D&C 67

September 2021 | ISSUE No. 67 | Price 350 RSD

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D&C WALKING DINNER WITH

THE MAYOR OF BELGRADE

9772466380002

SERBIA HAS STRATEGICALLY CONSIDERED DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES NIKOLA SELAKOVIĆ

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Republic of Serbia

DECAYING GEMS CASTLES OF SERBIA

A forgotten cultural and tourist treasure

SERBIA HAS SOME AMAZING INNOVATION SUCCESS STORIES

DIALOGUE OF THEATRICAL CULTURES

Co-Founder, Grid Singularity & Energy Web Foundation

Professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts and artistic director of Bitef

ANA TRBOVIĆ

SPECIAL EDITION

INVEST IN

IVAN MEDENICA

NEW ECONOMY, NEW WORLD, NEW COOPERATION

H.E. CARLOS ISAURO FÉLIX CORONA Ambassador of Mexico

Bosnia and Herzegovina

VOJVODINA

IGOR MIROVIĆ President of the Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

STAŠA KOŠARAC Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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FOREWORD

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

n the days just after the Taliban entered Kabul, social network users had great fun with videos like “Taliban at roller-coaster”, “Taliban in amusement park”, “Taliban at the gym”, “Taliban eating ice-cream”, which seem as though they were borrowed from the movies such as “Borat” or “The Visitors”… These young men with beards and in traditional robes seemed likeable, even innocent in contact with the “charms of civilization” they never encountered until then. What the young people across the planet, and even their peers in Kabul (until a few days ago) observed as a normal part of their everyday lives (recreation, entertainment, sweets) – they never had the chance to experience.

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Then the bombs started echoing, they started to count the dead again, reports of human rights abuses started coming in, especially when it comes to women, and suddenly nothing was funny anymore.

This “funny bad guys” phenomenon did not happen now for the first time in the mountains of a state where probably none of us will set foot in during our lifetime. How many times the local “tough guys” seemed likeable to us in the movies, and even in real life; “the knights of asphalt” or, earlier, revolutionaries with a rose in their lapels, who we later learned were killing innocent people, raping their wives and daughters, evicting them from their houses and apartments.

We are often inclined to idealize people who do not deserve it under the influence of the media and popular culture. Just imagine them in your city, licking ice-cream from

a pastry shop on the corner, driving bumper cars in an amusement park where your children played just yesterday, training in a gym where your son or brother was sweating until last week. Imagine that your daughter does not have the right to school or even a simple walk on the street.

Many times in our history, we thought that many things were happening “somewhere else” and that there is no chance for them to happen to us. And yet they did. I always remember the story of an old Jewish woman originally from Čakovec, who called her parents when the war started in 1941 to hide in the house of her husband’s family in some village in Serbia. They refused with indignation and left to Auschwitz, believing that a cultural and civilized people like the Germans would never be able to commit such great evil.

Think about that every time you think the “bad guys” seem nice.

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CONTENT

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SERBIA HAS STRATEGICALLY CONSIDERED DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES NIKOLA SELAKOVIĆ

ECONOMY BASED ON INNOVATIONS KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES NENAD POPOVIĆ

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Republic of Serbia

Minister of Innovation and Technological Development

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NEW ECONOMY, NEW WORLD, NEW COOPERATION H.E. CARLOS ISAURO FÉLIX CORONA Ambassador of Mexico

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SERBIA HAS SOME AMAZING INNOVATION SUCCESS STORIES

INNOVATE OR PERISH, REBORN IN SERBIA! Prof DJURO KUTLAČA, PhD Scientific Counsellor, Head of Science and Technology Policy Research Centre, Institute Mihajlo Pupin

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SERBIA CREATES IDEAS Dr. IGOR KOVAČEVIĆ Director of the Serbian Pavilion at Expo 2020

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DIALOGUE OF THEATRICAL CULTURES IVAN MEDENICA Professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts and artistic director of Bitef

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FOR QUALITY MINORITY NENAD NENO BELAN Croatian rock musician

ANA TRBOVIĆ

A HUB FOR GATHERING COMMUNITIES, STARTUPS AND INVESTORS

Co-Founder, Grid Singularity & Energy Web Foundation

DAVOR SAKAČ

A BUILDING OF INTERESTING HISTORY

Director General of TS Ventures

Belgian Residence

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BACK TO THE PAST

How Will the Taliban Rule Afghanistan This Time?

The Islamist victors claim to have changed since they ran the country twenty years ago. Few believe them he Taliban fighters strolled into the marbled halls of the presidential palace unopposed, their dusty boots and sandals treading gingerly on the fine carpets. With their beards and capes, and an AK-47 on the table, they took up a sombre pose at the desk of Ashraf Ghani, the departed president. The Taliban’s standard was hoisted on the roof.

A couple of miles away a more harrowing scene was playing out at the international airport. American marines held the perimeter, seeking to evacuate international civilians, but inside was chaos. Desperate Afghans thronged military transporters and tried to climb up airport gantries to fight their way onto last flights out.

Commercial flights were cancelled. One Afghan official recounted how his flight had been prevented from taking off when government bigwigs forced their way on and tried to order passengers to give up their seats. American troops fired in the air to try to impose some order.

Mr Ghani flew to Central Asia, where he released a message saying he had fled in order to spare the country any further bloodshed. “The Taliban won victory in the judgment of sword and gun,” he acknowledged, “and they have [the] responsibility to protect the honour, prosperity and self-respect of our compatriots.” Erstwhile allies and rivals damned him. “They tied our hands from behind and sold the country.

Curse Ghani and his gang,” said Afghanistan’s acting defence minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi on Twitter. Abdullah Abdullah, Mr Ghani’s long-standing political rival, said: “God should hold him accountable.”

Many Kabul residents were relieved, to an extent, as the city appeared to change hands without urban fighting. Battles for control of Kabul between 1992 and 1996 caused more than 25,000 deaths.

Yet few trust the Taliban’s protestations that they have changed since their days as enforcers of an unusually harsh blend of sharia

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THE TALIBAN HAVE HAD TWO DECADES TO DREAM OF WHAT THEY WILL DO WHEN THEY RESTORED THEIR EMIRATE. IN THE COMING DAYS THE WORLD WILL FIND OUT and pre-modern tribal customs, including a ban on the education of girls. The militants have already stopped women from working in other provinces and ordered families to hand over their daughters to be “married” to fighters.

The Taliban said they would declare the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan— the name they gave their regime established in the 1990s, which was swept away by America in 2001, following the September 11th attacks by al-Qaeda, the jihadist group harboured by the Taliban. Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha, declared the war was over. He called for peaceful relations with the international community and said the Taliban did not want to live in isolation. The form of the regime would soon be clear, he said.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy leader and lead negotiator, congratulated the Afghan nation and admitted he was staggered by his movement’s success. “There was no expectation that we would achieve victory in this war,” he said in a short vid-

eo. “Now it will be shown how we can serve our nation,” he added.

“We can assure that our nation has a peaceful life and a better future.”

Mullah Baradar will soon fly to Kabul, Taliban sources said, where he will probably take a leading role in the new administration. Haibatullah Akhundzada may be the Taliban’s overall leader, but Mullah Baradar has been its public face.

With their conquest complete, several of the movement’s other leaders may also step out from the shadows. Men like Sirajuddin Haqqani, scion of the fearsome Haqqani faction of the Taliban, as well as Mullah Yaqoob, son of the Taliban’s founder, Mullah Omar, have had little public profile and are thought to have been hiding in Pakistan. Now they may move operations back to their homeland and take senior roles.

Government ministries will have to be carved up. “Do the Taliban have mid-senior management ready to step in and immediately run the functions of government?

Or will ministry staff be asked to remain at work, for now? Those aren’t ‘major players’ but they will be critical to what happens next,”

says Andrew Watkins of Crisis Group, a think-tank.

As yet, there is no international recognition of the Taliban. The West faces a dilemma: it does not want to prop up the Taliban government financially, but some governments also hope to use aid as leverage to elicit reasonable behaviour from the new rulers. But Imran Khan, the prime minister of neighbouring Pakistan, which has long supported the group, welcomed their victory.

“They have broken the chains of mental slavery in Afghanistan,” he said. Pakistan’s climate minister tweeted that “people are rejoicing all across Afghanistan”. And their conquest was hailed by the country’s largest religious political party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F).

Others are less enthused. “We don’t want anybody to bilaterally recognise the Taliban,” said Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister. “We want a united position among all the like-minded, as far as we can get one, so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into a breeding ground for terror.” Yet even Mr Johnson hinted that recognition might come if the Taliban were to meet “conditions” around terrorism, human rights “and many other things”.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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INTERVIEW

by Nevena Kuveljić

Serbia Has Strategically Considered Development Guidelines Today, Serbian diplomacy has the opportunity to act with much more self-confidence and set many more realistically achievable goals than just a decade ago. I am confident that Serbia will continue to grow stronger, not only in the regional framework, but we will become an example of success at the global level NIKOLA SELAKOVIĆ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Republic of Serbia

e talked with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Selaković, about Serbian diplomacy, his first year in the office, the Berlin Process and Brussels, foreign policy priorities, as well as his vision of Serbia in five years. "I think that after years of wandering we have matured as a nation and that our citizens now understand that the combination of balanced foreign policy, state-building responsibilities of policymakers and development policy based primarily on our internal capacities, knowledge and talent, are what makes us winners," Mr Selaković said.

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October will mark one year of your term in the office. How would you describe the situation in which Serbian diplomacy finds itself at the moment?

— In the past seven years, Serbia

of the number of motorways under construction, we are certainly record holders in the region, and probably beyond. President Vučić personally opened over 210 new factories in this period, and we

SERBIA'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE EU IS A LOGICAL AND PRAGMATIC GOAL BECAUSE WE ARE PART OF THE SAME ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SPACE has come a long way from a country on the verge of bankruptcy to a country that is an example of success for many other countries today. Our public debt has been reduced from 79% of GDP to 52% and unemployment was reduced from 26.9% to below 9%. In terms

occupy first place in the region in terms of FDI influx.

