sektor za strateške analize, usluge i internacionalizaciju PKS

snaživanjem unutrašnje komponente privrede, odnosno domaćih privrednih subjekata, lokalno tržište postaje otpornije na poremećaje u globalnom lancu snabdevanja, što je uzrokovano i aktuelnom krizom. Akcija PKS Stvarano u Srbiji zasnovana je na težnji da se na najefektniji način prepozna i vrednuje kvalitet i iskoristi sve ono što već imamo u svojoj kući.

Poslednji podaci Međunarodnog monetarnog fonda (MMF) ukazuju da će globalna ekonomska aktivnost u 2020. godini, usled pandemije, zabeležiti veću kontrakciju nego što se inicijalno očekivalo. Junska revizija makroekonomskih performansi snizila je projekciju svetskog rasta BDP-a iz aprila ove godine za gotovo dva procentna poena, pa se po osnovnom scenariju procenjuje da stopa rasta bude negativna – 4,9 odsto. Sa druge strane, za evrozonu, koja je ujedno i glavni spoljnotrgovinski partner Srbije, predviđa se da zabeleži dvocifrenu stopu pada, od -10,2 odsto. Međunarodne finansijske institucije, uključujući i MMF, očekuju za Srbiju povoljniju situaciju u odnosu na evropski i svetski prosek (stopa rasta -2,5 odsto), s obzirom na to da je domaća privreda manje zavisna od uslužnog sektora, snažno pogođenog aktuelnom zdravstvenom krizom.

Generalno posmatrano, nakon pr-

O

vog udara krize makroekonomska stabilnost u Srbiji je sačuvana, ali će dalja privredna situacija zavisiti od brzine oporavka evropskih zemalja, kao i eventualne pojave drugog talasa epidemije. S obzirom na izraženu neizvesnost za svetsku privredu, na otpornost pojedinačnih privreda na negativne tokove uticaće stanje i ekonomska mogućnosti interne komponente, odnosno sopstvenih proizvodnih kapaciteta.

Kompanije osnovane zahvaljujući stranim direktnim investicijama u Srbiji imaju značajan udeo u proizvodnom kapacitetu, izvozu i zaposlenosti, pa samim tim se poremećaji u njihovim matičnim državama, kao i na širem nivou, mogu odraziti na njihovu poslovnu strategiju, što bi dalje moglo uticati na domaću privredu. Kako bi se povećala otpornost privrede na takve rizike, potrebno je, uporedo sa nastavkom privlačenja investicija, jačati domaću proizvodnju u pogledu većeg oslanjanja na sopstvene resurse.

Na taj način se omogućuje veća konkurentnost na domaćem i međunarodnom tržištu, kao i čvršća povezanosti lokalnih dobavljača sa velikim tržišnim učesnicima, odnosno multinacionalnim kompanijama.

Osnaživanjem unutrašnje komponente privrede, odnosno domaćih privrednih subjekata (privrednih društava i preduzetnika) lokalno tržište postaje otpornije na poremećaje

Stvarano u Srbiji je značajno širi koncept od već poznatih kampanja „Kupujmo domaće”, jer uključuje sirovine i poluproizvode, kao i finalne proizvode

u globalnom lancu snabdevanja, što je uzrokovano i aktuelnom krizom.

U okolnostima poslovanja u krizi projekat Stvarano u Srbiji dobija na značaju, jer se njegovom implementacijom i podizanjem svesti o važnosti domaće proizvodnje doprinosi stabilnosti međunarodnog lanca snabdevanja u čiji sastav ulaze proizvodna privredna društva i preduzetnici.

Stvarano u Srbiji je značajno širi koncept od već poznatih kampanja „Kupujmo domaće”, jer uključuje sirovine i poluproizvode, kao i finalne proizvode, bez obzira na to da li ih od lokalnih resursa proizvode domaće ili strane kompanije.

Pravo na sticanje i korišćenje znaka Čuvarkuća imaju proizvodi prerađivačke industrije (prehrambena, tekstilna, drvno-prerađivačka industrija…), koji su na tržištu prisutni najmanje godinu dana, u kojima je dominantno učešće domaćih sirovina, rada i tehnologije, koji su odgovarajućeg kvaliteta i izrađeni od ekološki prihvatljivih materijala.

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Čuvarkuća čuva planetu Veoma često, kada kupujemo u prodavnici, mnogi prehrambeni proizvodi su prešli stotine ili hiljade kilometara kako bi došli do police.

Smanjivanjem ovih kilometara smanjuje se uticaj koji proizvodnja i potrošnja hrane imaju na životnu sredinu UROŠ RADOJEVIĆ

Menadžer za održivi razvoj, Two Rivers

rana domaće proizvodnje nema veliki ugljenični otisak usled dugačkog transporta brodom, avionom ili drugim transportnim sredstvom. Ovo smanjuje potrošnju goriva i zagađenje vazduha. Pored toga, pošto proizvodi ne moraju da se transportuju na veliku udaljenost, smanjuje se potreba za primenom prekomerne ambalaže koja ima za cilj da zaštiti proizvod tokom dugog transporta. Ovo je posebno važno sa stanovišta smanjenja upotrebe plastike, koja se vrlo često koristi kao zaštitna ambalaža. Osim smanjenja ambalaže, kod proizvoda koji se ne transportuju na velike udaljenosti otvara se mogućnost smanjenja upotrebe aditiva za produžavanje veka trajanja proizvoda, jer sam proizvod neće provesti dugo vremena u transportu. Pored toga, kada je u pitanju kvalitet i ukus svežih proizvoda, skorija istraživanja ukazuju na to da proizvodi koji su ubrani ranije, ili čak prevremeno, kako bi mogli da podnesu transport i rukovanje često pokazuju slabiji nutritivni kvalitet u odnosu na proizvode koji su ubrani u pravo vreme i vrlo brzo stižu od farme do našeg tanjira. Na kraju, ali ne manje značajno, kupovinom proizvoda od lokanih proizvođača jača se i podrška lokalnoj zajednici u kojoj i mi sami živimo i poslujemo.

H

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Smanjenje emisije gasova staklene bašte jedan je od glavnih zadataka koji nas očekuje u narednom periodu

Procenjuje se da u proseku hrana putuje od mesta proizvodnje do našeg stola oko 2.500 kilometara i da za to potrebno vreme obično iznosi više od nedelju dana. Prema procenama Međunarodnog transportnog foruma (ITF), međunarodni transport robe trenutno čini oko 30% svih emisija CO2 koje potiču iz saobraćaja, odnosno više od 7% od ukupne svetske emisije gasova staklene bašte. Projekcije ovog foruma predviđaju da bi do 2050. godine, usled povećanja međunarodne trgovine, emisija CO2 mogla da poraste skoro četiri puta, što bi značajno moglo da utiče na globalne ciljeve za borbu protiv klimatskih promena.

Sasvim je jasno da je smanjenje emisije gasova staklene bašte jedan od glavnih zadataka koji nas očekuje u narednom periodu. Ovo oslikavaju i ciljevi održivog razvoja Ujedinjenih nacija, posebno u okviru cilja 13 – Akcija za klimu. Međutim, kada je u pitanju promet robe, veoma je važan još jedan cilj, a to je cilj 12, koji se odnosi na odgovornu potrošnju i proizvodnju. Nekoliko podciljeva u okviru ovog cilja se direktno fokusiraju na to kako da transport i snabdevanje robom postanu održiviji. Jedan od načina da se ovo postigne jeste i princip kupuj lokal-

no, što u praksi znači kupuj proizvode sa svog geografskog područja. Na ovaj način izbegava se neophodnost transporta na velike udaljenosti, pa samim tim se smanjuje i emisija gasova staklene bašte.

Benefiti koje sa sobom nosi kupovina domaćih proizvoda, iako veoma značajni, nisu još uvek, u velikoj meri, očigledni kada donosimo odluku o kupovini. Ciljevi održivog razvoja Ujedinjenih nacija nas pozivaju na neophodnost značajne promene ponašanja, uključujući tu i način na koji kupujemo hranu. Mere koje države mogu da primenjuju, kao što su subvencije ili propisi, uvek mogu biti opcija, međutim primena „mekanih“ politika i načina komunikacije koje koriste ubeđivanje i podstiču dobrovoljno delovanje mogu imati možda i značajnije rezultate, jer se često trude da objasne i zašto je važno delovati na određen način.

U skorijim godinama potrošači u svetu, ali i u Srbiji, sve više pokazuju zainteresovanost za čitav spektar informacija o proizvodima koje kupuju, a Čuvarkuća će pružati informaciju da je proizvod lokalnog porekla na jasan i očigledan način i ukazivati na značaj kupovine domaćih proizvoda, kako ekonomski tako i u smislu doprinosa održivosti.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

KORISTI OD PROIZVODNJE I KUPOVINE PROIZVODA OZNAČENIH ZNAKOM ČUVARKUĆA SU MNOGOBROJNE I VEOMA ZNAČAJNE, JER TIME OMOGUĆAVAMO:

Kvalitetne proizvode od domaćih sirovina u našim domovima

Viši nivo zaposlenosti i sigurnija radna mesta i zarade za naše stanovništvo i naša proizvodna preduzeća

Razvoj preduzeća iz povezanih delatnosti unutar Srbije (kao što su poljoprivreda, zanatstvo, transport, trgovina, turizam, IT i konsultantske usluge itd.), što dodatno utiče na porast zaposlenosti i zarada

KUPUJUĆI PROIZVODE ČUVARKUĆA OBEZBEĐUJEMO I:

Kvalitetnije zdravstvo, školstvo, socijalnu zaštitu i podršku lokalnim zajednicama

Manju zavisnost od inostranih izvora snabdevanja i inostranih tržišta, naročito u kriznim situacijama

Stabilnu isplatu i rast penzija za naše roditelje, bake i deke

Privlačenje investicija u Srbiju i upošljavanje domaćih resursa, znanja i rada

Bolje mesto za život i rad u Srbiji, za sadašnje i buduće generacije!

Poziv firmama •A ko stvarate u Srbiji, prijavite se za žig Čuvarkuća. Detaljnije informacije dostupne su na sajtu www.stvaranousrbiji.rs

• Zahtev za sticanje prava korišćenja žiga Čuvarkuća podnosi se Privrednoj komori Srbije na propisanom obrascu, elektronskim putem u obliku digitalno potpisanog dokumenta ili na adresu Resavska 13 -15, 11000 Beograd

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Činimo dobro našoj privredi IVAN ŠULEIĆ DIS

Pre svega, kada neko kupuje proizvode domaćeg porekla, on čini dobro našoj privredi jer tako naš novac ostaje u Srbiji. Potrošačima će biti mnogo lakše kada vide ovaj simbol, Čuvarkuću, na rafovima trgovaca, da lakše znaju koji su proizvodi stvarno proizvedeni u Srbiji i koje proizvode treba da kupe ako žele da pomognu domaćoj privredi, rekao je Šulejić. Privredna komora Srbije pokrenula je ovu akciju u najboljem trenutku jer smo bili svedoci koliko u

nekim situacijama moramo da se oslonimo na domaću proizvodnju, i to je faktor stabilnosti na koji bi svi trebalo da računamo. Moram da napomenem da su se trgovci izborili, da nije bilo praznih rafova, baš zbog toga što je naša proizvodnja izuzetno organizovana i jaka. Uključujemo se u ovu akciju jer DIS je prepoznatljiv kod kupaca kao lanac koji na svojim rafovima ima veliki broj proizvoda proizvedenih u Srbiji na svojim rafovima.

Želimo žig Čuvarkuća na što većem asortimanu Pozdravljamo odličnu inicijativu koja se podudara i sa našim naporima da stvorena dodata vrednost ostane u Srbiji i zato smo prvog dana podneli prijavu. Nektar je domaća, porodična kompanija, fokusirana na domaće voće kroz saradnju sa preko 10.000 farmera i sa najvećim kapacitetima za preradu voća u čitavom regionu. Važno je da se svi uključimo u ovu akciju jer će korist takve podrške za privredu Srbije, kao i sve građane, biti zaista velika. Ako pogledamo primer samo

naše industrije, od domaćeg soka koji se proizvodi od domaćih sirovina, 85 odsto vrednosti ostaje u Srbiji (lokalne plate, porezi, domaća sirovina, lokalne usluge, maloprodaja), dok kod uvoznog soka samo 25 odsto njegove vrednosti ostaje u zemlji. Želimo da se žig Čuvarkuća nađe na što većem asortimanu naših proizvoda, i podneli smo prijave za 15 naših proizvoda, kao što su: sokovi - ariljska malina, oblačinska višnja, jabuka, breskva; te domaći tomatello pasirani paradajz i džemove.