Today, people in Serbia are less concerned about having a job, and more about how big their salaries are. We have before us a completely changed political and economic reality, and we are witnessing

that at the international level as well. From a state whose capacity to make independent decisions in its own best interest was extremely questionable, today we are in a position to have our word respected or at least heard in important decision-making centres. Today, Serbian diplomacy has the opportunity to act with much more self-confidence and set many more realistically achievable goals than just a decade ago.

Today’s Serbia also has the opportunity to help friends in need, to be proud of their successes, but also to think about expanding the diplomatic-consular network, i.e. returning to the places it had to leave due to the pressure of economic and other problems after the disintegration of the Socialist

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the world. In that period, after many years, world media started reporting positively about Serbia. I must point out that all this was thanks to our diplomacy. Our entire state system reacted in the right way and in a timely manner. It made the right strategic decisions, and as a consequence, we sailed much better through health and economic storms, unlike some countries that used to

THE BERLIN PROCESS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT HAS BROUGHT MEASURABLE RESULTS AND CONCRETE BENEFITS TO THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION I became the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a time when the global diplomatic activity had stopped and when the countries redirected all their capacities to anti-crisis management. Today, many speak pejoratively about anti-covid diplomacy, but they keep forgetting that, for months at the beginning of the crisis, it was almost the only diplomacy practised in

be so far ahead of us until only recently. Today, we have the opportunity to help, not only our neighbours but also old friends around the world who need our help. There are rare opportunities in life and diplomacy when you can help someone in an essential way without having a hidden agenda and out of extremely humane motives. Our friends know how to appreciate such help,

which was made clear to me during my recent visit to Africa.

You have repeatedly pointed out that Serbia remains committed to EU accession. What do you think are the most important priorities of Serbia on its path to EU membership?

— Serbia's membership in the EU is a logical and pragmatic goal because we are part of the same economic and political space. Our commitment to the implementation of EU standards and values in all fields is unquestionable and we are fully aware that membership in such a club of countries must be deserved. The problem, however, is that our approach to the full-fledged EU membership is not going at the speed and pace we would like it to, because our administrative and other capacities are such that we are confident that this process can be both faster and better. Would Serbia be a regional record holder in attracting foreign investments if our legislation and the overall societal organization were not in line with the selective requirements of foreign capital? I am confident that Serbia has gone much further

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Pandemic was just one of the challenges you had to deal with at the beginning of your terms.

How would you assess Serbia’s fight against the pandemic and its effort to get out of the crisis, cooperation with regional and other countries, economic measures and vaccination?

— There is a saying that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” and our country, faced with the challenges you have mentioned, has shown how far it has come along, i.e. to travel the

figurative road from a sick Balkan patient to a successful country in every sense of the word. No one wanted a pandemic and all the humanitarian and economic problems that arose from it. I am proud of the seriousness and responsibility with which our President and Government reacted in the most difficult moments, making the right decisions that saved human lives and our economy.

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Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have started working on modernizing our work and employing younger staff. This will continue in the months and years ahead, with a new Law on Foreign Affairs laying the foundation for improving the Ministry’s operations. We have started to approach economic, cultural and public diplomacy more seriously. Results will not come overnight but rather over the course of general development of our administrative, institutional and political capacities, as a pledge to generations to come.

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in the process of harmonization with EU requirements than many in Europe are willing to admit.

We should not close our eyes to the fact that the EU has serious internal problems that affect the enlargement policy, as well as that the dialogue with Priština is a process that affects the dynamics of European integration because no candidate country has encountered such a problem during accession negotiations. The most important thing, however, is to compare our society, regardless of whether our efforts will be valorized in accordance with our expectations, to the most advanced European societies, because that is unequivocally in the best interest of our state and its citizens.

Serbia deserves EU membership historically, in terms of values, economics and in every other way, but not everything depends on us in that process.

What do you think about the meetings of President Vučić and the Priština delegation, held in Brussels, and what direction should further negotiations take?

— I will paraphrase President Aleksandar Vučić - it is unpleasant but also easy to talk to Albin Kurti.

Kurti does not participate in Brussels talks with the goal of reaching an agreement on something, but to put on a political spectacle. I do not think that this is a good strategy for people living in Kosovo and Metohija or for the region, but we are not in a position to choose our interlocutors. Serbia has been and remains a constructive partner in the dialogue conducted with the mediation of the European Union because peace and stability are our urgent priorities. And Kurti is not the only politician in the region who does not understand that conversation and the ability to compromise is a prerequisite for resolving disagreements in the Western Balkans. But all we can do is our job and to fight for Serbia, its development and economic growth while preserving stability in the region. No one can object anything to such a policy.

What does the Berlin Process entail and how important is it for regional cooperation, reconciliation policy and overcoming problems from the past?

— The Berlin Process is an initiative that has brought measurable results and concrete benefits to the people in the region. It ba-

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I AM SURE THAT SERBIA WILL CONTINUE TO BECOME STRONGER, NOT ONLY IN THE REGIONAL FRAMEWORK, BUT WE WILL BECOME AN EVEN BETTER EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL sically rests on the same logic on which the EU is built, as the greatest oasis of peace and prosperity in human history. We have a lot to thank the Berlin Process for, particularly the fact that we have had years of peace, stability and cooperation in a region that is proverbially known for its instability. I am convinced that this is not the best we can do, but it is undoubtedly the path we should strive for.

There is no country that wants to see our region stable as much as Serbia, for our region to be stable, for the economy to flourish, and for the flow of people, goods, capital and services to happen with as few obstacles as possible. There is no better validation of our commitment than the Open Balkans initiative, because Serbia, which has long been perceived as part of the problem, is today not only part of the solution but the initiator of a solution to many challenges facing our region.

What is it like to head Serbian diplomacy that has been collaborating well with the US, China, Russia and the EU?

— Serbia pursues a multi-vector foreign policy. This means that, despite our firm commitment to EU membership, we are determined to improve relations with the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, but also with the United States. Serbia is determined to keep its position as a militarily neutral and politically independent country in the future too.

We are aware of our position in international relations and Serbia’s capacity, because, as our ancestors said, we are not a big nation, but there is no greater nation on the road from Vienna to Constantinople. After all, we are validating this with our political and economic successes in the past seven years. At the foreign policy level, Serbia today acts as a constructive factor, but also as a country that has clear interests, and defends and protects those interests in a legitimate way, based on international law.

What will be the key foreign policy priorities of Serbia in the

coming period?

— Full-fledged EU membership is certainly our highest foreign policy priority. At the same time, Serbia will insist on improving relations with other important international factors, especially those with whom we have a strategic interest in cooperating. In that sense, we will work diligently, not only to improve and renew political ties with many countries but also to boost the capacity of our economic diplomacy.

Also, our key national interest, but also one of the foreign policy priorities, is to fight for our state and national interests in Kosovo and Metohija. In the end, although this set of topics is not the least important in this series, I would like to underline the work on preserving regional stability, fostering good neighbourly relations and strengthening ties with Serbs in the region and the diaspora. Serbia has long neglected its obligation and right to take care of the well-being of the Serbian people in the region, and that will certainly be one of our priority goals in the coming period.

What will Serbia be like in the next five years?

— After many years, Serbia has strategically thought-out development guidelines, and this is due to the fact that our country is led by a visionary and strong leader like President Aleksandar Vučić, but above all, because there is a strong critical mass of citizens who support such a strategic concept.

I am sure that Serbia will continue to become stronger, not only in the regional framework, but we will become an even better example of success at the global level. I had the opportunity to often witness a phenomenon in conversations with foreign statesmen whereby Serbia’s successes are more recognized abroad borders, than in Belgrade.

Two years ago, at the celebration of the 11th anniversary of the formation of the Serbian Progressive Party, the President set the longterm guidelines for the development of our country, and they are still valid today. It is about preserving peace and stability, political independence, economic development and caring for young people as the foundation of our future and nurturing a healthy attitude towards tradition and the past with a constant orientation towards the future.

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INTERVIEW

by Žikica Milošević

New Economy, New World, New Cooperation We have not used all the economic potential of mutual trade

H.E. CARLOS ISAURO FÉLIX CORONA Ambassador of Mexico

ugoslavia and Mexico had excellent and friendly relations in the past and had been very close prior to WWI. Serbia and Mexico have continued fostering these excellent relations.

We talked with the Mexican Ambassador to Serbia about political, cultural and economic cooperation between the two countries.

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How would you rate the Serbian-Mexican relations?

— This year, we're celebrating 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations between Mexico and Serbia. This is my second time in Belgrade. I was here between 1991 to 1994, during a very complicated time, when many countries froze or broke official relations with former Yugoslavia. I was chargé d’affairs at that time because due

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to the sanctions against Yugoslavia, all ambassadors were ordered to leave Belgrade. I managed to convince the Mexican government not to close our embassy. I think it's important to know that Mexico has always been a very loyal friend of the Serbian people.

I had conversations with the Minister of Defense, Minister of Commerce and Telecommunication

To what extend do Serbian companies cooperate with the Mexican ones? How can we enhance this cooperation?

— In terms of the economic ties, we have not fully utilized the potential that both economies have.

We have the 15th largest economy in the world and we are included in more than 40 different free trade agreements. I don’t

FOR MEXICO AND MEXICAN COMPANIES, SERBIA IS AN IMPORTANT MARKET, AS A PLATFORM TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS IN THE BALKAN REGION and the National Assembly. Our diplomatic contacts have always been at a high level. Although Mexico has never been a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, we had observer status. At that time, we had a very strong political dialogue.

think that the real potential of the Mexican economy has been noticed here. We need to start a new stage of collaboration and expand our bilateral links. On 31st May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard had a video conference with Nikola Selak-

ović, his Serbian counterpart, during which they validated excellent relations between our two countries and agreed to work more on the economic side of these relations.

There is a lot of potential to utilize here. We need to understand that, in this globalized 21st-century economy, it is not just the bilateral trade that we need to enhance, but it's how you can participate in the global value chains worldwide, and how you can engage precisely in those global value chains because that’s the structure of the 21st economy. Different economic blocs have been built during the past 15-20 years that reflect precisely this global economic structure. The Serbian economy is growing. It is transitioning from a previous centrally planned economy towards a more open market economy and there is a lot of potential in that.

I had a conversation about this with your Economy Minister and we have agreed that we need to have some kind of diagnosis of the current situation in economic sectors that we need to pay attention to, to enhance not just a commercial trade but investments too.

For Mexico and Mexican companies, Serbia is an important market, as a platform to expand their business in the Balkan region. We need to understand these kinds of different patterns that we have to promote with Serbian companies to get into the Mexican market which is 130 million people strong. The Mexican market is huge. Not only that, Serbian companies can utilize the benefits of the so-called new NAFTA, for example, or the Pacific region, since Mexico has concluded the Pacific Trade Agreement with 11 countries. We are also members of the Pacific Alliance that comprises the economies of Peru, Colombia, Chile and Mexico. 51% of the total Latin American exports come from these countries. So, there is a network that has a lot of potential for Serbian companies to utilize. However, to do that, we need

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to have a clear diagnosis of which economic subsectors we need to focus on.

NAFTA is no longer valid. Now we have the Mexico-Canada-USA Free Trade Agreement. What did this agreement change for Mexico?

— First of all, I would like to mention that when we started in 1994, before NAFTA, the discussions in Mexico about this topic were very intense and very emotional in some parts, because there is a very nationalistic sentiment in Mexico. And there were voices against engaging with the US economy at all. NAFTA was the first trade agreement under which a developing country was engaging with developed economies. The arguments against were that we would be absorbed by the US and the Canadian economy, or rather we would become an economic colony of the US and Canada.

But there was another argument that said that we should take advantage of being the neighbours of the most advanced economy in the world. Even though there were risks present, there were also possible gains. We took a pragmatic and modern view. NAFTA was a tremendous change for Mexico.

It was the opportunity to engage not just in trade, but in developing the economy and expanding it to a more industrialized infrastructure. Now, because of NAFTA, we are, for example, the first plasma TV set producers in the world.

We are also the 2nd of the 3rd biggest producers of electric appliances in the world. Our electronic and electric sectors have developed tremendously thanks to the automotive industry.

Mexico is now the No 1 producer of light trucks in the world because of NAFTA. Now, we don’t have just new plants but also a skilled workforce considering that many design centres, that design these new products, are located in Mexico. Many Mexican engineers are working in those segments.

It is very interesting to see how we have evolved because Serbia also has similar free trade agreements. These kinds of experiences, how you can engage in global markets, how you can take advantage of that and not just engage in product assembly which you then export, are important. Producing more high-tech products and having more skilled human resources, that’s what generates benefits for a country.

The previous president of the United States had an idea to terminate NAFTA. He was quite serious about it as it was one of the promises he gave during his election campaign. He subsequently realized the importance of the infrastructure that we have developed, the integration of the three economies that are complementary and that NAFT comprises the largest market in the world. We represent 25% of the world economy. Mexico has become the first trade partner of the US, and the

are its economic consequences?

How is the vaccination rollout going on?

— No country was prepared for the pandemic. Mexico has a population of 130 million. It has been a huge task to keep the pandemic under control. One good thing about it was the procurement of the vaccines. Also, the impact on our healthcare system was quite big. Unfortunately, many people died and we are now aware that the only immediate solution is to have access to the vaccines.

WE ARE HOPING THAT, BY THE YEAR-END, WE WILL HAVE VACCINATED BETWEEN 60 AND 70% OF THE POPULATION AND HOPEFULLY, OUR ECONOMY WILL FULLY RECOVER IN 2022 trade between the two countries is worth over $ 650 billion. So, in short, NAFTA was really a very important tool for our development.

We stopped being dependent on raw materials. We are taking advantage of being given the right technology to participate in the development of new technologies.

When NAFTA was created there was no Internet. There were no cell phones and cars were still using carburettors. Hence, NAFTA needed an update to fit the new reality and the new economy. NAFTA also had a cultural impact as it allowed us to promote our culture. We have a new, updated ‘NAFTA’ now.

How is Mexico coping with the coronavirus pandemic and what

Mexico is among the 10 countries which have the best access to vaccines in the world. By early August, we have administered over 80 million doses. We are doing a very good job in terms of vaccination which is quite challenging for Mexico because the northern part of our country is a desert area, while jungles occupy most of the southern part. We are hoping that, by the year-end, we will have vaccinated between 60 and 70% of the population. We have different types of vaccines at our disposal.

In terms of tourism, Mexico was the sixth most visited tourist destination in the world before the pandemic. We had more than 40 million tourists annually. Tourism was the 3rd or the 4th income generator in our country.

The pandemic has seriously affected our tourist sector. We had to provide some kind of financial aid to different sectors of the economy. We are a very diversified economy. Industrial production was also heavily hit. Many of these industrial sites in Mexico are located along the border with the US. We have also been trying to vaccinate all the workers in these industrial locations and I think that we have done a really good job in that respect.

The Mexican economy is still a developing economy. We don't have enough resources to subsidize many other sectors. But so far, we are on the right track to economic recovery. The growth projection of the Mexican economy this year is around 5-6%. That is not so bad. I think that next year, our economy will have fully recovered from the pandemic.

What can we do to enhance the cultural cooperation between our two countries? What has been done so far in this respect?

— I'm convinced that only through a much better understanding of our societies, or much better knowledge of our own cultures, we can promote many other contexts. While it's very important not just to learn about culture, there are also cultural elements that you can use for marketing your own products. I think this is quite important. People in Mexico know a lot about the Serbian people and Serbian culture and vice versa. We have done a very good job in terms of promoting social exchange.

My mission here is to try to create and establish a very important network of cooperation among the creative people in different fields in terms of literature, architecture and music, but we also need to take advantage of new technologies, to establish connections and continue having interaction among them. I talked to the Hispanic Association regarding the literary cooperation. Also, those people in Serbia who speak Spanish, use the Mexican version of the language.

Mexico has a wonderful coastline and excellent tourist potential. Can we do something to open the Mexican tourist market further for Serbian tourists? Like abolishing visas?

— We have had extensive talks with the Serbian government and this might happen soon.

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INTERVIEW

by Tanja Banković

Serbia has Some Amazing Innovation Success Stories To enjoy more successes, we need to invest smartly in education and research ANA TRBOVIĆ Co-Founder, Grid Singularity & Energy Web Foundation

conomic development is critically dependent on the rule of law. In the case of Serbia, this translates to an increased focus on judiciary reform and anti-corruption measures, which would be significantly aided if the public sector were reduced and otherwise reformed.

These policy recommendations are not new. They are repeated in every report issued by the European Union and international development organizations working with Serbia.

E

You are now doing business internationally. Is our continent, Europe, still competitive?

— Europe is certainly competitive but not as competitive as North America or Asia (namely rising China) in some important aspects. Namely, while there are abundant entrepreneurial ventures, there is an evident challenge to scale these ventures. Venture capital investments in the US are three-fold that of Europe for early-stage companies and sixfold for late-stage companies. The World Economic Forum which organizes the famous Davos conference has a Digital Leaders Europe group where I participate and here we discuss measures that Europe could take to bridge this gap, as well as how to be more competitive in disruptive technologies.

For instance, while Europe boasts some of the leading companies in artificial intelligence, most are in the early state of diffusion, few in big data and smart robotics, and even fewer in deep learning technologies and AI tools development such as computer vision or virtual assistants.

Since artificial intelligence represents a key component of Industry 4.0, which is the current stage of industrial revolution, political leaders in Europe pay close attention to it and it is a regular agenda item at high level summits.

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SERBIA IS LOCATED NEXT TO SOME OF THE MOST ADVANCED GLOBAL MARKETS AND HAS A TALENTED WORKFORCE What are other important technologies that we should also follow in your opinion? And do we have any champions there?

— Industry 4.0 disruptive technologies include a range of socalled disruptive, transformative technologies, including those that have been present for some decades such. as genetics, synthetic biology and new materials, as well as newer advances such as autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, virtual and augmented (or extended) reality, quantum computing and finally blockchain which is also called distributed ledger technology, and which is an area where I work.

As to Serbian champions it depends whether you include those that are based locally or abroad, whether they work locally for a foreign-owned or locally-owned company, but generally speaking we are present in blockchain in a share that is not insignificant for the size of the economy, also in some early stage AI development projects and I am also aware of some 3D and other projects but we do not have a cluster of such companies outside of possibly blockchain.

What are the chances of our country when it comes to growth

and further progress, and where do you see our development chance?

— Serbia is located next to some of the most advanced global markets and has a talented workforce. This opportunity can be harnessed if we invest more and smartly in education and research. By smartly I mean establishing a system of meritocracy and transparent access to education and research infrastructure, promoting and awarding performance, with zero tolerance for plagiarism and other unethical and corruptive practices.

Technological innovation has three main stages: research, application and monetization. Serbia has potential in research but as you are aware universities have fallen in global rankings, and this is why I keep returning to the topic of education and its role in innovation and competitiveness.

Next, application is where there are opportunities, as evidenced by a successful program of the Serbia Innovation Fund to support the collaboration of research institutes and local companies to commercialize scientific innovation. Such programs could boost a currently low level of scientific commercialization. Last, monetization requires incubation and financing, where there has been significant progress but efforts are still needed to facilitate improved access to finance. Other types of infrastructure like transport infrastructure also play a role as does a level-playing field with fair market competition and efficient public services.

What challenges Serbia will face on the further European path and when, in your opinion, is it realistic for Serbia to become EU member?

— EU accession reforms are those that ensure functional public institutions and a fair market, protecting civic and economic rights, such as access to free media or environmental protection. We should want to implement these

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Photo: Akira Kaelyn/Shutterstock

reforms to enjoy a progressive society. Once there is sufficient political will, this can be achieved in a relatively short time period. The one complex issue relates to Kosovo and that is a purely political discussion where EU’s interest is “not to import a problem,” based on prior experience with Cyprus for example.