MIHAILO JANKOVIĆ Nectar kompanija

Apsolutno se prepoznajemo u ovoj akciji OLIVERA PETROVIĆ Merkator S

Ova akcija znači mnogo zato što smo mi jedinstveni trgovinski lanac u Srbiji, koji na svojim policama ima sedamdeset odsto proizvoda domaćih proizvođača i dobavljača. Mi se apsolutno prepoznajemo u ovakvoj akciji, imamo prepoznatljive robne marke poput "Ukusa moga kraja" i „K plus” koji su postali izvozni brend, objasnila je Petrovićeva. Očekujemo da ćemo biti među prvim dobitnicima ovog žiga. Uvek je pravo vreme za pokretanje ovakve akcije jer smo dokazali, tokom tra-

janja pandemije, da domaća proizvodnja može da nas sačuva. Uspeli smo da proizvedemo sve što nam je bilo potrebno, da pokrenemo nove linije proizvodnje, kvasca, hemije, tako da smo u izolaciji mogli da preživimo mnogo duže nego neke mnogo razvijenije ekonomije sveta. I možda je sve to za nas vrsta jedne pouke da treba da se fokusiramo na domaću proizvodnju, da ne izvozimo sirovine, već gotove proizvode i da se okrenemo onome za šta zaista imamo veliki potencijal.

Kvalitetnije i brže do potrošača NEVEN ERIĆ

Srpska kuća piva

Nova akcija Privredne komore Srbije Stvarano u Srbiji važna je i neophodna jer promoviše domaće proizvođače i daje nam šansu da brže i kvalitetnije dopremo do potrošača, da im uspešno predstavimo naše pro-

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izvode, kao i da smanjimo zavisnost od uvoza, ističe osnivač i vlasnik Srpske kuće piva Neven Erić. Lager svetlo pivo „Mala barka” je proizvod kojim Srpska kuća piva konkuriše za žig Čuvarkuća.

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Afirmacija kvaliteta domaće proizvodnje ALEKSANDAR CVIJOVIĆ Esensa

Sa zadovoljstvom smo prihvatili novi koncept Privredne komore Srbije koji afirmiše kvalitet domaće proizvodnje. Važno je dati priliku i podršku proizvodima stvaranim u Srbiji na bazi domaćeg znanja i resursa, entuzijazma, truda, zalaganja i odvažnosti domaćih privrednika da, u složenim uslovima, izloženi ino konkurenciji i svim tekovinama globalizacije, kreiraju dovoljno kvalitetan proizvod koji svo-

jim performansama ravnopravno može konkurisati bilo kom svetskom brendu, objašnjava Aleksandar Cvijović iz kompanije Esensa. Ističe da je Esensa za žig Čuvarkuća konkurisala sa šest kvalitetnih dodataka ishrani na biljnoj bazi. Esensa se može pohvaliti i mnogim drugim preparatima koje su potrošači prepoznali i vrednovali i koji takođe mogu da budu čuvarkuće, ističe Cvijović.

Veća prepoznatljivost MILUTIN KRSTAJIĆ SIL 3 Žitište

Akcija Stvarano u Srbiji Privredne komore Srbije izuzetno je korisna jer će omogućiti veću prepoznatljivost proizvoda od domaćih sirovina, koje su napravili naši ljudi, a uvozna roba je već u velikoj meri zastupljena u reklamama, prodavnicama, na tržištu. Tradicionalna proizvodnja, po recepturi staroj čitav vek, pečenje i prepek u bakar-

nom kazanu, razlikuje rakije pod brendom dobra volja od onih industrijski proizvedenih, ukazuje Krstajić. Osobenost brenda je i poreklo naziva – po mestu u kojem se proizvodnja nalazi, Banatskom Karađorđevu, koje su osnovali solunski dobrovoljci – otud i dobra volja, smatra Milutin Krstajić, vlasnik preduzeća Sil 3 Žitište.

Nova vrednost svima u lancu MILICA JELIĆ Mlekara Šabac

Akcija Stvarano u Srbiji dolazi u pravi čas. Podrška proizvođačima u promociji kvalitetnih proizvoda nastalih u Srbiji doneće novu vrednost svima u lancu, od proizvođača do krajnjeg potrošača. Nadamo se da će Mlekara Šabac sa tradicijom dugom 90 godina biti među prvim dobitnicima žiga Čuvarkuća, koji dolazi kao potvr-

da naše posvećenosti proizvodnji mlečnih proizvoda vrhunskog kvaliteta. Svi naši proizvodi nastaju upravo od domaćih sirovina, visokokvalitetnog mleka koje otkupljujemo od 700 proizvođača u Srbiji, a u našem timu rade već generacije ljudi najčešće iz istih familija, rekla je Milica Jelić iz Mlekare Šabac.

Prepoznavanje po dobrom kvalitetu RADOJKA NIKOLIĆ

Glavna i odgovorna urednica Ekonometra i Biznis magazina

Svaki proizvođač u Srbiji, domaći ili stranac, velika kompanija ili preduzetnik, koji je uložio znanje i energiju, pa se posvetio poslu koji je izabrao, postigao je uspeh. Znam za stotine i stotine takvih ljudi, naročito u malom biznisu u Srbiji. To su zadivljujuće, istinite priče koje vraćaju veru u ljude i nadu u

život. U Srbiji ima i domaćih sirovina i značajnih resursa, za razne oblasti proizvodnje. Svi resursi i dalje čekaju da budu upotrebljeni i da dobiju dodatnu vrednost kao finalni proizvod. Oznaka Čuvarkuća omogućava da proizvodi budu prepoznatljivi po dobrom kvalitetu, ističe Radojka Nikolić.

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D I P L OM AC Y

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TIE (KRAVATA) The necktie that spread from Europe traces back to Croatian mercenaries serving in France during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Because of the difference between the Croatian word for Croats- Hrvati, and the French word- Croates, the garment gained the name cravat (cravate in French).

HUM, ISTRIA THE SEA ORGAN The Sea organ is an architectural sound art object located in Zadar, Croatia and an experimental musical instrument, which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps.

Hum, with its 30 inhabitants, is the smallest town in the world and 100% of the population spoke Italian. It was first mentioned in documents dating from 1102. A bell and watch tower was built in 1552 as part of the town's defenses beside the town loggia.

DALMATIAN (DOG) The origins of The Dalmatian can be traced back to Croatia and its historical region of Dalmatia. It is thought that early ancestors of the breed were certain breeds of pointers and a spotted Great Dane. .

PULA ARENA The Pula Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and with all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved. It was constructed in 27 BC – 68 AD and is among the world's six largest surviving Roman arenas.

C ROAT I A

Relations Between Croatia and Serbia are a Pillar of Stability in This Part of Europe We are important to each other, and it is important for Croatia that Serbia continues and completes its path towards the European Union membership, that we share the same values and that we regulate and develop our relations on mutually accepted principles n the fifth edition of the InFocus Croatia special, we spoke with the new Croatian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Hidajet Biščević, about the relations between Serbia and Croatia, if the political elites are ready to leave the past behind, why it is better to live by building bridges than walls, as well as about his return to Belgrade, which, for him, is a kind of "return to the future".

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“We cannot deny the fact that we are continuing to move in the direction of respect and goodwill, as Momčilo Djorgović said in "The Tragedy of a Nation", voicing his expectations. I share with him, as well as with countless people who make "a silent majority" that does not want to fall into the traps of hatred and revenge, who do not want to scream profanities in stadiums, and who reject the media propaganda, this fundamen-

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H.E. HIDAJET BIŠČEVIĆ Croatian Ambassador to Serbia

tal doubt in a constantly transferable thesis that no god or devil can reconcile the Serbs and the Croats,” says Mr. Biščević.

You are the first Croatian diplomat who was in the then secret mission in Belgrade in 1995, when the Agreement on the Normalization of Relations between Serbia and Croatia was signed. Today, you are the Ambassador of Croatia to Serbia.

What has changed in the relations between our two countries in these last 25 years?

— When I look at that period from today’s perspective, I feel as if my arrival in Belgrade, in Serbia, is almost like a kind of "return to the future", like closing a circle. Twenty five years ago, I had a huge professional and personal desire to succeed, namely, after all that had happened, I was guided by a seemingly simple thought in this first mission aimed at the normalization of our relations, which people unfortunately find very difficult in life, especially in political life, and that is to forget nothing but to be aware that we need to go forward. At first glance, it may seem that little has changed in those 25 years and that "normalization" still needs to be carried out. You see, even that word speaks for itself!

"Sparks" are still flying around, we are still sort of obsessed with each other, there is nevertheless a certain "sociology of generalization" in place, we are still "all Serbs" and "all Croats", irrational fears and mutual suspicion are still exchanged, new generations are listening to old stereotypes and we are witnessing rejection and rewriting of history.

Yet, we cannot deny the fact that we are continuing to move in the direction of respect and goodwill, as Momčilo Djorgović said in "The Tragedy of a Nation", voicing his expectations. I share with him, as well as with countless people who make "a silent majority" who does not want to fall into the traps of hatred and revenge, who does not want to scream profanities in stadiums, and who rejects the media propaganda, this fundamental doubt in a constantly transferable thesis that no god or devil can reconcile the Serbs and the Croats.

History, geography, religion, the life of the two countries at the crossroads... I know how much weight all of this has. I know how much it has dictated political relations and national characters. Nevertheless, I believe in the aforementioned respect and goodwill, which, as the initial principle of the real, full and deep normalization, can begin to prevail when this part of Europe, after more than a quarter of a century, just once, ceases to be "a powder keg”, where there are the perpetuation of a constant crisis, unfinished conflicts, unfinished peace, frozen conflicts... All this creates an atmosphere of mistrust and tension where there is constantly the search for "the culprits".

Unresolved and open issues in the region always leave room venting out

towards one of the neighbours and this is a never-ending circle. To top it all, these issues somehow make it into “the baskets” of renewed conflicts of interest of the great powers in this area, so "all Serbs" and "all Croats", mostly unknowingly, become pawns in other people's games. We signed an agreement on normalization 25 years ago at a time when the relations between the big ‘players’ were almost "normal".

Today, everything has changed in the relations between the superpowers, which makes our task even more difficult, but also more needed because it is always better to live by building bridges than walls.

You were the first Croatian diplomat to become an EU ambassador, and you were also the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council in Southeast Europe.

Serbia is a part of the Western Balkans, as well as involved in various initiatives, like the Berlin Process, the mini Schengen, regionalization…

How important is to open borders, in the broadest sense, and leave "the chains of the past” behind in terms of the relations between Croatia and Serbia?

— Leaving the past behind means knowing how to live in peace with the world. Leaving the past behind means knowing how to be open. Leaving the past behind means knowing how to recognize the other. It seems to me that, unfortunately, the political elites in this area are largely unprepared or even incapable of thinking and acting in the modernity of today’s world, as well as incapable of

We do not have big bilateral open issues and our political relations are, to say the least, in a kind of "stable stagnation"

recognizing or even understanding the values that govern modern policies.

Let me illustrate this for you. Democracy, rule of law, tolerance, and compromise ... Just think to what extent and how deeply political elites act according to these value principles? It is more acceptable to "close the borders" because they are afraid of open borders. It is easier to be a charismatic preacher in the countryside than a coherent speaker in Brussels.

This closed mind mentality, which is coated in “the great care” for the "people" and an even “greater patriotism”, keeps whole societies in a kind of captivity, in addition to the media lobotomy. We simply need to overcome that. Here, in Serbia, you will see this in various examples.

For instance, back in the day, there were protests against building railways, i.e. that by refusing to build railways you are “protecting people”.

This happened at a time when only a third of the population had a bed to sleep in. Or, in today's Croatia, being against reconstruction of the railway because it stretches from Zagreb to Belgrade, so we choose to travel on ancient trains, which are an example of civilizational backwardness, only

because which that’s “patriotic”. We are talking about trains that smell of roast chicken wrapped up in newspapers, have dirty floors and smokefilled compartments, while, at the same time, the negotiations on the EU membership are going on; the negotiations that few people see as the final chance to resolve the historically rooted dichotomy between modernity and self-sufficiency.

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How important are Serbia and Croatia to each other now, and in the future, when Serbia becomes a fullfledged member of the European Union?

— You may think I'm exaggerating, but the example of Croatia and Serbia, along with all other examples in this "world of chaos" and the world of almost open competition between two opposing types of governance, is also a measure of the willingness and ability of countries to anchor themselves in a democratic system, that is the system where rights are expected and which nurtures human and minority rights, i.e. the system of liberal democracy based on a sovereign nation-state, open to cooperation and transformed into multilateralism as a prerequisite for peace and stability.

We are so important to each other, so it is important for Croatia that Serbia continues and completes its path to the European Union, that we share the same values and that we regulate and develop our relations on mutually accepted principles. It is also important that, in this way, we validate that the relations between Croatia and Serbia are a pillar of stability in this part of Europe.

This is our fifth edition in which we cover the overall relations between the two countries. It seems that Croatia and Serbia do not have any big open issues concerning today's relations, except for "the turbulent past". Where do you see room for improving bilateral and economic relations?