How do you assess today's image of Serbia when it comes to innovations as well as innovative companies?

— Serbia has some amazing innovation success stories. To enjoy more successes, we go back to the topic of investing smartly in education and research. Innovative companies are already experiencing shortage of skilled workers, and we still have a relatively low number of technological startups and spinoffs. In addition to supporting local entrepreneurship, Serbia could also attract more companies to relocate by enacting smart regulation. One example is the recent law on digital assets and ruling that investments in crypto will be charged at 15% like other global income (and token payments are part of regular

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WHENEVER I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY I SEEK LINKS WITH ENTRPERENEURS FROM OUR REGION AND WAYS TO ENCOURAGE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION operations for blockchain companies, not just investment); however it is not fully clear how this legislation will be implemented (the process of income reporting is too cumbersome) and it is still not possible to connect your bank account to a crypto exchange, leading to a missed opportunity of not only more locally-led companies registering in Serbia but other companies relocating to Serbia.

Environmental protection, air pollution, green projects seem to be priorities on the global agenda. Where is Serbia on that map and what reforms await us in these areas?

— I am increasingly concerned about the pollution levels in Serbia – air, water, noise, poor level of waste management and food standards. The state of public health and quality of life has been

deteriorating. I was happy to support the establishment of a green building course at the Architectural faculty in Belgrade some years ago and thrilled to see that there will be some financial support for citizens investing in renewable resources and refurbishing their homes to be more energy efficient, but these are all too few and too limited measures. EU countries are doing significantly more but even there citizens are demanding stronger action and environmental rights are the fore of the political and civic discourse.

You are the co-founder and CEO of Grid Singularity & Energy Web Foundation. What are the mission and vision of the organization and what are the most important projects?

— Energy Web Foundation (EWF) is a platform, an open source, de-

centralized operating system for applications in the energy sector that are based on a novel technology called blockchain, supported by over a hundred energy corporations globally, as well as many other stakeholders. Grid Singularity cofounded EWF together with a clean technology organization called the Rocky Mountain Institute, with a goal to facilitate decarbonisation and enhanced efficiency of the energy sector through digitisation and decentralization.

Grid Singularity is also working on an application that simulates and operates local energy markets, enabling households to trade with each other, will ultimately reduces electricity bills, increases return on investment in renewable resources (like solar panels) and reduces reliance on the grid, making the overall system more efficient. I work with an international team of engineers and developers and enjoy being part of an impact-driven venture. Whenever I have an opportunity I seek links with entrpereneurs from our region and ways to encourage technological innovation that is instrumental to bridging the development gap.

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INTERESTING FACTS

Who is Wealthy in Europe and How Much Wealth do They Have? sually, all their lives, people run after money and possessions. Sometimes it matters how much you earn, and sometimes how much you already own. It is not the same if you earn 1000 and have your own home, or, earn as much, but don’t own a property. This is what the statistical data published by Credit Suisse every year show, namely, the average wealth and medial wealth in some countries. In doing so, they define wealth as the total amount of money and valuable material possessions that an individual owns, minus private debt.

There is a difference between mean and median wealth. Median wealth is the amount that divides the distribution of wealth into two equal groups: half of adults have wealth above the median, and the other half below.

Mean wealth is the amount obtained by dividing the total aggregate wealth by the number of adults, or literally, the average wealth.

In nations where wealth is highly concentrated in hands of a small percentage of people, mean wealth may be much higher than the median.

How does Europe fare? In 2021, the average wealth was greatest in Monaco, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium, while it is surprisingly the lowest in Azerbaijan, probably due to the lack of private possession of real estate. The second poorest is Ukraine, followed by Geor-

U

gia and Moldova. Serbia is the 40th poorest of the 50 observed countries or territories. It is also interesting to note that the citizens of Kosovo have more personal wealth than the rest of Serbia, on average. But when we look at median wealth, Luxembourg and Iceland are

the richest, while Ukraine is the poorest, followed by Georgia. Serbia also ranks 40th in Europe in terms of median wealth (out of 48 – no data was collated for Northern Macedonia and Kosovo), while Bosnians and Albanians have more than us.

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

H.E. KAMIL KHASIYEV New Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Serbia Ambassador Kamil Khasiyev was born on 15th January 1968 in Azerbaijan. He started his career as Military interpreter for Amharic language. Kamil gained a diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 2004. Before he become an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Serbia in 2021, he was the Head of Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2021, ambassador in Croatia for 7 years,

from 2010 to 2017, Permanent Representative in a Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to NATO, Counsellor, Charge d'Affaires at Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria, Permanent Mission to the OSCE. He graduated Courses on International Security Studies at Harvard University in USA in year 2000. H.E. Kamil Khasiyev also speaks six languages, including English, French, Amharic, Russian, Serbian and Croatian. Ambassador Khasiyev is married and is a father of two.

H.E. SANJIV KOHLI New Ambassador of India to Serbia Mr. Sanjiv Kohli assumed charge as the Ambassador-designate of India to the Republic of Serbia on 30 July 2021.

An electronics engineer by education, Mr. Kohli served in the industry and in Indian Railways before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1988. He has previously served at Indian Missions in Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman,

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Russia and Qatar. He has also served at different positions in the Ministry of External Affairs including the West Africa Division. He was India's High Commissioner to New Zealand and Tanzania before arriving in Belgrade.

Mr. Kohli speaks Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and English. He is married to Dr. Ruma Kohli and they have two daughters and a son.

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NATIONAL DAYS SEPTEMBER

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H.E. MADI ATAMKULOV New Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Serbia Madi Atamkulov was born 27th November, 1974, in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region. He graduated from the Kazakh National Technical University, Satbayev University, the Institute for Diplomacy of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2003, Mr Atamkulov completed diplomatic courses at Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He began his diplomatic service in 2003, serving as first secretary of the CIS Affairs Committee of the Kazakhstan Minis-

try of Foreign Affairs. In 2006, he was appointed the head of the State Protocol Service and the head of this department of the Ministry. He served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan during 2014 and 2015, and from 2015 – prior to his appointment as ambassador to Serbia, he served as Head of Protocol of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. H.E. Madi Atamkulov holds the diplomatic rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary First-Class Envoy.

MEXICO

Grito de Dolores

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CHILE

The First Junta Day

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CZECHIA

St. Wenceslas Day OCTOBER

01

CHINA

National Day

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DJORDJE POPOVIĆ New CEO of Resalta d.o.o. Belgrad Djordje Popović will officially become the CEO of Resalta Belgrade as of 1st October.

Mr. Popović graduated at Faculty of Law, hold master of European Studies, and currently is on MBA studies at Cotrugli Business School.

Before Resalta, Djordje worked in Telenor Serbia for two years as a Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, and then as a Strategic Adviser, in Serbian offices of CMS Reich-Rohrwig as a Partner and Senior Attorney, in Karanović/ Partners Law Firm as Attorney at Law, and as an Expert in CeSID. Mr. Popović started his career in corporate legal advisory, became partner at international law firm and worked

CYPRUS

on a number of landmark projects on the CEE markets. During legal career, he led teams of five to 20 people, and became recognized as the ‘leading individual’ on the Serbian market.

Went on to become a member of top management at Telenor Serbia/ Montenegro (major telecommunications company) and lead the firm's corporate affairs (legal, regulatory, GR/SH mgmt., privacy, CSR and communications). Managed division of 40+ people and a multi-million EUR budget. Mr. Popovic participates in a business organisations, has a numerous professional publications and participation in high-level events, panels and conferences.

Independence Day

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NIGERIA

National Day

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INDIA

ahatma Gandhi’s M Birthday

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GERMANY

German Unity Day

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IRAQ

Independence Day

LEV WEISS Now heads BIG CEE Serbia Lev Weiss has been appointed the new CEO of BIG CEE Serbia, the Israel-based parent company, BIG Shopping Centers Ltd has announced.

Mr Weiss succeeds in this position Robert Yahav, who has run the company since 2007.

"We would like to thank Mr Yahav for the long-term cooperation in

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SOUTH KOREA

aecheonjeol, ancient G Korea founded in 2333 BC

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SPAIN

National Day

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DAVOR SAKAČ CEO at TS Ventures During his 20 years’ long business career in different companies, Davor was mainly holding manager positions in various fields of business – especially in telecommunication and finance sector. He was involved in the planning and management of numerous business strategies which included new product launches on the local and global markets, consumer engagement, marketing communications, along with advertising and promotions, pricing, market research and community management. His strategic management is based on self-driven initiative, pro-

the previous years. We believe that Mr Weiss, together with his deputy Mr Branimir Bojić, will continue to successfully lead and manage our company in Serbia and its further expansion in the country and region.

We wish Mr Weiss a lot of success," BIG Shopping Centers Ltd has said in a press release.

HUNGARY

found research and detailed business analysis. His business approach is always result oriented with an openness to new ideas and well organized structure to implement them. The leadership skills were marked with numerous successfully implemented projects.

Davor Sakač graduated and finished his master's degree at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences at the University of Belgrade. He completed doctoral studies at the Faculty of Business and Financial Studies, University of Business Studies in Banja Luka.

1 956 Revolution memorial day

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UN day

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AUSTRIA

he Neutrality T Constitution of 1955

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TURKEY

Republic Day 17

LONG-HAUL SALLY

JetBlue Launches a Low-cost Transatlantic Flight It has a better chance to stay aloft than failing forerunners erhaps Jetblue believes that the sky is darkest before dawn. On August 11th America’s sixth-biggest airline, known for its no-frills domestic services, launched its first transatlantic flights, between New York and London. The timing seems plucky. America has yet to follow European countries in lifting tough pandemic-era cross-border travel restrictions. Industry insiders think that long-haul travel will be the last sort to rebound. And low-cost intercontinental travel has historically been a tough business. Can JetBlue crack it?

The flight path of failure can be tracked from Freddie Laker’s Skytrain in the 1970s, via People Express, Tower Air and Air Berlin, to the more recent hard landings for Denmark’s Primera Air in 2018 and Iceland’s WOW in 2019.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, which had captured a third of the worldwide low-cost-long-haul market, gave up on it in January, a victim of reckless expansion as much as of covid-19. Even survivors have little to shout about. Malaysia’s AirAsia X has made an annual pretax profit only twice since it went public in 2013.