— I agree with you. We do not have big bilateral open issues and our political relations are, to say the least, in a kind of "stable stagnation". What the radically changed international circumstances call for today is precisely the overcoming of this "stagnation" and making a step into such mutual relations in which we will share the same values, standards and principles, so as not to leave this part of Europe to the unknowns of already open geopolitical competitions. Therefore, full awareness of possible scenarios and political will have to replace stagnation with new dynamics and new dynamics require new tools.

Thus, a new impetus to political dialogue and new energy for resolving inherited unresolved issues, that are seemingly “small issues” but have a very large impact on mutual relations, are required. I will just mention the example of missing persons. As far as the economy is concerned, the situation is much better and the external trade between the two countries

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Leaving the past behind means knowing how to live in peace with the world.

Leaving the past behind means knowing how to be open

has been steadily growing. It has only declined slightly during this monthslong crisis and market closure due to the coronavirus.

COVID-19 and the pandemic are unavoidable topics. They affect the daily lives of all of us, but also the movement in the country and especially the economy. Can you give us some predictions in terms of the impact of the situation on the Croatian economy, especially on tourism?

— It is really difficult to make predictions in circumstances when the duration of the corona-induced crisis is unpredictable, when the so-called second wave could happen, when there is no reliable answer about the future intensity of action, when we don’t know which are the most endangered destinations, etc. There is no doubt that this crisis has dealt a severe blow to one of the most important sectors of the Croatian economy. But, on the other hand, a serious, timely, comprehensive and convincing response of the state authorities to the pandemic in Croatia in this sector, which is the most sensitive sector from the point of view of human contacts, travel and isolation, has left open channels for tourists. For instance, there are almost 400,000 tourists in Croatia at the moment, probably more than in any other tourist country in Europe. I can't talk about the percentages of a pos-

sible return to previous incomes. We will be able to do that only at the end of the season, and it all depends on the further development of the situation with the coronavirus, but I suspect that, after the crisis and in light of all human reactions to the crisis, the entire tourism industry will have to start devising completely new strategies, new products and new forms of offers. The mass collective type of tourism based on the "transfer - hotel - transfer" model could easily become a thing of the past.

Is there a chance that something will change, that Croatian tourism will manage to overcome the current crisis, and has Croatia prepared promotional offers and discounts that could contribute to overcoming the situation?

— As I said earlier, the state is doing everything in its power to help overcome this truly extraordinary and completely unexpected blow. At the same time, profiling Croatia as a country that responded to this blow in a timely and responsible manner has helped stabilize the economy, ensured that there was no dramatic rise in unemployment and that general social stability is still intact. All this creates the country’s image and affects decisions to travel and visit. Furthermore, just as the crisis has reached its peak, Zagreb and its surroundings were hit by a terrible earthquake. How-

ever, the way we responded to that problem did not jeopardize the idea of Croatia as a stable and safe country, and therefore a safe travel destination. We have launched bilateral talks with several countries regarding “safe channels”. For example, we have launched the so-called “train to coastline” project with the Czech Republic, which will help tens of thousands of Czech tourists to arrive safely and directly in the Adriatic.

The parliamentary election in Croatia has just ended. What is your view of the election results and what can they bring to Croatia?

— As you know, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had a landslide victory in the election. Now, Prime Minister Plenković, as party president, will be in a position to secure the required majority relatively quickly so the President of the Republic can give him the mandate to put a new government together. I think that this process will go very quickly, not only because of the convincing election victory by the HDZ, but also because this landslide victory shows that the vast majority of the Croatian citizens recognized that societies want security, stability based on democratic inclusion and that citizens want seriousness and responsibility and that they value expertise in these difficult times, rife with huge challenges which are our country is facing, and not only our country, because the pandemic, insecurity and

I hope that, in the context of relations with the EU, Serbia and Belgrade will increasingly take on the face of a modern, advanced, developed state and its capital city

confrontations have all become global problems. In other words, the Croatian citizens largely do not want to support populist, ultranationalist or similar options. The election result confirms that most of the voters see political future in a stable, capable democratic option of the pro-European centre-right, which will protect national interests and at the same time, remain open to European values. On a pragmatic level, the results will enable the rapid formation of a stable government, which will be very important for facing the upcoming challenges - from the economic response to the consequences of the pandemic to dealing with a possible second wave of the pandemic. Last but not least, at the regional level, our neighbours will now definitely know what kind of political identity Croatia has opted for and I hope that they will recognize this and accordingly shape their policy towards Croatia.

We can't resist asking a diplomat with such a long journalistic career about his opinion of today's media image and journalism, not only in Serbia but also in the region.

— It is not difficult to answer this question, if a person has even a shred of education, decency and self-respect left in them. I will not succumb to nostalgia, but in "those" times, the media were, of course, an instrument of the ruling ideology. But, at the same time, they had an educational function - they opened the world to read-

ers and news channels had correspondents worldwide. But, as it often happens not only in Serbia and not only in this part of Europe but in the whole former world of socialism, the roar of freedom brought a change in social and economic relations in a way that everything ended in "wild capitalism", so the media world ended in “wild commercialism”. The former newspapers of the communist parties or socialist alliances suddenly became the newspapers of the secret services or new tycoons. The Bulgarian communist daily "Trud" has become a hotbed of tabloid reporting. This is just one random example.

But that’s not the worst…. The worst thing is that, in this part of the world, print media were never divided into tabloids and serious newspapers like in the West where the reader has a freedom of choice and is not exposed to a political commentary next to which there is a picture of one of the Kardashian sisters. How can I trust a political assessment of an event in editorial politics that tries to convey a political message to me with nudity in the comic book style? In short, the media have become more dependent on party policies than in the worst ex-Socialist times. Plus, a kind of media pornography has been added to this equation to make it easier to eliminate all meaning and understanding. As many people have said – these are the times of infotainment and mediocracy.

What are your first impressions of Belgrade and Serbia?

— Truth be told, I think there may be two Belgrades and two Serbias.

Sometimes, when I observe people, talk or just listen to them, I feel a certain fatigue, anxiety, worry, sometimes even depression in the air. It's as if too much history has rumbled through barely a couple of generations, and it's as if that history has yet to be "digested." But, on the other hand, there is also energy in the air, a new will for progress, for new relationships, for new values… It seems to me that this is nothing new in Serbia. Parallels could easily be drawn between today's social and political phenomena and various earlier stages of social and political life in Serbia. I hope that, in the context of relations with the EU, Serbia and Belgrade will increasingly take on the face of a modern, advanced, developed state and its capital city. Quite honestly, I feel great here. I feel like I am at home. In other words, we are not that different.

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Our Trade Relations are Intertwined in Every Economic Branch Greater cooperation is possible on joint projects of environmental protection, energy, infrastructure, and mechanical engineering. However, there should also be quality sources of funding whether domestic or foreign and, in most cases, government support

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hanks to the joint efforts

by Serbia and Croatia, economic cooperation between these two countries has improved and the trade has increased compared to previous years.

We talked with Luka Burilović, the president of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, about economic cooperation, boosting the existing ties, chamber meetings, and the challenges that both the Croatian and Serbian economies will face.

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What else can be done to improve economic cooperation between Serbia and Croatia?

— As neighbouring countries, our trade relations are intertwined, in every branch of the economy. The trade is growing and in 2019, it amounted to €1,288 million. Further growth depends on the price and quality of goods as the competition today is extremely stiff. Croatian companies from the food, processing, chemical and wood industries have the biggest interest in this cooperation. The reasons are proximity and knowing the market, product recognition and customer habits.

Greater cooperation is possible on joint projects of environmental pro-

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LUKA BURILOVIĆ President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy

We are closely monitoring the situation and are planning activities to annul the possible shocks in the global market

tection, energy, infrastructure, and mechanical engineering. However, there should also be quality sources of funding whether domestic or foreign and, in most cases, government support.

Currently, two such projects are being implemented in the Republic of Croatia - the overhaul of the Zagreb - Vinkovci railroad and the construction and overhaul of the Zagreb – Rijeka rail track, while the second is the construction of an LNG terminal. The first project will expedite the flow of goods to Serbian companies in export and import to and from overseas markets, and the second will provide Serbia with an alternative gas supply route.

The heads of the Croatian and Serbian chambers of economy are continuously highlighting good mutual cooperation. How do you see the current relations between the two chambers and to what extent are they now a driving force behind the cooperation between our countries?

— Our businesspeople often meet at trade fairs and are members of business delegations put together by the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and In-

dustry of Serbia (CCIS). They don't only make sales deals, but also exchange experiences, agree on the exchange of technologies and cooperation in investment projects. County and regional chambers also organize such meetings.

With the aim of better connecting our business communities, the Croatian Chamber of Economy has reopened the Croatian Chamber of Economy's Representative Office in Serbia, and the CCIS is in the process of reopening its representative office in Croatia. Earlier this year, before the outbreak of the coronavirus-induced crisis, the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia started preparing a business forum and B2B talks in Belgrade. If the coronavirus situation does not stabilize in the foreseeable future, we will probably opt for a virtual option of the forum.

Croatia is one of the largest investors in Serbia. On the other hand, there are very few Serbian investments in Croatia, and this ratio can sometimes be 16:1 in favour of Croatia. Which sectors have seen improvement in cooperation and more equal investments?

— It is difficult to talk about striking a balance between investments because our countries do not possess this balance even when trading with larger countries. Capital chooses the markets that it believes will bring it the most profit or round off the business.

From 1993 to 2019, Croatia invested a total of €869.4 million in Serbia, and Serbia invested €6 million in Croatia. According to the structure of Croatian investments, the most important investments have been made in food and beverage production, retail, wholesale and trade intermediation, production of tobacco products and chemicals and chemical products.

In terms of Serbian investments, I have to underline that, unlike Croatian investments in the said period, there was a significant withdrawal of foreign direct investment funds. Recently, Serbian businesspeople have shown a growing interest in investing in Croatia. Matijević Meat Industry bought the agricultural cooperatives in Negoslavci and Jankovci in Slavonia, while MK Group became the owner of Skipper Resort and the Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Istria.

What do you consider a special challenge for the Croatian economy this year, the year of crisis and pandemic?

— The biggest challenge is the decline in the tourist traffic on which, unfortunately, our economy is still too dependent. Everybody has been affected by the crisis and, after the initial supply crisis, we have also been experiencing reduced demand. So far, we have largely managed to maintain the employment rate, but the real challenges are yet to come.

Reduced budget revenues are very likely to affect the state's business with partners from the private sector in the second half of the year. Government spending is still a strong factor in economic activity.

The lack of tourism revenue will not only affect the strength of this sector, but also general consumption and sectors such as construction and commerce. This also applies to creative and entertainment industries, which cannot function normally for the most part.

We are closely monitoring the situation and are planning activities to annul the possible shocks in the global market, which will be most felt by the strongest part of the economy, that is export-oriented companies.

I am an optimist. We can already see from the number of tourists that are holidaying here that things are not as bleak as a month ago. But we must be aware of the seriousness of the

situation and all the risks if we don't want our optimism to be unfounded.

Tourism is certainly an industry that has been suffering the most from the consequences of the coronavirus crisis. Does Croatia have a strategy on how to overcome the crisis and improve the situation?

— The EU set of assistance measures, devised in May this year, includes a revised EU budget in the amount of €1,850 billion and a new financial instrument called the Next Generation EU, with a total estimated financial budget of €750 billion. These funds should be available from 2020 and distributed according to a new key, while taking into account the impact of the crisis.

This financial package recognizes tourism as an important economic activity for the first time and the branch that has been especially hit by the crisis. It has been said that tourism could record a drop of over 70% in traffic in the second quarter

Earlier this year, the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia started preparing a business forum and B2B talks in Belgrade

of 2020. The SURE programme, that covers part-time work, as well as other measures to maintain the employment rate, as devised the Government of the Republic of Croatia, will additionally prevent layoffs.

Still, this sector will need support for a much longer period. A new allocation and continuation of interest-free or low-interest credit lines are needed, as are grants for those companies which have recorded a decline of over 90% in their activities, especially small and micro-enterprises. We hope that a large part of the budget for tourism will be integrated as part of infrastructure funds, as this approach makes it easier for companies to access the funds

at the national level. Croatia should also use its comparative advantages such as the best epidemiological situation out of all Mediterranean countries and the structure of accommodation that ensures social distancing and lower flow of people, such as camps, secluded holiday homes and nautical tourism. We also count on domestic tourists, as well as tourists that can drive to our country.

This is an election year for both Serbia and Croatia. What do you expect from the new Croatian government?

— I expect the continuity of the very effective and good practice of implementing measures and activities carried out in recent months during the coronavirus crisis, as well as the continuity of economic and financial policies that have led us to a stable financial position just prior to adopting the Euro as our currency. The announced new measures, especially shorter working week, represent an excellent basis for preserving the

economy, with a special emphasis on the need to preserve the liquidity of the entire system. I believe that we can expect a further easing of business conditions, reduction of the tax burden on businesses and salaries and further removal of bureaucratic obstacles.

Also, and I consider this to be crucial, I believe that we have the capacity and competencies for targeted and quality programming of the use of EU funds in the coming years. Large funds await us, I and I would especially like to thank everybody who participated in securing these funds.

We also need to focus on the private sector and the development based on digital and green economies.

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There is a Lot Of Room For Cooperation Business and money know no borders and do not concede to political barriers. During the previous period, we witnessed various political disagreements, but economic cooperation is going well, which is good for both sides ince its inception, the role of the Croatian Business Club (CBC) has been to provide companies with information about the market, business conditions, customs regulations, as well as to help them find business premises and establish business contacts, says the president of the CBC in Belgrade, Marija Radulović.

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The CBC in Serbia was founded 14 years ago. What has changed in the business climate and business conditions in these 14 years?

— Business and economic environment have changed since the Croatian Business Club’s inception to date.

Since then a large number of Croatian companies have come or returned to this area. Just at that time, the re-

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MARIJA RADULOVIĆ President of the CBC

nowned company Badel returned to this market, a couple of years earlier, INA opened a representative office in Belgrade, and one of the largest food industries, Atlantic Group, was actively expanding in the region to include Serbia. The role of the Croatian Business Club is to provide market-related information to companies coming to Serbia. Now, the CBC provides support to small and medium-sized enterprises, both Croatian ones that are setting up their business in Serbia, as well as to local ones that want to cooperate with them in any way, either in the Serbian or Croatian market.

The economic relations between Croatia and Serbia are good, they are constantly progressing and are completely different from the direction that political relations have been taking. What are your impressions in terms of Croatian investments here?

— Business and money know no borders and do not concede to political barriers. During the previous period, we witnessed various political disagreements, but economic cooperation is going well, which is good for both sides. There are a lot of big investments in Serbia that are little talked

about which were made since the year 2000 and even earlier. For example, the Rasco Company, which was founded 30 years and does business on five continents, has made a very successful acquisition in Senta, where it operates under the name Rasco Tump and is engaged in the production of utility equipment and fittings. The Rotografika printing company in Subotica is also a very successful investment.

The aforementioned Atlantic Grupa has also made one of the most successful in the region here.

Is there room for improving economic cooperation and in which industries there is an opportunity to progress the cooperation even more?

— There is really a lot of space for cooperation - starting with cooperation in the field of new technologies through opportunities for joint production in smaller companies, especially when it comes to cross-border cooperation between Vojvodina and Slavonia. There is also an opportunity for the implementation of joint projects in the field of energy, environmental protection, storage and waste management. A number of other possibilities arise from all these opportunities, especially when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Parliamentary elections in Serbia and Croatia are finished. What do you expect from the new governments and how will the election results further affect not only the economic but also the overall relations between the two countries?

— I believe that the new governments should utilize the fact that our two countries are neighbours for Serbia’s faster accession to the EU, given that Croatia, as a full-fledged member of the EU, can and should try to help Serbia on that path, and Serbia should accept support if it wanted for the accession process to accelerate.

Serbia alone, small and micro companies employ about 630,000 people.

The situation with the pandemic and the consequences it brings will also be reflected on the families of these employees, but also on the small suppliers whose complete existence depends on such companies. Therefore, the state’s help is necessary for such situations, and we, as a business association, are here to monitor the situation, provide adequate and timely information and the necessary contacts to overcome this critical period as easily as possible.

Recently, the CBC held a seminar on the implementation of the new Customs Law. What conclusions and recommendations have been deduced from the seminar?

— In late June, the Croatian Business Club, together with the Slovenian Business Club, held a seminar for members of both clubs on the topic of new customs regulations and the application of the new Customs Law, which actively involved leading people from the Customs Administration. In addition to presenting the Law in detail in the most practical way possible, we heard about problems that companies have been facing from businesspeople themselves who participated in the seminar. Their questions were answered in the most practical and pragmatic way possible. Judging by the reactions of seminar participants, this gathering was a complete success because they were able to com-

municate with the representatives of the Customs Administration in such a concrete and open way. There are probably more questions that need an answer and did not come up at the seminar. Businesses can forward these questions business clubs in order to get adequate answers in further communication.

We are prepared to work remotely as we already have experience with that, so we will be available to our members for everything they need, even in these altered circumstances

What challenges do you expect to arise by the year-end given the ongoing crisis and how are you adjusting your plans accordingly?

— The challenges this year began in mid-March, when we, like many others, were forced to adjust the way we do business, and action plans for this year. Some forecasts say that the consequences of the pandemic could spill over to next year, but I think that we should not stop everything because of that. We will try to realize the activities we planned for this year, but probably in a different way. Of course, some of these activities will have to wait for a different time, but there is always a plan B so that business would not be left to chance.

The gatherings that we normally practice once a month will certainly depend on the possibilities, so in months when we don’t have planned activities, we will try to maintain active communication with all members. In any case, we are prepared to work remotely as we already have experience with that, so we will be available to our members for everything they need, even in these altered circumstances.

Both countries have implemented measures with the aim of combating the crisis caused by COVID-19.

How will this pandemic affect the companies, especially those in the SME segment?

— Research shows that more than 80 per cent of small businesses expect to suffer from serious consequences as a result of the pandemic, which will be reflected in reduced demand for their services and products in the post-pandemic period or for at least the next six months. A large number of them are forced with a prospect of reducing the number of their employees, and we should not forget that in

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Top-Quality Products Come First Only by expanding our portfolio we can ensure security and progress in our business

C O R P O R AT E

OX - BG d.o.o., the company that has been engaged in non-specialized wholesale in Serbia since 2014 and for more than 25 years in the region, has included food products from renowned global producers in its product portfolio, consisting of over 5,000 items. We spoke with the company’s General Manager, Aleksandar Radojičić, about this topic and the cooperation with large systems such as Mercator S, Delhaize, DIS, dm, Lilly Drogerie, In Medio, NIS, MOL, Petrol and Uradi Sam.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, you have adapted your business operations and responded to market needs very quickly. How did you do that?

— As a relatively small company, we saw an opportunity to quickly transform ourselves in these challenging times, both in terms of work organization and in adapting our product portfolio. This way of doing business has enabled us to survive in such a

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ALEKSANDAR RADOJIČIĆ General Manager of ROX-BG d.o.o.

Our mission and vision are to deliver high-quality products to our partners that will meet the high standards of Serbian consumers

difficult situation where we are facing ‘an opponent’ on the opposite side of the spectrum that makes the entire global economy completely unpredictable. Truth be told, the state’s support for micro, small and medium enterprises means a lot to us during these difficult times.

You are constantly working on expanding your portfolio to include leading global brands. What are your guidelines in this?

— Looking back at our experiences so far, we have realized that only by expanding our portfolio we can ensure security and progress in our business. Our mission and vision are to deliver high-quality products to our partners that will meet the high standards of Serbian consumers. Recently, we have included food products from renowned global and brands in our product portfolio which consists of over 5,000 items.

These are Trolli, Kalfany and Pulmoll sweets that are made from top-qual-

ity ingredients. We are also representatives of the Telefunken brand, which has small home appliances in its portfolio, as well as beauty gadget brands such as Smoothskin, Tri Pollar and Geneo. In our car equipment and car cosmetics segment, we represent the German brand Nigrin, one of the world's leading vehicle care brands.

Could you tell us a bit more about your plans and future steps?

— One of the future steps is the opening of a special division of Rox Beauty, where we will offer our female consumers products that have never been sold in this market before.

Some of them include La PIEL, Gloria, Smoothskin, Geneo, Tri Pollar…

We see room for further development of our company in this segment in the Serbian market. Since online shopping has experienced expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are also going to offer this option to our consumers soon.

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Economic Cooperation is on an Upward Trajectory While the bilateral relations between Serbia and Croatia have been experiencing various ups and downs, the connections between business people from the two countries are becoming increasingly tighter and more diversified, while the community of Croatian companies in Serbia is growing and developing at a rate of 40 per cent annually 66

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C O O P E R AT I O N

rade between Serbia and Croatia is growing, so in 2019, both countries broke records in that segment.

The flow of goods and capital between Serbia and Croatia no longer seems to be spoiled by the political relations that are constantly moving up and down. While political relations vary, economic cooperation is flourishing and it seems that even the fiercest political skirmishes between officials of the two countries cannot affect the now established and even excellent economic relations, which are on an upward path.

According to the official data, the total value of the trade between the two countries in 2019 amounted to slightly over a billion euro, which is a 3.4 per cent increase compared to 2018. The value of the trade between Serbia and Croatia, from January to September 2019, amounted to 820 million euro, which is again an increase of 4.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2018.

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In 2019, Croatia occupied the 14th place on the list of the biggest external trade partners of the Republic of Serbia

Economic relations continue to be marred by the perception of Serbian businesspeople in Croatia and the Croatian market are still closed to Serbian investments, but the recent results and messages coming from the Serbian business community are encouraging.

The belief is that trends will change and that there will become more favourable and that conditions for doing business would improve, particularly ones for investments. There are no economic reasons for Serbia not to invest because Serbian companies have advanced extremely technologically, financially and qualitatively. From 1993 to 2019, Serbian investments in Croatia amounted to only 8.5 million euro. On the other hand, Croats have invested more than 800 million euro here over the same period. Products of about 200 Croatian companies operating in Serbia comprise a good part of Serbian exports to Croatia.

In the first four months of 2020, the total trade between the two countries amounted to 322.8 million euro (-8.6%), exports of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Croatia amounted to 171.4 million euro and a 6.8% decline was registered relative to the same period in the previous year. At the same time, the Republic of Serbia’s import from Croatia stood at 151.4 million euro and recorded a decline of 10.4%. In the first four months of this year, there were no significant changes in the structure of products that are exported and imported. The export to import ratio stood at 113.2%.

In 2019, Croatia occupied the 14th place on the list of the biggest external trade partners of the Republic of

In the first four months of 2020, the total trade between the two countries amounted to 322.8 million euro

Serbia, and the 12th place in terms of exports to Serbia. Our exports to Croatia, in 2019, reached 567.8 million euro, which is a 0.6% drop compared to 2018. Imports from Croatia amounted to 518.4 million euro and recorded a 4% growth.

Up until 2016, Serbia recorded a constant deficit in trading with Croatia, which, in 2015, amounted to 65.1 million euro (slightly lower compared to 2014). For the first time in 2016, starting in April, Serbia recorded a trade surplus with Croatia on a month-to-month basis, which in 2016, amounted to 36.7 million euro. The export to import ratio was 108.5%.

The same trend continued in the fol-

lowing years and in 2019, Serbia recorded a surplus in trading with Croatia amounting to 49.4 million euro, while the export to import ratio stood at 109.5%.

EXPORT / IMPORT STRUCTURE The Republic of Serbia mostly exported the following products to Croatia (in 2020/3): cathodes and sections of cathodes made of refined copper; sunflower oil, for other purposes; vehicle fuel; edible sunflower oil; tanks and similar vessels; maize seed; women’s tights; constructions and parts of iron or steel, etc. Serbia mostly imported the following products from Croatia: urea (with 45% nitrogen) used as fertilizer; cement, medicines for retail purposes; electricity; corrugated cardboard (wellenstoff type); food products; ammonium nitrate, as a fertilizer; washing and cleaning preparations, etc.

MOST IMPORTANT EXPORTERS The following companies export the most to Croatia: Zijin Bor Copper doo; NIS a.d. Novi Sad; HBIS Group Serbia Iron & Steel; Agrano; Adriana Teks doo; Gordon; Elixir Zorka - Mineral Fertilizers Ltd. Šabac, HIP Petrohemija a.d. Pančevo; DAGCO doo Voganj; ADP doo Mladenovac and others. The following companies imported the most from Croatia (in 2019): Star Import d.o.o; Lidl Serbia KD; KIM-TEC doo, Belgrade; Nexe Cement; Podravka doo, Belgrade; Agroglobe doo Novi Sad, MD International doo, Belgrade, Vindija doo, Lajkovac; MOL Serbia doo, Belgrade; Atlantik Brands doo Belgrade and others.

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Unesco Intangible Heritage in Croatia There are 13 solo entries on the Unesco`s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and one entryMediterranean Diet, which is shared with other nations

1 ZAGORSKI ŠTRUKLI Probably the most traditional of Croatia’s traditional dishes, Zagorski Štrukli is a popular dish served largely in households across Hrvatsko Zagorje and Zagreb regions in the north of the country. Composed of dough and various types of filling, usually cheese, Štrukli can be either cooked or baked.

In 2007 Zagorski Štrukli were inducted into the list of Croatia’s intangible cultural heritage, maintained by Croatia’s ministry of culture.