Budget airlines have transformed short-haul flying by running simple point-to-point operations that eschew the hassle of connecting passengers across a complex network. They keep aeroplanes in the air for longer each day than full-service rivals do, fly from less popular airports at ungodly hours when charges are lower, cram punters into minimal legroom, charge extra for every tiny comfort and keep labour costs down by employing fewer and cheaper staff.

These tricks do not translate well to long-haul travel. Sweating costly assets is harder on a ten-hour journey crossing several time zones than when darting around a region with fast turnaround times. That makes it difficult to schedule flights to take off and land at those odder, cheaper times. And exhausted crew must be accommodated in hotels rather

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JETBLUE PLANS A FURTHER SERVICE TO LONDON GATWICK STARTING IN SEPTEMBER AND FROM BOSTON TO LONDON NEXT SUMMER than being immediately rostered back to their own beds at the end of the day.

JetBlue thinks it can overcome these obstacles. In contrast to Norse Atlantic, a new carrier that thinks it can make better use of the wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 15 of which it is now leasing, the American airline is using a new breed of aircraft, the Airbus A321LR. This is a long-range version of the European planemaker’s single-aisle short-haul workhorse. These are cheaper than wide-body jets. They are also smaller, and so easier to fill.

And JetBlue has another card

to play. The standard business of long-haul flying makes competing on price difficult. Full-service airlines rely on selling lucrative business-class seats at the front of the plane for the bulk of their revenues and profits. As a result, they can afford to sell economy seats relatively cheaply. Unlike most earlier low-cost efforts, JetBlue’s planes will include 24 business seats which should plump up margins. To attract business passengers it has steered clear of remote airports that executives dislike and picked up slots at Heathrow freed up by pandemic flight cuts.

JetBlue plans a further service to London Gatwick starting in September and from Boston to London next summer. Norse intends to fly between several European and American destinations. But full-service carriers will not take the challenge on their most lucrative routes lying down.

American carriers succeeded in lobbying their domestic regulators to slow Norwegian’s expansion. Incumbents including IAG, owner of British Airways, have launched their own low-costlong-haul subsidiaries. Laker offers a sobering lesson. He successfully sued several legacy airlines for predatory pricing—but only after he had been forced out of business.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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INNOVATIONS

DRIVING FORCES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

2021

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INTERVIEW

by Nevena Kuveljić

ECONOMY BASED ON INNOVATIONS KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES

Serbia found itself in the report of the most relevant organization for evaluation of startup ecosystems in the world from San Francisco – the Startup Genome, as the first country in the region. According to this survey, Serbian engineers are among top 5 in the world NENAD POPOVIĆ Minister of Innovation and Technological Development

e established cooperation and carried out joint projects on different levels with partners from all over the world, from the USA, through institutions and EU member states such as France, Austria, Germany, Italy, all the way to Israel, Russia and China. The reputation that Serbia has thanks to its stability and progress in all areas is also greatly responsible for that.

country will strongly support in the future.

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Where does Serbia stand among the countries successful with innovations, and how competitive are Serbian IT innovators on the global market?

— Today, our country is recognized as the epicenter of innovation activities in the region of Southeast Europe. In the last four years, exports of Serbia’s IT sector have grown by 30 percent a year. Last year, we recorded a historically high export of IT services, digital products and innovative technologies worth over 1.5 billion euros. The Serbian market is becoming more and more attractive to foreign investors, as well as to innovative companies that want to locate their R&D departments in Serbia. I am especially glad for the growth of investments of domestic investors in innovative ideas and startup companies in Serbia. The first generation of our startup entrepreneurs now uses their capital and, more importantly, their know-how and global experience, to support new generations of entrepreneurs to be even more successful. This is a trend that we as a

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Today, our country is recognized as the epicenter of innovation activities in the region of Southeast Europe

How much has Serbia set aside so far for the construction of innovation infrastructure, startup ecosystems, as well as for the support of young innovators?

— Over the past four years, the Republic of Serbia invested over 100 million euros in the construction of innovation infrastructure and support for the innovation ecosystem.

Serbia has 4 science & technology parks, which is more than any country in the region. We’ve opened 20 regional innovation startup centers, where young people in smaller communities receive support to launch their own startup companies. We strongly support female entrepreneurship. We provide direct support to companies which develop innovative products and services, in their early and more mature development stages, through the Innovation Fund.

Just recently we established the first venture capital fund owned by our national mobile operator Telekom Srbija, which will additionally enhance our efforts to develop strong innovation companies in Serbia. Companies that will have the potential to change the global market and people’s lives.

In which areas our engineers and technological entrepreneurs achieved particular success, what is the biggest chance for Serbia?

— We are especially competitive in the field of block chain technology

which is blooming at this point, and its application in many industries is expected in the coming years. Herein lies our big opportunity, as well as in other developing technologies, where we can take the leading position at the very beginning, as pioneers. Serbia’s great advantage lies in its strong engineering base coming from our universities. The opportunities to create above-average value lie in technologies with great applicative potential in the industry, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning, IoT and others. These are the areas to which our young innovators, as well as technical schools, should focus their efforts.

What are the Ministry’s further plans towards the development of innovation and technological development?

— Serbian Government will soon reach a Strategy for the development of startup ecosystems by 2025. This is a very significant, and the first strategic document to deal with this topic.

The task force for the development of the Strategy consists of the most relevant representatives from the business, academic and public sectors, and great support for the entire process is provided by the Digital Serbia Initiative. Most importantly, many of our successful founders of startup companies are involved in the process, and their experience will ensure that this strategy responds in the right way to the needs of the innovation ecosystem’s stakeholders. 

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COMMENT

INNOVATE OR PERISH, REBORN IN SERBIA!

When it comes to innovation, there are so many misconceptions, misinterpretations and misunderstandings, that it is best to start from the beginning, from the definition - what is innovation? No, dear reader, it is not an invention, an invention, a patent, no it is not something new that the world has not seen yet Prof DJURO KUTLAČA, PhD Scientific Counsellor, Head of Science and Technology Policy Research Centre, Institute Mihajlo Pupin

e live in a world in which for good communication it is necessary that all participants in communication have at least a somewhat harmonized understanding and knowledge of the basic concepts we are talking about. Well, still, most people start talking about innovation with the words “In my opinion, innovation is…”. It is in this case that everyone wants to be innovative, and that is why misunderstandings arise.

“An innovation is a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the unit’s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process). A key tenet of the Oslo Manual is that innovation can and should be measured. Key components of the concept of innovation include the role of knowledge as a basis for innovation, novelty and utility, and value creation or preservation as the presumed goal of innovation.

The requirement for implementation differentiates innovation from other concepts such as invention, as an innovation must be implement-

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The team of experts from the Mihajlo Pupin Institute needed only a month from the idea to the realization of the first Serbian respirator

ed, i.e. put into use or made available for others to use. The term ‘innovation’ can signify both an activity and the outcome of the activity. Innovation activities include all developmental, financial and commercial activities undertaken by a firm that are intended to result in an innovation for the firm. A business innovation is a new or improved product or business process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the firm's previous products or business processes and that has been introduced on the market or brought into use by the firm.” 1 So, it is crucial that our product must be different from what we have done so far and that it is available to potential users, the market.

That is why the respirator was developed at the Mihajlo Pupin Institute (MPI) in the spring of 2020, a great innovation for the Institute and for Serbia as a whole, although the whole world rushed to buy respirators that are standard medical devices in the world, but never before developed by domestic researchers and innovators and produced in Serbia.

“The team of experts from the Mihajlo Pupin Institute needed only a

month from the idea to the realization of the first Serbian respirator. A group of about ten engineers from the Mihajlo Pupin Institute, as well as people from the Smart Research, worked on the first five models, between 10 and 15 hours a day, without a day off. They are made very seriously and with quality, so they are on a par with the world’s leading devices. After the standard certification procedure, Serbian respirators could be found in hospitals. This is one of 12 innovative projects funded by the Innovation Fund that aimed to combat the effects of the coronary virus pandemic. When the partners for serial production in Serbia are known, up to 100 respirators could be made daily.” 2 It is innovations such as the respirator that set MPI apart from other institutions of the scientific research system of Serbia. For decades, MPI researchers and engineers have been directed to the market where products developed by creativity are placed, the price of which is knowledge and uniqueness - innovation in the original sense of the word. Unfortunately, the research system of Serbia is focused

1

ECD/Eurostat (2018), Oslo Manual 2018: Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and O Innovation Activities, OECD Publishing, Paris/Eurostat, Luxembourg. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304604-en

2

https://www.pupin.rs/en/2020/05/the-first-serbian-respirator/

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Together with colleagues from Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and other cities in Serbia, the software developers have shown and proved that knowledge is strength and power

on writing papers, because it is a prerequisite for career advancement, and the development of technologies and innovations based on knowledge are not the key direction of institutions or individuals of that system, about which the author writes for decades. without an adequate understanding of domestic governance structures.3 “The Achilles tendon of Serbia’s innovation system is the gap between industry and research … Serbia has since introduced collaborative grants and innovation vouchers to encourage businesses and academia to work together on innovation. We shall see from the profile of Serbia on page 304 that the country is using science and technology parks to link scientific research with economic goals.” 4 But lest readers think that the author of this text is too critical of his compatriots, you can see that since the Middle Ages, foreigners have considered us conservative and very reluctant to innovate.: "When they were by nature conservative, many Byzantines felt, as usual pessimists feel that any change - change for the worse, especially when it comes to entrenched and committed Christian traditions of their society. The usual euphemism for religious heresy was "innovation" or novelty.” 5

That is why the Zvezdara Science and Technology Park is a great endeavour aimed at supporting innovation and creating a new economy of Serbia, a knowledge-based economy. This infrastructure is intended for the development of software, which a few years ago surpassed the export of raspberries and became an export asset of Serbia.