T R A DI T ION

t's not just parks, churches and walled towns that contribute to Croatia`s shared world heritage. Unesco-denominated World Heritage Sites in Croatia highlight the natural and artistic beauties of Croatia. But, the cultural heritage of a country also includes intangible factors such as music, dance and unusual traditions.

To shine a spotlight on these "intangibles", Unesco has compiled a List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Croatia has 13 solo entries on this list and one (Mediterranean Diet) that it shares with other nations. We choose several from the list.

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Unescodenominated World Heritage Sites in Croatia highlight the natural and artistic beauties of Croatia

2 MEĐIMURSKA POPEVKA Međimurska popevka, a folksong from the Međimurje region, in the north-western part of Croatia, was historically predominantly a soloist vocal genre practised by women.

Nowadays, it is performed by individuals and groups, men and women, in vocal, vocal-instrumental, instrumental, monophonic and multipart renditions, as a musical genre or incorporated into the dance.

The lyrics are of great importance

lands on their heads like brides. On Whitsunday (a feast in the Christian calendar), they process from house to house, performing for the families they encounter. The family then joins in a larger folk dance and provides refreshments before the girls continue to another house. The next day, the party visits a neighbouring town or village and returns for a feast at one of the performers’ homes. The entire community assist in the preparations for the procession.

6 LACEMAKING IN CROATIA

and establish a basis for the classification into, among others, love, sad-melancholic, humorous and church popevkas.

3 THE BATANA ECOMUSEUM A batana is a type of traditional fishing boat found in Rovinj, Croatia. Important to the town’s trade and heritage, with craftsmanship methods handed down by families, it became scarce with the popularity of industrial models until 2004 when local enthusiasts started an association to help safeguard it and its associated practices (an old dialect and traditional songs). The not-for-profit House of Batana, with the support of the municipality, the Heritage Museum of the City of Rovinj, Rovinj Historic Research Centre, the Italian Community of Rovinj and an eco-museology expert created the Batana Ecomuseum to raise public awareness and provide training on practices linked to the batana.

A batana is a type of traditional fishing boat found in Rovinj

5 SPRING PROCESSION OF

LJELJE/KRALJICE (QUEENS) FROM GORJANI

The Procession of Queens is performed by the young girls of the village of Gorjani in the Slavonia region of north-east Croatia every spring.

The girls in a group are divided into ten kraljevi (kings), who wear sabres and men’s hats, and about five kraljice (queens), who wear white gar-

At least three distinct traditions of Lacemaking in Croatia persist today, centred on the towns of Pag on the Adriatic, Lepoglava in northern Croatia and Hvar on the Dalmatian island of the same name. The process involves embellishing a spider web pattern with geometrical motifs and is transmitted today by older women who offer year-long courses. Lepoglava bobbin lace is made by braiding thread wound on spindles, or bobbins; it is often used to make lace ribbons for folk costumes or is sold at village fairs. An International Lace Festival in Lepoglava celebrates the art every year.

4 MEDITERRANEAN DIET The Mediterranean diet involves a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking, and particularly the sharing and consumption of food. Eating together is the foundation of the cultural identity and continuity of communities throughout the Mediterranean basin. It emphasizes values of hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and a way of life guided by respect for diversity.

It plays a vital role in cultural spaces, festivals and celebrations, bringing together people of all ages, conditions and social classes.

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Rijeka Inaugurated as 2020 European Capital of Culture In February this year the historic Croatian costal city of Rijeka marked the start of its year as European Capital of Culture 2020, with a spectacular opening ceremony. Over 70 events for all ages and interests took place, culminating in a performance called 'Industrial Opera' representing the city's heritage as a port CLICK ON ICON 

he programme of events was inspired by the city's industrial heritage, migration and the sea. From opera to art, music and photography, the programme has been designed to appeal to both tourists and residents.

European Commission Vice-President for Demography and Democracy Dubravka Šuica on Saturday presented Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel at the opening ceremony with a European Capital of Culture plaque and a plaque for the Melina Mercouri Prize, awarded by the EU for the excellent preparation of the programme. Commissioner Šuica said at the ceremony in the Croatian National Theatre that in 35 years of its existence the title of the European Capital of Culture had been carried by more than 60 European cities and that almost every one of them had been witness of the positive impact of that title, from the boost to the city’s economy to a sense of belonging to the Euro-

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On the very first day Rijeka offered more than 70 events for all ages, tastes and interests

pean cultural area, from the renewal of urban centres, fostering creativity to international recognition.

“The European Union is defined by the culture and values, by what we as European are and want to be,” she underscored. Rijeka’s motto “Port of Diversity” complements the EU’s slogan “Unity in Diversity”, Šuica said.

EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DAY IN THE PORT OF DIVERSITY On the very first day Rijeka offered more than 70 events for all ages, tastes and interests. The programme took place at over 30 locations in the centre of Rijeka and includes a huge number of people, featuring numerous DJs, rock concerts, pop-up events on the city’s streets, children’s performances with songs and dance, humorous performances, a fashion show, performances by Rijeka writers and authors, dance nights for pensioners, and a gathering of rock bands from

the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. An entire river of people was part of the opening programme of the European Capital of Culture.

OPERA INDUSTRIALE IN THE RIJEKA PORT The central opening ceremony takes place in the Rijeka Port, a space that represents a strong point of identity for Rijeka. In the central artistic programme of the opening ceremony, Rijeka thematically gathers important parts of its identity in the Opera Industriale, based on the musical template of the Rijeka art duo JMZM – Josip Maršić (CRO) and Zoran Medved (CRO) – and on the orchestration of the Croatian composer, maestro Fran Đurović (CRO). More than a hundred performers will perform on the main stage, located on De Franceschi’s Pier in the Rijeka Port, as well as at other locations in the port, with the programme even involving a large part of the audience.

With the sounds of industry and welding sparks, Rijeka symbolically and proudly expressed its respect for the strength of the workers who built it and made it a modern city.

With references representing an homage to Janko Polić Kamov, Rijeka’s greatest poet and an uncompromising artist who heralded the arrival of the European avant-garde, Rijeka was affirming his stature in the context of Europe. This historical European anti-fascist position of Rijeka was also emphasized in the opening programme, reminding Europe of the fundamental social values on which it was built in the modern period, after the suffering of the last pan-European war. The powerful sound of electric guitars brought the propulsive energy of Rijeka’s punk and rock, which in their time represented the rebelliousness and boldness of Rijeka.

The programme was concluded by a

most powerful sound that has driven away winter since ancient times – the bell-ringers herald with tremendous noise the new era that Rijeka entered on 1 February 2020 as the European Capital of Culture.

Devoted to these themes, the Opera Industriale was performed live by numerous performers to backing tracks, combining sounds of the city, industry and noise, classical instruments, choral singing, ringing bells and sounds made by the audience, which is actively involved in the performance. Sound, music and noise, effects created by a combination of light and darkness, powerful symbols of Rijeka and Europe – this was the

A part of the audience also participated in the performance by ringing, cheering, making noise and creating light, transforming into a living instrument that represents the people

crux of the attractive opening ceremony at the Rijeka Port.

It was performed by DB Indoš – House of Extreme Musical Theatre, an intriguing Finnish men’s choir who rattle, shout and scream Mieskuoro Huutajat (FI), the mixed choir Jeka Primorja led by Igor Vlajnić (CRO), an orchestra of strings and wind instruments playing cello, bass, clarinets, trumpets and trombones, an ensemble of twenty-five Rijeka guitarists, ten drummers and a workers’ orchestra of grinders, welders and sparks. A part of the audience also participated in the performance by ringing, cheering, making noise and creating light, transforming into a living instrument

that represents the people – the most powerful part of the city’s identity.

OPENING CEREMONY IN THE CROATIAN NATIONAL THEATRE IVAN PL. ZAJC In the late afternoon, the ceremonial element of the opening of the ECoC had been held in the theatre, with short music and stage performances and welcome speeches, attended by high-ranking officials from Europe and Croatia – representatives of the EU Commission, ministers of culture of European countries, representatives of previous and future European Capitals of Culture, ambassadors, diplomats and more.

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A Year Rife With Challenges In 2020, when the pandemic has been affecting us all, the Croatian Business Club (CBC) has managed to maintain the predetermined level of activities and encourage communication and exchange of views among its members

"The Kopaonik Business Forum" - representatives foreign chambers in Serbia

C B C AC T I V I T I E S

his year started with a lot of plans and several members of the Croatian Business Club showing their interest in getting involved in the Club’s activities, as demonstrated by the number of people who attended the session of the CBC Assembly held in January at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Serbia.

The re-election of the management of the Croatian Business Club was one of the main items on the meeting’s agenda. Ms Marija Radulović was unanimously re-appointed President, and Mr Stanko Krstin Vice-President of the CBC, given how successfully they have managed the Club so far. Ms Danijela Galov, the owner of CityLight, has been appointed a new member of the Executive Board, as a longtime active member of the Club.

At the meeting, there was a pres-

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entation of the Croatian Business Club’s involvement in the initiative called "Let's share the care - We take care of children together”, implemented by the SeConS Development Initiative Group which goal is to encourage employees and employers for more fathers to use the parental leave of absence. The initiative is aimed at exploring innovative models that should contribute to employees more successfully balancing work and private life in a gender-responsive way. The initiative was devised under the auspices of the "Gender Responsible Governance - Redistribution of Unpaid Care Work" project, implemented by the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Belgrade.

At the onset of the pandemic, the Croatian Business Club also got involved in business support activities

The Kopaonik Business Forum was the next gathering place of the members of the Club, which, together with the Croatian Chamber of Economy and other foreign chambers in Serbia, organized the traditional International Coffee Break at the Grand Hotel. This was an opportunity for representatives of foreign chambers and numerous business associations to exchange experiences on economic cooperation and summarize their impressions from interesting panels.

At the onset of the pandemic, the Croatian Business Club also got involved in business support activities.

Together with 11 other bilateral foreign chambers of economy and business associations, the Club launched a joint initiative urging the Serbian Ministry of Finance to implement additional measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises.

H.E. Hidajet Biščević with a members of the Croatian Business Club

Croatian Business Club Assembly

A total of 12 organizations (the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Belgian-Serbian Business Association, British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Italian-Serbian Businesspeople, Association of Italian Businesspeople in Serbia - Confindustria, Hellenic Business Association of Serbia, Dutch-Serbian Business Association, Croatian Business Club, Polish-Serbian Business Association, Slovenian Business Club and Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce) proposed additional economic measures, such as postponement of payment of payroll tax and contributions for small and medium-sized companies, easier access to bank loans, direct support in the form of subsidies or refund programmes and liquidity guarantees, as well as special measures for severely affected sectors (tourism and catering, culture, international transport…) through the cancellation of advance payment of corporate income tax and the abolition of payroll tax and contributions.

The consequences of the pandemic have also changed the direction of activities under the "Caring for Children Together" initiative. The process of involving companies in promoting the possibility of male employees using the parental leave of absence has been temporarily postponed due to many employees starting working from home. Therefore, a survey was conducted among over 300 employees on how much work from home affects the distribution of household responsibilities among the genders and the attitudes of men and women on the topic of child care. The results of this survey will serve as a basis for recommendations to employers who want to facilitate their employees working from home, especially in the face of a potential new wave of the pandemic.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Serbia, H.E. Mr Hidajet Biščević, hosted a gathering with members of the Croatian Business Club on June 18 in the premises of the Embassy of the Republic

The consequences of the pandemic have also changed the direction of activities under the "Caring for Children Together" initiative

of Croatia in Belgrade. After introducing himself, he said that he was ready to use his experience to contribute to the improvement of relations between Serbia and Croatia based on European values, which are very important for stability and progress in the region. Highlighting the need to boost the cooperation between Serbia and Croatia, he said that he had prepared project proposals for cooperation in the field of infrastructure and energy, such as restoring the navigability of the Sava and Danube rivers and called on the CBC members to propose ideas that would improve relations between the two countries.

In late June, together with the Slovenian Business Club, and with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, the Croatian Business Club organized a seminar on the topic of "Current issues in the implementation of the new Customs Law". Members of both clubs attended these interesting and useful presentations.

Seminar on the topic of "Current issues in the implementation of the new Customs Law

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TOURISM

Croatia's Medieval Towns Where can you find picturesque cliffsides, red-tiled roofed buildings, and romantic old towns all in one place? Simple, the Croatian Coast

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ware of the fact that the coronavirus has disrupted all of our lives, we bring you an overview of things you can do in Croatia, if it weren’t for the coronavirus. One of those “what if” stories talks about interesting the medieval town centers, hitting the hippest spots in Croatia sites, as well as ideas on how to travel like a local.

These are some of the best places to see and be seen--by day or after dark-in cities across Croatia.

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DUBROVNIK ON THE ROCKS Old Town Dubrovnik is an open air gallery of architecture, history, and culture. By day, foot traffic crowds the wide, polished-limestone street Stradun running through the city’s medieval center. Cruise ship crowds add to the crush. Is the most visited Dalmatian old town in Croatia. Founded in the 13th century, Dubrovnik’s old town sits in a basin, surrounded by its world-famous 83 feet high walls.

The best time to walk the walls is in

the morning before the sun becomes too strong. The trek around the walls can take over two hours with stops for pictures and refreshments at local bars and restaurants. Step away from the larger crowds and get lost in the flower-covered side streets of the old town. These side streets are where you really see the daily life of the residents of Dubrovnik. To get away from the city, visit the beaches just outside of the walls. You can relax and swim in the Adriatic at Banje Beach or take a kayaking tour from Bokar Beach.

SEIZE THE DAY (AND NIGHT) IN HVAR TOWN Hvar Town at the west end of Hvar Island is notorious for its noisy nightlife and non-stop party scene. This is where visitors arrive by yacht and ferry on a mission to breathe in the sea air, the lavender, and the 24/7 party atmosphere. Hvar Town even has its own open-air party room in St. Stephen’s Square, which has res-

Hvar

By day, the narrow, medieval streets of Croatia’s most celebrated Old Towns are crammed with people moving like a human wave from one historic point of interest to the next

Zadar

taurants on all sides. When the bars close, crowds spill into the square to party around its centerpiece, a 16th century well. Hvar also has become famous for hosting celebrities who dock their yachts in Hvar’s secluded coves and stay in private mansions to avoid paparazzi. However, every once in a while they party in Hvar Town where anyone can pretend to be famous.

GOING ZEN IN ZADAR Like many Croatian cities, Zadar is the product of thousands of years of occupation by foreign invaders. Illyrians, Romans, Venetians, and Italians all contributed to the city’s character by leaving their architecture, customs and tastes behind. Zadar’s center is a fascinating whole made of various parts like the 9th century St. Donatus church, a 16th city wall built by the Venetians, the ruins of a Roman forum, and five ornate wells and a water storage tank that enabled the city to sustain a prolonged attack by the Turks. A favorite attraction is the Gold and Silver Museum and its exhibit of elaborate, bejeweled vessels in the shapes of various body parts, each containing a bone or other relic. Paintings, church artifacts, and other artwork are on display, too. On the July night when the full moon rises each year, Zadar’s Riva turns off the lights and celebrates Croatian culture lit only by candles, torches, and moonlight.

LET`S SIT IN SPLIT Split is the largest city in the Dalmatia region and the base point for

Split

many island cruises. One of the major cruise ship and sea ports in Croatia, Split sees countless visitors each year. At the heart of Split is the old town. Split’s old town is a sprawling maze of tiny, cobblestone streets and restaurants. You can sit on the stairs of the Cathedral of St. Domnius and watch the tourists pass by or hunker down in one of the plazas filled with gelatorias and cafes.

Don’t miss the Diocletian Palace when you visit Split. Built for the Roman emperor of the same name, the palace resembles more of a fort as the complex makes up most of the old town. Many of the buildings in the old town were used as garrisons or outpost buildings when the area was a palace.

TROGIR`S BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE Trogir lies on an islet only 17 miles west of Split. Originally founded by Greek colonists, Trogir became a port for the Ottoman Empire until the city became part of the Republic of Venice. Sitting on almost 15 acres, Trogir’s old town includes a high num-

ber of churches, fortresses, and palaces. Because of Trogir’s historic past, the old town is one of the best representations of Romanesque and Baroque architecture in Dalmatia. Some of Trogir’s most famous sites are the Cathedral of St. Lawrence dating back to 1213 and the Cipiko Palaces that housed the city’s royal family during the 1400s.

ŠIBENIK THE OLDEST Šibenik is the oldest city in Croatia founded by the Croatians. The city’s old town sits right at the mouth of the Krka River as it flows into the Mediterranean. Many travelers use Šibenik as a base to visit the waterfalls and teal waters of Krka National Park.

You can walk through the old town’s small side streets as you make your way to the city’s historic Cathedral of St. James. The cathedral is entirely made out of stone and is the most important piece of Renaissance architecture in Croatia. Included in and around the old city are multiple fortresses. You can hike your way or take a boat out to them to see some of the best views of Šibenik.

Dubrovnik

By night, the streets still are crowded, but the throng is on a different mission: to have a good time Trogir

Šibenik

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BUSINESS NEWS

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NICEF - NATIONAL U DONATE PLASMA PLATFORM FURTHER ENHANCED

The Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment, together with the Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia, has established a platform donirajplazmu.gov.rs through which all citizens recovering from COVID-19 can apply and donate valuable antibodies which their body created during the disease, and which are used for treatment of COVID-19 infected patients. This system has now been improved by automated communication, enabling the sending of free SMS notifications to all donors. The platform for sending these text messages, "RapidPro", was donated by UNICEF to the Govern-

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C OCA COLA - WHO SAYS WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO NORMAL?

With the launch of a new campaign, the Coca-Cola system enters the third phase of assistance to the community by supporting the HoReCa sector.

“Who says we have to go back to normal? What if the big change is you and me? What if we choose to be open, like never before?” – these are the verses of a popular British artist, George the Poet, who has joined forces with Coca-Cola in the first, long-awaited campaign of the

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ment of the Republic of Serbia.

UNICEF has also provided expert support to successfully integrate RapidPro into the existing systems and to have it deployed in the State Data Center in Belgrade. RapidPro has been produced by UNICEF’s global Innovations Lab in collaboration with software development firm Nyaruka. “RapidPro is currently deployed in 37 countries and allows partners to gather accurate real-time information on vital areas such as health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and child protection – even in remote and hard to reach places.

We hope to see its use expanded in the months to come in support of the ongoing socio-economic reforms”, says UNICEF’s Representative in Serbia, Regina De Dominicis.

popular global brand since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

This is the first campaign after a pause in marketing activities for the Coca-Cola system, as it was decided at the very start of this pandemic to re-allocate all resources to providing humanitarian aid across the world. All the resources in Serbia were also re-allocated to key priorities.

Within the “Open Like Never Before” campaign, Coca-Cola will put at disposal its advertising space for selected HoReCa outlets. Through various activations, Coca-Cola will support more than 600 HoReCa outlets in Serbia in the upcoming period.

E UROBANK - 1.2 MILLION DINARS FOR PROCURING EQUIPMENT

In order to help in the response to the coronavirus epidemic, Eurobank donated twenty oxygen flow metres, the equipment necessary for oxygen therapy of virtually all patients who are not on respirators, to the Clinical Centre of Serbia. In the upcoming days, eight oxygen flow metres will be donated to the Clinical Centre of Niš and the Clinical Centre

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O PEN A COMPETITION FOR CACTUS 2020 AWARDS!

Marketing Network (Marketing mreža) has announced a competition for the 6th national awards - CACTUS 2020. Awards are given in 24 categories to companies, institutions and agencies for the highest quality and most professional individual and integrated campaigns in last year. The main awards at the festival are the Agency of the Year, Advertiser of the Year and Integrated Campaign of the Year - Grand Prix. The competition is open until September 20th. The awards will be presented at the 6th National Festival of Integrated Communications - CACTUS 2020, which will be held on November 3rd and 4th in Belgrade, under the headline "Unique in being different". A novelty within this year's com-

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of Kragujevac each. “In these challenging times, support and solidarity should be priorities of every company and individual. We had that in mind when we supported Serbia’s healthcare system at the beginning of the epidemic by procuring the necessary medical and safety equipment for treating coronavirus patients. By donating 36 oxygen flow metres, Eurobank aims to provide support and assistance to those treated for coronavirus once again” – said Dušan Mihailović, a member of Eurobank’s Executive Board. Eurobank’s donation was executed via the B92 Foundation and the Serbian Philanthropic Forum, which, in cooperation with UNICEF launched a humanitarian initiative aimed at improving treatment of patients and working conditions for healthcare professionals in medical institutions in Serbia during the coronavirus pandemic.

D IRECT PERSPECTIVE LAUNCHES A DIALOGUE ON DOING BUSINESS IN THE NEW NORMALITY

As much as the future in the Covid-19 world seems uncertain, we will be able to perceive it more clearly if we discuss our expectations, said the Direct PERSPECTIVE team in presenting the results of a survey on business in the new normality. The survey Di-

petition for the CACTUS 2020 awards is a new category - a special recognition LOCKDOWN integrated campaign. This category is intended for reporting campaigns that were created exclusively in the period from March 10th to May 10th, 2020, during the state of emergency and the COVID-19 virus pandemic. You can find the conditions of the competition, propositions and categories, as well as the application form and the Rules of Procedure of the jury, on the website www.kaktus.rs. rect PERSPECTIVE: Doing business in the post-Covid period in Serbia, which was conducted from May to July 2020, included 189 participants from 14 industries, from different levels of management, from C- level functions to operational and administrative positions. The survey was conducted by DIRECT MEDIA United Solutions with partners: IAA Serbian Chapter, ICT HUB, Digital Serbia, In Store, Nova Iskra, Serbian Association of Managers and UEPS. The Direct PERSPECTIVE team hereby presents the key findings of the survey in three areas: Economy and Business, Brand and Technology and invites all stakeholders in the business, marketing, the startup and technological communities to engage in a continuous dialogue on doing business in the post-Covid period.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

CORPORATE

Seamless working experience with Huawei Matebook X Pro The powerfull Huawei laptop has the latest version of Windows 10 OS, followed by Intel i7 processor which, will deliver great performances and make everyday business tasks easier and smooth

uawei recently presented new devices to the Serbian market. The company is well known and loved for it’s smartphones but this time they decided to approach the bussines class in a different way. That’s why the newest addition to Huawei fam-

H

HUAWEI MATEBOOK X PRO LAPTOP ALSO HAS THE 13,9 INCH ULTRA FULLVIEW DISPLAY WITH 91% SCREEN TO BODY RATIO ily is a MateBook X Pro laptop.

This device is a perfect match of elegance and powerfull software – ready to follow your daily routine at any time and any place.

The powerfull Huawei laptop has the latest version of Windows 10 OS, followed by Intel i7 processor which, will deliver great performances and make everyday business tasks easier and smooth.

MateBook X Pro itself has only 1,33 kg so it is very easy to carry anywere. With a 56Wh battery and 65 W SuperCharger, it provides you with up to 13h of use with one single charge. That means you can work

from anywhere without worrying about your battery life.

Huawei MateBook X Pro laptop also has the 13,9 inch Ultra FullView display with 91% screen to body ratio. It’s also a touch screen, so it’s very convinient to work on. And if you want to take a screenshot of any content you are watching or working on, all you need to do is swipe from the top of the screen to the bottom with three fingers.

With a goal to deliver it’s users and brand lovers the best consumer experience, the company is constantly working on Huawei ecosystem. Seamless connection between smart de-

vices, available to everyone, is what Huawei’s vision is about.

That’s why the newest Huawei MateBook X Pro has a Huawei Share function, compatible to the Huawei smartphones with EMUI 10. By activating Huawei Share on your Huawei smartphone and laptop, you can just put a smartphone on the laptop and Multiscreen Collaboration will turn on. This function allows you to display the phone screen on a laptop. This way you can control your phone using the keyboard, mouse, microphone or laptop camera.

Explore borderless experience with Huawei MateBook X Pro.

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

14 JULY

ATIONAL DAY N OF FRANCE AT THE TIME OF COVID-19

The French national holiday, July 14, was celebrated differently this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The French Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Jean-Louis Falconi laid a wreath at the Monument of Gratitude to France in the presence of the Mayor of Belgrade and government minister Zoran Djordjević. The ambassador said the following on the ocassion: "This monument, erected in honour of France, one-of-a-kind in the world, is a witness to the long and deep friendship which was rejuve-

nated last year when thousands of people in Serbia welcomed President Macron, who was on a historic visit, making this day even more solemn and exciting. I wanted to lay a wreath on this monument in order to build on a long tradition and in that way to express my respect for the French-Serbian friendship, our brotherhood in arms. I also wanted the families of two legionnaires of the French-Serbian origin, who laid down their lives for France, to join this gesture.”

Zoran Radojičić, Mayor of Belgrade, H.E. Jean-Louis Falconi and Zoran Djordjević, Minister

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JULY

FRANCOPHONE BOOK EXHIBITION

H.E. Amr Aljowaily

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JULY

The first stand at the Belgrade Book Fair will be dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the International Organization of the Francophonie. The Egyptian ambassador to Serbia, H. E. Amr Aljowaily, met with the members of the board of directors of the Belgrade Book Fair at the chancery, in the presence of the French ambassador in Belgrade. In his capacity as President of the Group of Fran-

The Ambassador of France, H.E. Jean-Louis Falconi and H. E. Amr Aljowaily, Egyptian Ambassador with the members of the board of directors of the Belgrade Book Fair

FAREWELL DINNER HOSTED

BY THE ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR

To mark the end of her term as the Romanian ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Oana Cristina – Popa, hosted a farewell dinar for the closest friends, associations and fellow ambassadors.