“Serbia’s first science and technology park (Zvezdara) was established in 2015.

The park specializes in software development. Over the past four years, it has supported the development of more than 100 companies employing more than 800 engineers. The park provides entrepreneurs, start-ups and technology companies with infrastructure tailored to their needs, as well as business support services to foster innovation and commercialization. In 2018 alone, 20 new start-up companies were established within the park and 200 young potential entrepreneurs attended 30 courses on entrepreneurship.” 6 Together with colleagues from Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and other cities in Serbia, the software developers have shown and proved that knowledge is strength and power, to grow in Serbia and to create innovations that will be for the welfare and well-being of the whole country. 

3

ušica Semenčenko, Đuro Kutlača: Shaping National Innovation System in Small, Transitional Economy - Case of Serbia, Publisher: Institute Mihajlo Pupin , Science and D Technology Policy Research Centre, Belgrade, 2018. ISBN: 978-86-82183-16-7, pages 186, http://www.pupin.rs/cirnt/publications/

4

utlaca, Djuro: "10. Southeast Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia", Chapter 10 in: UNESCO (2021) UNESCO Science Report: The K Race Against Time for Smarter Development, S. Schneegans, T.Straza and J.Lewis (eds). UNESCO Publishing: Paris, ISBN: 978-92-3-100450-6, pp.290-307, https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377433

5

Donald M. Nicol: The Byzantine Lady, Ten Portraits 1250-1500, Cambridge University Press 1994; translated by Miroslav Krstić, Utopia, Belgrade, 2002

6

See footnote 4

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INTERVIEW

by Ruža Veljović

A HUB FOR GATHERING COMMUNITIES, STARTUPS AND INVESTORS

It is very simple - we want to encourage young people, creators of various ideas that have the potential to improve and transform existing business solutions and to support them to develop quickly DAVOR SAKAČ Director General of TS Ventures

e spoke with Davor Sakač, Director General of TS Ventures, the first fund in Serbia to help startup companies, about the Fund's mission, vision and the criteria for selecting startups. "A pioneering endeavour, such as the formation of TS Ventures Fund, resonated with the public, as evidenced by the excellent reactions we get every day, as well as a large number of applications for startup ideas that we have received via the Fund's official website (www. tsv.fund )," says Mr. Sakač.

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It is a privilege to participate in creating and boosting a new industry that has huge potential in the future

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Telekom Srbija has launched the first corporate venture capital fund in Serbia to help startup ideas. What are the fund's vision and business strategy?

— We are aware of the fact that there are many visionaries among us with great projects who find it difficult to secure financing for further development, and that is the basis of our Fund's strategy we invest in ideas that have the potential to "change the world".

Being the first in this part of Europe to have a corporate venture capital fund is a challenge and a privilege, but also a responsibility, considering that Telekom Srbija, one of the most successful companies in this area, is backing us up. Investing in startups is a serious task, given that our market is in its infancy and has a lot of room for improvement. As time goes on, together we will thrive, learn and grow, both startups on the one hand, and venture funds and the business environment, on the other. It is a privilege to participate in creating and boosting a new industry that has huge potential in the future.

What will be the criteria for selecting startups to help and what will be the biggest benefit for young people with ideas?

— The Fund's task is to assess whether a startup idea has market potential, and in what innovative way it solves the existing problems.

It is also important to ascertain if a startup can develop quickly, grow and become interesting to the global market. We have defined the criteria based on the best global practices, and we will be assisted in this by global experts in this field.

The so-called X factor is that startups rank high in terms of scalability and potential for global application.

Through the process of interviews, idea creators will have to have a presentation and convince us why we should place our trust and funds in their solution, but also why they need us as partners. The Fund itself will sort of function as a startup, because we will educate and push each other forward through joint work.

What role does Telekom Srbija play in this and what message are you sending to anyone who needs financial resources for business development?

— Telekom Srbija is the first company in this area to create a fund of this type, following the example of the world's largest companies.

Deutsche Telekom, Samsung, General Electric, Unilever, Google, Microsoft, BMW and Bosch, to name a few, already have large funds. Our initial budget is 25 million euros, which will be invested in the best startup ideas in the next five years.

Telekom, as the Fund's founder, wants to raise the entire startup community to a higher level and

set a new standard in that segment which will inspire other companies to engage in the same endeavours.

How important is it to be the first in Serbia and which partners (companies, organizations, countries…) are you counting on?

— We are forming partnerships with people from Israel and the U.S. for this endeavour, but also people from Serbia who have international experience in this field of business, i.e. both in startups and corporate venture capital funds. I am convinced that, in the process, we will establish cooperation with more individuals, as well as with organizations and companies. Our idea is to become a kind of hub for gathering communities, startups and investors. We are open to cooperating at any level.

Given your background, and experience from different industries, what sectors do you think the most startups will apply for funding?

— In the last few months, startups have offered mostly AI, B2B, B2C, e-commerce, EdTech, FinTech, Food and Beverage, Healthcare, IoT and Software Saas solutions. These are all areas that are in great demand in the world at the moment, and they will be appealing to us as well. I believe that our startup market can match the global one, while our people, who have proven to have good ideas, have always kept pace with global trends. It will also be a revelation for us to find out in which direction our startups are taking and what solutions they are developing. We will definitely have an ear for everyone and give everyone a chance. 

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A MEETING PLACE OF SCIENCE AND BUSINESS

A total of 144 companies operate within the network of science and technology parks in Serbia, of which 74 are startups and 70 are high-tech, which have a total of 1,295 employees

Science and Technology Park in Belgrade

cience and Technology Parks (STP) provide support to startups and teams, as well as growing high-tech companies, in the development and commercialization of innovative products and services. Their main goal is to unite economic and intellectual resources, while the companies that gather under the auspices of STPs are provided with services that bring them important advantages over the competition. In cooperation with universities and academia, science and technology parks provide infrastructure and services to help innovative companies succeed in the market, especially in the field of high technology with the aim of dynamic development of innovative and scientific-technological entrepreneurship. Also, STPs provide international promotion of projects and companies. Science and technology parks are a long-standing practice in developed countries. Serbia’s Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, stated that science and technology parks are the backbone of the development of a new Serbia, which will not experience brain drain among young people, to which young people will always return and where young people from all over the world will come to work.

There are currently four science and technology parks in Serbia - in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Čačak - which are among the best equipped in Europe, as well as 11 startup hubs in towns that do not have universities. The Minister of

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There are currently four science and technology parks in Serbia, which are among the best in Europe

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Technological Development and Innovation, Nenad Popović, has also been frequently pointing out that parks are the future of Serbia.

According to the Republic of Serbia’s Scientific and Technological Development Strategy, which covers the period from 2021 to 2025, a total of 144 companies operate within the STP network in the Republic of Serbia, of which 74 are startups and 70 are high-tech, with a total of 1,295 employees. The goal of these parks is to position innovation-based technologies on the regional and global market, which generate high added value, thus directly stimulating exports. Minister Popović points out that science and technology parks in Serbia are the best equipped in southern Europe, while some of them are among the top STPs in the whole of Europe.

"This is the future of Serbia. We want our engineers, who are, by the way, recognized worldwide by the most relevant international organizations as one of the five best in the world in relation to the size of the population, to have excellent working conditions in our country and not having to go to foreign countries for that,” said Minister Popović. The state has invested more than 100 million euros in innovation infrastructure and science and technology parks so far.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK IN BELGRADE As stated on their official website, the Science and Technology Park Belgrade provides support to startups and developing companies in the development and commercialization of innovative products and services. STP Belgrade member companies develop more than 110 innovative products and services, employ over 800 highly educated people and export to over 40 countries worldwide. Since its inception

in 2015, STP Belgrade has supported the fast development of more than 100 companies. STP Belgrade was established in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia (i.e. the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, on the government’s behalf), the Belgrade authorities and the University of Belgrade, with the support of the Swiss government, using examples of best international practice. This technology park is a place of connection and exchange between businesses, science and institutions. Thanks to its activities, programmes and services, it has a crucial impact on the development of the innovation ecosystem in Serbia. The Business and Technology Incubator of Technical Faculties in Belgrade (BITF) and the Serbia Innovation Fund also operate in the STP Belgrade complex.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK IN NOVI SAD The new Science and Technology Park, to be used by the Faculty of Technical Sciences (FTN), was opened in Novi Sad on January 29th, 2020, and is a joint project of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Vojvodinian Government, with the support of the Novi Sad authorities and FTN. It is estimated to be worth 26 million euros.

STP Novi Sad is a space for startups and IT companies but is also used by the Faculty of Technical Sciences and institutes under the jurisdiction of the Province of Vojvodina.

The Faculty of Technical Sciences has 10,000 square metres at their disposal within this facility so that over 40,000 students of this faculty can study in 40 modern laboratories, five classrooms and two amphitheatres, primarily electrical engineering, computer science, software engineering, information systems engineering and other sci-

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entific fields. About 400 professors, assistants, scientists and young researchers of the Department of Computing and Automation and the Department of Energy, Electronics and Telecommunications also have their cabinets here.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK IN NIŠ The city of Niš, as a regional centre with a strong industrial environment, is an ideal place for the development of new startup technology companies and the commercialization of scientific research. Science and Technology Park Niš closely cooperates with the University of Niš and the academic community and provides the infrastructure and services to help innovative companies achieve business success, especially in the field of high technology. STP Niš is a regional hub of dynamic development of innovative scientific and technological entrepreneurship and international promotion of projects and companies and as such, provides a basis for reengineering the region's economy and boosting its global competitiveness. Science and Technology Park Niš was established in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Niš authorities and the University of Niš and its spans a total of 14,000 square metres.

Science and technology parks are the backbone of the development of a new Serbia

Science and Technology Park in Niš

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK IN ČAČAK The Science and Technology Park in Čačak facilitates cooperation between businesses, science and research through the development of new ideas in order to increase the competitiveness of the regional economy. According to their website, the Science and Technology Park Čačak provides infrastructure, management and technical support to innovative, as well as newly established companies, thus facilitating their growth and development through professional support and technol-

ogy transfer from academic and research sectors. The goal of STP Čačak is to develop an innovative economic ecosystem through connecting scientific and research potentials and companies, application of technological innovations, development of startup companies, employment of young highly educated staff and having a direct impact on the development of knowledge-based economy and revival of economic activities.