During her diplomatic tenure in Belgrade, Am-

H.E. Oana Cristina – Popa with Ambassadors and representatives of the international institutions

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cophone Ambassadors in Belgrade, ambassador Aljowaily said that an agreement was reached to assign a pavilion for the Francophonie organization, for the first time ever, at the 65th Belgrade Book Fair to be held from October 24 to the first of November 2020, and on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the inception of the International Organization of the Francophonie.

bassador Popa made a significant contribution to the development of Serbian-Romanian relations. H.E. Oana Cristina - Popa is leaving for a new position, as the head of the EU delegation in Montenegro.

H.E. Oana Cristina – Popa with Tanja Miščević, Deputy Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo Farewell Dinner

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

06 AUG

WOMEN AMBASSADORS CAME TO PIROT TO WEAVE KILIMS

Canadian Ambassador Kati Csaba and the wife of US Ambassador to Serbia Anne Godfrey tried kilim weaving on looms in Stara planina, with the help of skilled weavers, who gathered from different parts of Serbia to share their knowledge within the fifth Weavers’ Colony.

The Fifth Weavers’ Colony is on from August 4 to 7, on Stara Planina, in the former border post in Dojkinci, organized by Ethno Network as a federation of local crafts associations and the City of Pirot, under the auspices of the Canadian and US embassies. Due to covid-19 limitations, a smaller number of weavers are participating this time, but they are all open to share tips and trick of this old craft which they have been practicing for years.

One of the participants in the colony is the wife of the American ambassador Anne Godfrey, who values the cultural heritage and handicrafts of women from Serbia. She comes from Ireland and is engaged in knitting, sewing, quilt making, and during this week she is also learning to weave. Handicrafts from Serbia and a national brand of this region, the famous Pirot kilim, left a strong impression on Ambassador Csaba.

- These are unique handicrafts that testify to the rich cultural heritage of a country. "Coming from Canada as a country of immigrants, I appreciate the preservation of tradition even more, and we gladly support such manifestations," she said.

The president of the Ethno Network, Violeta Jovanović, points out that the patronage of the embassies of Canada and the USA to the Weavers’ Colonies speaks of the attention cultural heritage is attracting in the world, and especially in diplomatic circles.

- This shows that our handicrafts have both economic and cultural perspective proving that artisans are fully deserving of state support to secure a salary from crafts through the placement of handicrafts as business gifts and tourism products - said Jovanovic and added that a good framework for support would be the crafts law followed by ethno galleries to present and market old crafts.

H.E. Kati Csaba, Canadian Ambassador, Violeta Jovanović, NALED and wife of the American ambassador Anne Godfrey,

Visit of The Fifth Weavers’ Colony on Stara Planina

Women ambassadors and representatives of Naled with journalists

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HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Ingmar Bergman’s Contemplation of Plague and Death is Life-enhancing “The Seventh Seal” might seem dauntingly sombre. But it has a lighter side

he inspiration for one of the most legendary (and parodied) images in world cinema lies a half-hour’s drive north of Stockholm, up near the ceiling of a small medieval church. A fresco shows a ghoulish skeleton and a young man, dressed in a green robe and a brown hat, hovering over a large chessboard. The mural at the Taby church was painted in the 1480s. It came to life nearly five centuries later, when it led Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish director, to cast Max von Sydow as Antonius Block, a troubled knight, and to pit him against Death in a chess match.

Death is everywhere in Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal”. It rages in the Holy Land, where Block and his squire Jons have spent years as Crusaders, and back home in Sweden, where the bubonic plague has started to spread. Before it takes him, Block wants to understand wheth-

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BERGMAN SUGGESTS IN “THE SEVENTH SEAL” THAT SALVATION MAY AWAIT NOT IN THE NEXT WORLD, BUT IN THIS ONE er his life has made any sense, and what might await in the hereafter.

To do so he needs time, and to have time he needs to play for it.

Between the chess game to which Block challenges the grim reaper, the ethereal expression fixed on his face throughout the film, and the backdrop of disease, “The Seventh Seal” can seem unbearably heavy, especially during today’s pandemic. Block cannot come to terms with God’s silence. He yearns to have faith in faith, and not in the facile kind either. He scoffs at the monks who claim that the plague is divine punishment, and pities the penitent zealots, with their crosses and relics, whipping themselves senseless with scourges. He meets a young girl accused

of being possessed by the devil and soon to be burned at the stake, and stares into her eyes, looking for some greater truth. He finds none. “Faith is a torment,” he says. “It is like loving someone who is out there in the darkness but never appears, no matter how loudly you call.”

But there is a lighter, earthly side to “The Seventh Seal”, in the form of Block’s sidekick, Jons, who thinks of faith as less a torment than a waste of time. “He grins at Death, mocks the Lord, laughs at himself and leers at the girls,” Jons says of himself.

“His world is a Jons-world, believable only to himself, ridiculous to all including himself, meaningless to Heaven and of no interest to Hell.”

Jons goes into a church, much like

the one Bergman entered in Taby, where he finds a painter putting the last touches to a grisly mural, the “Dance of Death”. What, he wonders, is the point of scaring people like that? To make them think, answers the painter. And if they think, Jons says, they get more scared, and run to religion for solace. Jons and the painter run to a barrel of brandy instead, and get roaringly drunk.

The struggle between man and death is always one-sided, and largely pointless. The chess game is rigged. Von Sydow died earlier this year, Bergman in 2007. Yet as he, the son of a pastor, suggests in “The Seventh Seal”, salvation may await not in the next world, but in this one.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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Belgrade is an Important Part of My Identity As far as life in Serbia is concerned, no country we have been to so far can surpass Serbia in terms of a pleasant climate, good, healthy food and spontaneity in human interactions.

My husband agrees with me on that

INTERVIEW

MILICA LUNDIN Wife of the Swedish Ambassador to Serbia and President of the IWC

came to Sweden when I was 26 years old.

Wherever I went, it was in the framework of a certain Swedish micro-culture. So, one way or another, I have been living in Sweden for more than 30 years. Unlike Serbia, in Sweden, I have no school friends, my relatives or old neighbours.

Every time we return from a diplomatic mission, we live in a different place. Serbia, on the other hand, is a constant in my life - people who knew my late parents and my brother, my Belgrade friends and Banovo Brdo where I grew up, are a haven for me and an important part of my identity.

I

role that I was entrusted with.

This is a form of education, because our concierge and I get very detailed instructions on how to take care of everything that makes up our household - from textiles and porcelain, through furniture to artwork and paintings. We are assisted by a team of experts from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Usually, these are very interesting and engaging people who can teach us a lot.

I should also mention meeting successful Swedes who come to visit us and fantastic Serbian guests coming from all walks of life with whom we got closely acquainted. If you have

I SYMPATHIZE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I MUST REMIND YOU THAT THINGS WE CREATE THROUGH OUR EFFORT ARE MUCH BETTER VALUED AND PRESERVED What is it like to be the wife of an ambassador and what does that entail?

— The first rule that must be remembered at all times is that wherever you appear, you are always first representing the country, and secondly, yourself, as a private person. I represent Sweden with my appearance, speech, social media posts and even my professional work. Being a hostess of a home is another important

an embassy which staff is also well-coordinated, acts in solidarity, is filled with good working spirit and love for work, which is what the Swedish embassy in Belgrade is like, then that is true bliss.

You are the president of the International Women's Club (IWC) in Belgrade. Which projects are you especially proud of?

— Our choice of target group for this year proved to be a com-

plete hit. As we were preparing for raising funds just before the last year's bazaar, we decided to distribute our annual donation among projects that deal with the improvement of living conditions and health of the elderly. We had no idea that their lives would suddenly become so complicated. It turned out that help had arrived at the right moment. Of the six projects to which we allocated funds, four entailed distribution of humanitarian packages containing food, hygiene products and similar necessary items, among other activities.

Our partners - Hleb Života, Amity, Laris from Čačak and an association from Babušnica - distributed humanitarian packages before, during and after the implementation of special measures, following the prescribed rules in geographically diverse places throughout Serbia. This made the difficult period of isolation easier especially for elderly people in remote rural areas. Of course, we could not help everyone, but we are proud to have been useful at the most critical time.

You are a music academy graduate and a pianist and you are also active in projects that entail expanding the classical music audience. What is the situation in Serbia like in that regard?

— I think there is a misconception that the Serbian audience, who is interested in culture, shows very weak interest in classical music. We

must not forget that Serbia is a country with a very short tradition in artistic music, unlike the countries of Central Europe. When I was a student, back in the 1980s, we enjoyed a very strong support from the state institutions and classical culture foundations in general, but since the base of that legacy in Serbia is not strong enough, classical culture can no longer stand on its own feet, so to speak. We need to observe things through a filter of the general situation in the modern-day culture.

The number of people attending cultural events has been declining in all cultural segments if we don’t count the online consumption of cultural ‘products’. Music institutions, as big as those in the time of Yugoslavia, are unlikely to be established again. But we, the cultural workers, should engage in establishing new institutions.

This is a difficult and exhausting job that, most likely, pays nothing, but without solidarity and awareness of the common good, nothing will happen.

Unfortunately, there is a great deal of exhaustion and lethargy among cultural workers. I sympathize with my colleagues, but I must remind you that things we create through our effort are much better valued and preserved. There are also problems in culture in Sweden, especially with the preservation of classical musical heritage. The situation with culture is not simple or easy anywhere.

PLANS What impressions will you take with you when you leave Serbia?

— We have one more year left at the Swedish Embassy in Belgrade, so I am not thinking about leaving as yet. We also have an apartment in the city, one of our daughters is studying here and we will come back regularly to visit friends and relatives. It could happen that one day we are going to become Belgrade pensioners in part.

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Theatre Happens in Spite of Everything There will be a short but rather intensive programme because we believe that it is very important to demonstrate that it is possible to stage plays and sustain this art form, which, like other performing arts, has suffered greatly because of the pandemic INTERVIEW

IVAN MEDENICA Artistic Director and selector of Bitef Festival

e spoke with Ivan Medenica at a time when there were still no safe (epidemiological) circumstances for the festival to be held in mid-September with a rounded off and approved programme.

"We are very glad that all the world's theatres that were supposed to participate in the 54th Bitef had the patience to wait for the final decision to be made because the last segment of the festival's production takes time.

Since it will not be possible for a large number of people to gather indoors in September, the Belgrade authorities, who are the founders of Bitef, made the decision to postpone the 54th Bitef for next year and then it will have a double edition ", says Bitef’s artistic director, Mr Medenica.

ger budget and a larger number of performances. However, for symbolic reasons but also for the sake of boosting the morale, we thought that it was very important to show that it is possible to stage plays while adhering to all security measures and to sustain this art form, which, like other performing arts, has suffered greatly or rather was brought to the point of extinction because of the pandemic.

We obtained permission to hold a short programme, which would serve to ‘keep the flame burning’ so to speak, and announce the double edition Bitef for 2021. Although the programme is short, it will be quite intensive. We are going to stage one of the selected plays, which will be accompanied by several other forum-like programs that will examine current circumstances, above all the possibility the performing arts surviving in these circumstances. With that in mind, an informal, general, but the essential message of this festival prologue would be that theatre happens in spite of everything.

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Bitef already has a tradition of holding regional press conferences, which this time around, took place in Ljubljana. How important is the festival’s international character?

— Bitef is an international festival by definition, name and tradition, and as such, its positioning in the media and other global platforms is just as important as domestic positioning. We should keep repeating that Bitef is the only festival that has received the highest European theatre award - the Premio Europa per il Teatro

is in other ways, related to our festival. So far, we these announcements in Rijeka, Berlin, Paris, Zagreb, Rome, Brussels and Ljubljana, as the last place, because two plays from Ljubljana were selected to be staged at the 54th Bitef. The first play was produced by SNG

WHEN ASKED IF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND THEATRE, NAMELY ART, CAN BE COMBINED IN ONE WORD, IVAN MEDENICA SAID THAT THE WORD IS ‘CYBORG’ - in one of the award categories. That is why I introduced the practice that before the festival takes place in Belgrade, we always have one international media announcement in a country from which one or more theatres that perform at Bitef come from, or which,

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Drama and the other is co-produced by SNG Drama, Cankarjev Dom and Mestno gledališče ljubljansko.

The last conference, that took place in Ljubljana, is especially dear to me not only because we held it in almost impossible circumstances, i.e. during the

pandemic, but also because we needed special permits to even enter Slovenia. We got this permits primarily because the Slovenian media and theatre professionals have always openly shown deep respect for Bitef, and their artists always highlight how important the festival is for their professional development. It is safe to say that, after Belgrade, Ljubljana is the city where our festival feels most "at home".