The Science and Technology Park’s activities are also related to electrical engineering, robotics and electronics. This STP has numerous modern tools, techniques and methods available. STP’s laboratory has the latest robots, 3D printers, state-of-the-art computers and electronics equipment.

In addition to Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad and Čačak, there is a plant to open a science and technology park in Kragujevac too, which goal would be to connect the University of Kragujevac with the business sector.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia has allocated 12 million euros for this capital investment. 

Science and Technology Park in Novi Sad

Science and Technology Park in Čačak

The Science and Technology Park’s activities are also related to electrical engineering, robotics and electronics

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READ THIS ON WEB

by MINA VUČIĆ

Serbia Creates Ideas Inspired by the past-shaping the future, the Serbian Expo 2020 pavilion will present modern Serbia as the natural successor of the Neolithic Vinča culture

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Dr. IGOR KOVAČEVIĆ Director of the Serbian Pavilion at Expo 2020

ubai is exited to welcome visitors from across the globe and prepare for a new stage of collaboration for a brighter tomorrow. Expo 2020 is set to make a mark on the country, region, and even beyond as the UAE will be the first nation in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia to host a world Expo, making it the largest global gathering since the outset of the pandemic. Igor Kovacevic, Director of the Serbian pavilion at Expo 2020, joined Mina Vucic to discuss the creation and concept behind the biggest yet Serbian

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pavilion. The Balkan nation has proudly been presenting its tradition, culture, achievements, and economy at the World Expos since 1885, winning 157 awards on their first appearance in Belgium.

What was the idea behind the Serbian Pavilion?

— The theme of Serbia's participation in the World Exhibition is "Serbia Creates Ideas - Inspired by the past-shaping the future". Our pavilion will show that modern Serbia is the natural heir to the 7000-year-old Neolithic Vinča

The Balkan nation has proudly been presenting its tradition, culture, achievements, and economy at the World Expos since 1885

culture which changed the way humans lived and thrived. It will further demonstrate that the Serbia of the future is driven by the creative and innovative ideas of a number of exciting and inventive individuals, companies and organizations. By engaging and embedding Serbian content across all of Expo’s programs, we will position our country as an open, collaborative, innovative and resourceful nation.

How do your former pavilions look like and what are your expectations for this one?

— As a part of the global scene, Serbia, has been proudly presenting its tradition, achievements, culture and economy at the World Exhibition since 1885, in Antwerp, Belgium. During that first appearance, Kingdom of Serbia won remarkable 157 awards. In more recent history, Serbia had a 1000 m2 pavilion in Shanghai in 2010, whose

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interesting façade was inspired by a pattern of Pirot carpets. Our Pavilion in Dubai is the biggest and most impressive so far and we hope it will attract a great number of visitors with a unique style, design and architecture.

How is the theme of this pavilion different?

— Pavilion visitors engage with Serbia on multiple levels, from delicious food to lively music, breath-taking videos as well as digital exhibits, presentations, and discussions. In our virtual exhibition, visitors become digital humans represented by avatars, able to meet and interact with others in real-time, wherever in the world they may be. Using holographic technology, we will enable both business and social encounters that were not possible before. By accessing the mobile app, visitors inside the pavilion will witness virtual guests, breaking down the barriers between the physical and the virtual world.

What will Serbia show through its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai?

— During Expo 2020, we will show why Serbia is the 1st country in Europe for FDI, why it is the frontrunner in eGovernment, the way we proudly host a European Center of Excellence for ICT solutions for agriculture, how Belgrade was proclaimed one of the 5 most creative cities in the world, how Serbia became one of the most successful countries in dealing with the pandemic and immunization, as well as many other interesting facts about modern Serbia.

When did construction begin on the pavilion?

— Works on site commenced on January 15th 2020. Unfortunately, the Covid 19 Pandemic disrupted the project timeline, especially for fabrication and erection of the steel construction structures. The glass atrium and unique

facade design was the most challenging work. We have 400 tons of steel construction that contains over 1200 individual steel element out of which 90% is specially designed and unique which require substantial time for final design, production and erection.

What are some of the next set of activities planned for the pavilion?

— The Main Contractor of the pavilion, SAM Building Contracting LLC, along with AOR are now in the process of securing completion from various government authorities. Furthermore, testing and commissioning works have also commenced since final permanent power was released to the Pavilion last month. Final finishing touches, AV installation, and Joinery works are some of the activities which are planned over next few days.

What are some of the health and safety programmes you have implemented as part of the workers’ welfare on the site, both before and dur-

By accessing the mobile app, visitors inside the pavilion will witness virtual guests, breaking down the barriers between the physical and the virtual world

ing COVID-19?

— Worker welfare is very important to us. All workers’ accommodations are Expo approved with prior to construction inspections. All workers are transported to and from the site in air-conditioned buses. The main contractor’s safety officer is present at the site as a safety consultant, providing all the workers with full PPE, rest areas, meal boxes, water coolers, first aid rest rooms, face masks, gloves and sanitizers for their well being and protection.

What kind of technology have you used for the construction activities?

— The basic construction of the pavilion is based on pre-engineered steel building software. The entire steel building was modelled in 3D TEKLA technology right down to the last bolt and connection. These models were then interfaced with MEP and architectural BIM models (Building Intelligent Modelling) to create virtual 3D of the pavilion prior to construction.

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World Exhibition – Gathering the World in One Place

Do you know what Charles Darwin, Eiffel Tower, Nikola Tesla, Vincent van Gogh, Heinz ketchup, and escalators have in common?

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ll of them were first presented at the greatest show on Earth – the World Exhibition. The first World Expo took place in 1851, and since that time, the World Expo has been celebrated as the occasion where many of modern humanity’s greatest achievements were first presented to a global audience.

Technologies and discoveries such as the telephone, the first computer or Tesla’s city lighting based on the AC system were all first presented to the public at World Exhibitions. Even culturally important buildings such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York, and the Atomium in Brussels were first erected as part of the World Expo.

The history of Expo therefore also represents the history of the development of human thought and progress.

ating the Future". Originally scheduled for 2020-2021, it was rescheduled due to the pandemic, but kept the original name Expo 2020. This will be the first World Expo to be staged in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region and the Arab world. More than 190 countries from all over the world have confirmed their participation.

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DUBAI EXPO 2020 – WORLDWIDE CENTER OF IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES Expo 2020 Dubai will be held from 1 October 2021 until 31 March 2022, with theme: "Connecting Minds, Cre-

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"SERBIA CREATES IDEAS - INSPIRED BY THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE"

Expo 2020 Dubai will be held from 1 October 2021 until 31 March 2022

Serbia first participated in the World Expo in Antwerp, Belgium in 1885, where the Kingdom of Serbia remarkably won 157 awards. The country has been proudly presenting its traditions, achievements, culture and economy at World Exhibitions ever since.

Serbia will again be participating at the World Expo in Dubai under the theme “SERBIA CREATES IDEAS - Inspired by the past, shaping the future".

Program will be developed by national platform “Serbia creates”.

“Inspired by the Past” celebrates 7000 years of creativity and innovation on Serbian territory - beginning with the Neolithic culture of Vinča, moving

through some of Serbia’s leading artists and scientists such as Nikola Tesla, and connecting through to the current era of companies, individuals and government departments working on creative and innovative projects that will change Serbia and the world.

“Shaping the Future” highlights how Serbia today is leading the world in areas such as Tech/ICT, Start-Ups & Innovation, Health & Covid-19 Management, Digital E-Government, Creative Industries, Agriculture And E-Agriculture, And Digital Education.

GREAT BUSINESS OPORTUNITY Serbia’s Expo participation in Dubai will be rolled out across a number of activations, initiatives and events.

At its heart is a comprehensive B2B programme, run by the Serbia Expo Team, the Serbia Chamber of Commerce and the Development Agency of Serbia, that connects Serbian businesses with UAE, MENA and worldwide counterparts, G2G and G2B activities, Serbian business hubs in key sites across Dubai, and a whole range of other events, festivals and activities

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that promote Serbia as a forward-facing nation with innovation, ingenuity and creativity embedded in its DNA. For Serbian business representatives, Serbian Government, in cooperation with Air Serbia, will provide charter flights Belgrade-Dubai- Belgrade free of charge, during pre-defined thematic weeks.

THE SERBIA PAVILION Central to Serbia’s participation at World Expo is the Serbia Pavilion, an architecturally striking 2.000 m2 building located in the heart of the Expo’s Mobility District.

It is a "time capsule" that presents a unique dual platform for displaying Serbia’s stories – a physical pavilion in Dubai and a virtual / digital online pavilion – that integrates timeless and limitless content with real space.

The Serbia Pavilion takes as its main creative focus the ground-breaking Neolithic Culture of Vinča which thrived across the whole of the territory of modern Serbia some 7000 years ago.

Vinča brought humanity its very first cities, the first metals, the first double story buildings, exquisite art, complex trade, clothes, and jewellery manufacture, and methods of peaceful coexistence some 3.500 years before the Pyramids.

A melting pot of ideas and innovation, Vinča was the Dubai Expo of the Neolithic World.

As Vinča culture sparked many of the world’s most ground-breaking ideas,

Famous Serbian painter, Paul Jovanovic, presented his masterpiece “The Wedding of Emperor Dusan” at the World’s Expo in Paris in 1900, as well as Pablo Picasso his famous Guernica, 37 years latter!

so the Serbia Pavilion – its design reminiscent of the pitched roof of a Neolithic Vinča dwelling – showcases humanity’s future, with Digitisation, AI and Virtual Reality at its heart.

SILICONE VALLEY OF THE BALKANS Did you know that Serbia is more and more often identified as a “Silicon Valley of the Balkans” producing top-notch talent?