What was supposed to be the message of this year's Bitef, the 54th in a row?

— The Belgrade authorities made a rational decision to postpone the 54th Bitef for next year and for it to have a double edition (54th and 55th merged), which implies a big-

Which play will introduce us to the main topics of the 54 Bitef and what are those topics?

— Our plan was for it to be a play dedicated to this unfortunate year, created at its very beginning, with the appropriate title "2020", which, co-produced by three Ljubljana theatres/cultural centres, was conceived and directed by the Croatian director Ivica Buljan.

It is based on the books of the globally popular Israeli historian, Yuval Noah Harari, using props brought by the actors themselves, or which were jointly acquired during rehearsals. The final text is the result of all that (such an approach is called devised theatre).

The play showcases Harari's provocative theses about the

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genocidal nature of Homo Sapiens, which destroyed all other human species, the fact that man, striving for bliss, immortality and divinity, upgrades his body technologically, thus risking destroying his subjectivity.

This play raises key questions of the 54th Bitef, from ecological catastrophe to posthumanism. Even before the decision was made to postpone the 54th Bitef, it became clear that it will be difficult to realize this guest performance in the current circumstances because the play has elements of immersive theatre, the actors interact with the audience, etc.

Instead, we will stage a play, actually, the only one that will be performed in the upcoming September, which showcases only to the thematic line of the 54th Bitef, but also the artistic one - the phenomenon of the dehumanized body of the performer. It is a play called ‘Uncanny Valley’, directed by the famous director Stefan Kaegi and staged by his theatre company Rimini Protokoll (in co-production with the Munich Kammerspiele). This play-lecture is performed by a humanoid robot, a replica of the writer Thomas Melle. One of the topics of the lecture is the writer's bipolar disorder, of which fear of losing control is one of the symptoms. That is exactly what Melle does when he allows the robot to speak instead of him, i.e. he resignes his own subjectivity to the robot.

You came to the helm of Bitef in 2015. Did you manage to bring Bitef back to the international scene, which was one of your goals when you were appointed the festival’s director in 2015?

— Well, I can’t be the judge of that. But, since you have asked that, I will try to stick only to the facts in my answer. The aforementioned foreign press conferences have significantly

contributed to the international visibility and reaffirmation of Bitef. The most important of them was the Bitef forum held in 2017 at Palazzo Venezia in Rome, as part of the mentioned Premio Europa event (in the category called “Comebacks” which is dedicated to one of the former laureates).

The forum was attended by some of the world's leading critics, dear guests and friends of Bitef like Georges Banu (Romania / France), Marina Davidova (Russia) and Yun-Cheol Kim (South Korea). The guest appearance of one of the globally most important plays in recent decades - Jan Fabre's Mount Olympus – which lasted for 24 hours, was broadcasted live on Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS), was declared the cultural event of the year by the local media and I was chosen as "The Person of the Year" by Vreme weekly but has also been covered by foreign media. My favourite thing is how the British received it on the one hand, there was a praiseworthy article in the

The slogan of the 52nd Bitef – “World without People” – was a sort of premonition of the disturbing social phenomena of the modern world. Today, unfortunately, we have art and culture "without people" or with people but at distance. How has the

distance between the performers on the stage poses a bigger problem because it would encroach on the essence of this art (physical performance, miseen-scène…), but I am sure that a solution for that problem can also be found.

WE SHOULD KEEP REPEATING THAT BITEF IS THE ONLY FESTIVAL THAT HAS RECEIVED THE HIGHEST EUROPEAN THEATRE AWARD - THE PREMIO EUROPA PER IL TEATRO prestigious Guardian, while on the other hand, the British tabloid, The Daily Mail reported that “the crazy Serbs” not only staged the play but also broadcasted these “theatrical orgies” on national television.

In addition to the media reception and the growing number of foreign guests, the repositioning of Bitef on the global stage is best illustrated by the fact that all prestigious theatres/ troupes have offered to co-produce with us, such as Theatre Vidy from Lausanne (Switzerland), NTGent (Belgium), Raffaello Sanzio (Italy) and Ultima Vez (Belgium).

pandemic affected culture and theatre in general?

— Paradoxically, it turns out that theatre and live art forms have been among the most jeopardized human activities during the pandemic. They are, in fact, completely suspended in many countries. This is completely unacceptable to me because the physical distance that can be implemented in the auditorium (with an adequate number of empty seats) is more precise and reliable than the one required in bars, restaurants, gyms and public transport, which, let’s not kid ourselves, is just a pretence. The physical

I think that those theatres that come up with creative forms of performing, i.e. those that meet security measures, should be allowed to work, and even encourage such practices.

The complete shutdown of theatres until further notice carries numerous risks, from serious financial cuts to the loss of artistic condition. I am generally an optimist, but this time around, unfortunately, I cannot find a reason to be one. I am afraid that theatre, especially ours, which has been systemically poorly organized for decades, will recover very slowly from the pandemic.

NEW OR CURRENT NORMAL What do you think about the phenomenon called social distancing, which will be in place for nobody knows how long?

— Social distancing is required in the circumstances produced by a pandemic, but it is acceptable only as a time-limited phenomenon. Therefore, we should not talk about the ‘new normal’ but rather ‘current, short-term normal’. Physical distancing, because that’s the gist of it and should not be called social distancing, not only endangers our intimate life, relationships with others, laughter, play, hugs, socializing, but also our social and political life. For many areas of social life, ranging from theatre, through parliament to universities, contact, body language and energy exchange are necessary, as a form of socialization, an affective factor of communication and means of persuasion, as well as the bearer of deeper meaning. No community, agoras of any kind, can survive without gathering in physical space. Digital space provides only the illusion of togetherness and interaction.

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by Robert Čoban

Banoštor's "Spiral of Good" in Nefarious Times War memories of Milan Parlić (age 86) from Banoštor

On a horse-drawn carriage at a village celebration

ilan Parlić (age 86) is sitting in front of his house across the street from the Orthodox Church on the hill in Banoštor. I came across him during one of my bike tours of Vojvodina. Although he never moved from his village, as it happens, he lived in eight different countries during his lifetime - the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, NDH, FDY, FNRY, SFRY, FRY, the State Union of Serbia and Montene-

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grandsons works as a veterinarian in Susek, the other drives a truck in Slovenia. Grandpa Milan is napping on the ottoman, but, a few minutes later, he is awake, ready to tell us about the events from the Second World War, which he witnessed as a child.

Milan's mother had nine children, five daughters and four sons. "Before the war, life in Banoštor was good. We went to Swabians’ houses to cele-

FIRST, THOSE PEOPLE FROM THE FOREST CAME AND TOOK EVERYTHING WITH THEM. NOW, YOU COME AND DO THE SAME! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EAT?! gro and finally Serbia. "When I started school, a picture of the young king Petar Karađorđević hung on a wall in the classroom. Only half a year later, (Ante) Pavelić replaced him on the wall.”

A couple of weeks later, on the eve of Milan's birthday, I came to Banoštor with my colleague Ana, wanting to record his interesting life story. We were greeted by timid dogs running around in a spacious yard and Milan’s daughter-in-law Dragica showed us into the house. One of Milan’s

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brate their holidays and to the church with them, and they came to our celebrations and to our church. Families like the Pinters, the Semans, the Klajns, the Bavlingers lived here. They were artisans, butchers, farmers… ", Milan begins his story.

"When the Ustashas and the Germans came in 1942, they went from house to house, carrying crowbars for breaking in and checking if anyone was hiding the Partisans.

They forced all villagers to line up in the main street. My sister and I were sitting at the

doorstep when two Ustashas and a German officer with an interpreter came to us. The Ustashas saw ham and bacon hanging on our wall and proceeded to take them. My sister and I started crying. A German officer then approached and asked the interpreter why the children were crying. I remember saying to him:”First, those people from the forest came and took everything with them. Now, you come and do the same! What are we going to eat?!” The German laughed, hugged me and immediately sent a soldier to bring us toast and marmalade. He asked me

where our parents were, and I said that they were lined up with all the villagers on the main road. The German went outside and shouted out the names of my parents in front of the group: ‘Parlić Đoka, Parlić Jovanka! Step out of the line!”

And that's how he saved them!”

Milan remembers.

Milan's uncle Jovan was about to be taken out of the village too. When Pera Bavlinger, a German who was the elder of the village, heard that, he sent his son Karčika to save him.

Karčika positioned himself in front of the Ustashas and said: "You can shoot me, but you will not take Jovan with you!"

“And that’s how my uncle was saved. The people who were taken from the village were killed by hanging on Lovka, in the direction of Ilok. That's what we heard. 62 people were taken from Čerević, including my grandfather Đoko, my mother's father. My uncles went to get their father out but then they took them too. The rumour was that everyone was killed in Sremska Mitrovica and thrown into a mass grave”, Milan reminisces.

Milan's uncle Jovan died tragically before the end of the war, when a partisan’s rifle fired by mistake while he was holding it in his lap in Jovan’s kitchen.

The bullet ended up in Jovan's

Milan Parlić upon returning from serving in the Yugoslav National Army

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stomach. Luckily, it didn't hit the baby whom Jovan was holding in his arms.

When the Ustashas burned the village of Grabovo, in the heart of Fruška Gora in 1943, not far from Banoštor, to the ground, the locals fled. "Two young girls, Dragica Živković and Natalija Đorđević and two boys Stevan and Anđelko Urošević from Grabovo were killed right in front of our fence.

I knew Natalija from before. I begged her not to run away and offered to hide her in my house.

But they were very scared and started running frenetically.

The Ustashas killed all four of them”, Milan remembers the tragic event and adds: “Then I heard a story of how a guy hid in a creek, right in a middle of a small whirlpool, with only his face poking out so he could breathe. The Ustashas passed by, a young soldier noticed him but pretended not to see him and saved his life.”

When the Partisans liberated the village, some of the villagers, the local scum, took justice into their own hands.

"They were the lowest of the low and yet they called themselves upstanding Communist youth. They found one of the Germans, the locals who did not flee the village during the war (we called them Kurjaks).

He was an honest man. He and his pregnant wife were taken to a field and killed,” Milan says.

As the end of the war approached, most of the villagers who were Germans left the village, the Ustashas withdrew and the Partisans had not yet officially taken Banoštor, but there were a few of them stationed in the village. On an April morning in 1945, Milan, now an 11-year-old boy, was tending

With boys and girls from the village

With Milan Parlić in front of Banoštor’s church

sheep near the Danube.

“There were barges with balloons that the Germans left behind to mark where they laid mines in the Danube during their retreat. Today, this is the place in Begeč, where a restaurant called “Kod Braše” is located. A strong wind blew and pushed those barges to our side, the Srem side. One of those barges was carrying a young Italian soldier who hid in a ditch. I found him lying in a ditch in a military uniform, shivering. I gave him some bread from my bag and tried to explain to him that he mustn’t move and that he had to wait for me there and that I would come back for him when I drove the sheep away. I went back to pick him up and we ran across the orchard, owned by Jova Salkić’s grandfather, to our farm where we kept sheep. I climbed to the

attic and hid the soldier there.

I went home and told my dad what I had done. He brought a change of clothes - an old suit and hat - which we gave to the Italian and threw away his uniform,” Milan Parlić remembers.

When asked what the Italian soldier's name was, Mi-

last days of the war, with Milan playing the main role. An Ustasha guard was stationed at the village’s exit and only cowherds and villagers working in the fields could pass by him.

"At one point, my dog stopped and started barking. It stopped the sheep in their track. I came to the dog and saw a man lying in a ditch, unconscious. At that moment, the Ustashas came to the village to get groceries.

They asked me if I knew who the man was and I told them that that was my father who suddenly felt faint so he had to lay down in the ditch for a bit, until he got better. Thankfully they left. When the man in the ditch regained his consciousness, it turned out that it was a Partisan from Krušedol who was wounded. His comrades later told him that I was like a second son to him from then on.”

As we left Banoštor towards the Koruška fish restaurant, I told Ana about the so-called "spiral of good" that revolved around Milan's family in World War II - a son whose tears saved his mum and dad, a German who saved a Serb, a Croat who saved a Serb, a Serb who saved an Italian, a boy who saved a

THERE WERE BARGES WITH BALLOONS THAT THE GERMANS LEFT BEHIND TO MARK WHERE THEY LAID MINES IN THE DANUBE DURING THEIR RETREAT lan answered: "I didn’t know.

I called him Dule. My sister and I played with him. He was very handsome and very scared.

When the situation in the village calmed down a bit, when the killing stopped, he left.

We never heard of him again.”

There was another, similar story that transpired during the

Partisan… Those who believe in cosmic justice know that if you do good, good will come to you. Milan Parlić’s war stories, as well as similar stories of hundreds of other people which were probably not recorded anywhere, show that people who think and do good are always right.

Milan’s parents, Jovanka and Đoka on their wedding day

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