We will share in Dubai why Serbia’s start-up ecosystem is ranked among top 10 countries in the world in three categories: blockchain, affordable talent and video gaming and how Serbia is the 1st country in Europe for FDI and European Center of Excellence for ICT solutions for agriculture.

We will also share our experience about how digital innovations and e-government system helped us to save thousands of lives and become one of the most successful countries in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and immunization.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SERBIA THAT WILL BE PRESENTED IN DUBAI •S erbia became a global frontrunner in the eGovernment development, saving so far: 18.000 trees (entire forest), 76 million litres of water and 6000 megawatt-hours of electricity •F ood production is spread on 5 million hectares of fertile agricultural soil •O ver 1000 mineral water sources across the country •S erbia was first in the SEE region with developed National AI Strategy and a state-of-the-art AI institute •A mong top 3 global destinations for digital nomads

FIND YOUR FELLOW AVATAR IN THE HEART OF MOBILITY DISTRICT The goal of Expo’s Mobility District is to create “connections to drive the world forward, breaking down the divide between the physical and digital worlds to build a harmonious, global society where information, ideas and goods are exchanged faster than ever before.”

With this in mind, Serbia’s virtual exhibition allows visitors to experience Serbia, wherever in the world they may be.

Visitors can become digital humans represented by avatars and explore a choice of virtual exhibitions, as well as meet and interact with other avatars in real-time.

The first World's Fair The first World's Fair was organized in London in 1851. The invitation to the nations to participate was personally sent

by British Queen Victoria, and the festival was attended by celebrities of that time, such as Charles Darwin, Charlotte Bronte, Louis Carroll, Charles Dickens ... The gathering was held in the Crystal Palace, specially built for the needs of

the exhibition. The exhibits of twenty-eight countries of the world were on display, while six million people visited the exhibition. Legendary Koh-i-Noor, largest diamond in the world, is remembered as a special attraction of the first World Exhibition. In addition, the inventor, Samuel Colt presented the future of weapons - the first revolver.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WORLD EXPO INVENTIONS AND ACHEIVEMENTS London, 1851 "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations" The largest diamond in the world and the first revolver Paris, 1855 "Universal Exhibition of Agricultural, Industrial and Fine Arts Products" Reveal of an early version of the Statue of Liberty London, 1862 Electric telegraph and plastic Philadelphia, 1876 "Centennial Exhibition" The first “Remington” typewriter, telephone and “Heinz” ketchup Antwerp, 1885 Serbia's first appearance at the World Exhibition where our country won 157 awards Paris, 1889 "Universal Exhibition" Reveal of Eiffel Tower and phonograph Chicago, 1893 "World's Columbus Exhibition" Nikola Tesla’s alternating current Paris, 1900 "Universal Exhibition 1900" Diesel engine, talking film, escalators and X-ray St. Louis, 1904 "Louisiana Purchase Exposition" Cordless telephone and cars running on petrol and electricity Milan, 1906 "Great Exhibition of Work" The longest tunnel in the world “Simplon” was built San Francisco, 1915 "Panama - Pacific International Exhibition" Panama Canal, telephone line and color photography New York, 1939-40 "The World of Tomorrow" The first TV Brussels, 1958 "New Humanism" Atomium; Yugoslav Pavilion designed by Vjenceslav Richter won the golden medal of the Belgian crown Seattle, 1962 "Man in Space" Space Needle and the Cold War Montreal, 1967 "People and Their World" Osaka, 1970 "Progress and Harmony for Humanity" Stone from the Moon Seville, 1992 "Age of Discovery" Shanghai, 2010 "Better City, Better Life" Milan, 2015 "Let's Feed the Planet, Energy for Life"

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BUSINESS NEWS

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AIFFEISEN BANK INTERNATIONAL R SIGNS AGREEMENT ON THE ACQUISITION OF CRÉDIT AGRICOLE SRBIJA A.D. NOVI SAD

Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) announces that its Serbian subsidiary, Raiffeisen Banka a.d. Beograd, has signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the shares of Crédit Agricole Srbija A.D. Novi Sad (a subsidiary of French Crédit Agricole S.A.) along with its leasing subsidiary CA Leasing Srbija d.o.o. Successful closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. Crédit Agricole Srbija serves around 356,000 customers. The bank has a leading position in agricultural-business financing (over 20% market share) and thus complements the business profile of Raiffeisen Banka a.d. very well. As of Q2 2021, Crédit Agricole Srbija had total assets of EUR 1.3 billion, while Raiffeisen banka a.d. reported total assets of EUR 3.4 billion. On the basis that the deal is successfully completed, the plan is to merge Crédit Agricole Srbija A.D. Novi Sad with Raiffeisen Banka a.d. Beograd and CA Leasing Srbija d.o.o. with Raiffeisen Leasing d.o.o. Beograd.

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WITH 'PRVA TARIFA', A1 SERBIA SUPPORTS PROJECTS AIMED AT CHILDREN

A1 Serbia has launched 'Prva Tarifa' ('The First Tariff'), which, together with parents, supports the youngest members of the society. A1 will allocate funds in the

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IGH CAPITAL ADEQUACY H AND GROWTH IN ALL KEY BUSINESS SEGMENTS

In the first half of 2021, a member of the NLB Group, Komercijalna Banka has recorded a EUR 180 million (5%) growth in its assets, a 3.5% increase in lending activity (worth EUR 55 million) and the growth of deposits of more than EUR 144 million.

The bank has realized its business plans and accomplished excellent results thanks to having better methodologies and procedures as part of harmonization with the standards implemented in its new parent company, NLB Group, as well as thanks to a decline of the NPL portfolio in the amount of EUR 33 million, which ensured the continuation of growth in lending activity.

As early as in the first quarter, Komercijalna Banka set a new record in one of

HE IQOS STORE OPENED AT THE T GALERIJA SHOPPING MALL

The first IQOS Store in Southeast Europe has been opened in Belgrade, at the Galerija Shopping Mall. Opening the concept store in the most exclusive shopping zone in the capital will increase the accessibility and support network for all adult smokers wishing to obtain information about cigarette alternatives and switch to the heat-notburn product category. In addition to the existing locations across Serbia and the online store, the accessibility map of less harmful alternatives includes the first IQOS Store in the region, spanning nearly 180 square metres of the Galerija Shopping Mall’s ground floor.

People over the age of 18 will have at their disposal the IQOS device, the most popular and bestselling tobacco heating system, which has been present in the local market for four years already, as well as the lil SOLID 2.0 device, available as of this June. In addition to these devices, complementary equipment and accessories, consumer support and information about scientific findings and the tobacco heating technology will be provided in the Boutique’s educational zone.

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amount of one monthly subscription for each Prva Tarifa contract concluded during the promotional period until the end of September which will go towards the implementation of child-related projects.

Furthermore, with this tariff, A1 Serbia wants to help parents with the new school year by creating a package that provides them with a 100% discount on a monthly subscription for 6 months.

'Prva Tarifa' is an excellent choice for postpaid services, because it ensures constant and simple communication between parents and their children at school. In addition to a very affordable subscription, this tariff offers unlimited calls within the A1 network and unlimited Internet for Viber use. Also, it includes 100 minutes of calls to other networks, 100 text messages and 2GB of the Internet.

In April this year, A1 Serbia launched the 'Svet Kakav Želiš' programme, thus supporting three important initiatives in the mentioned fields with 10 million dinars.

UADRUPLED PROFIT IN Q THE FIRST HALF OF YEAR – OUTLOOK RAISED FOR 2021 AS A WHOLE

In the first six months of the 2021 financial year, UNIQA Insurance Group AG (UNIQA) generated earnings before taxes

the strategic segments of its operation – retail loans, which recorded a 36% growth year-over-year. The bank has also validated its traditional role as the leader in agricultural financing and continued with a stable increase in the corporate loan portfolio.

of nearly €216 million. Written premiums rose by 17 per cent in the first half of 2021.

This is predominantly due to the successful integration of the former AXA companies in CEE. There was a significant improvement in the investment result year-on-year as it rose from €215 million to €307 million.

While write-downs on shares and fixed-income securities caused some heavy losses in the first half of 2020, in the first six months of 2021 UNIQA made gains from investments in shares and bonds in a strong capital market environment.

Under the ‘UNIQA 3.0 – Seeding the Future’ strategy programme, UNIQA has set itself ambitious growth targets for 2021 through 2025. Average annual premium growth of 3 per cent, a reduction in the cost ratio to 25 per cent, a combined ratio of around 93 per cent on a sustained basis by 2025 and a return on equity that is consistently above 9 per cent, form the basis of progressive dividend growth.

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BUSINESS NEWS

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HE DIGITAL EXPEDITION CARAVAN T EMBARKS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH SERBIA

Following the initiative of the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, a caravan of digital skills, literacy and cybersecurity called Digital Expedition has started. This initiative is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and the Office for IT and eGovernment, in partnership with USAID and Propulsion, which are jointly implementing the New Literacy programme, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

At the event held in downtown Belgrade, people had the opportunity to get acquainted with the key digital skills of the 21st century - how to obtain information, how to exercise their right or fulfil an obligation in electronic communication with the state administration, and how to give themselves and their children a safe digital experience. Furthermore, the basics of digital literacy and security were presented through workshops with lecturers and interviews with local influencers.

During the next four months, the caravan will visit 15 towns in Serbia - Prijepolje, Vršac, Šabac, Smederevo, Kruševac, Kraljevo, Čačak, Užice, Subotica, Aleksinac, Niš, Vranje, Pirot, Raška and Novi Pazar.

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HE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ CITAN: A T GRAND OFFERING IN THE SMALL VAN SEGMENT

Compact external dimensions coupled with a generous amount of space and a high load capacity open up a diverse range of applications for the new Mercedes-Benz Citan, especially in inner-city delivery and service provision operations. It is available both as a Panel Van and a Tourer. Wide-opening sliding doors on the left and right sides of the vehicle, as well as a low loading sill optionally, enable comfortable access to the interior and easy loading of the vehicle. Inside, passengers will enjoy the comfortable seats of the Citan Tourer. In addition to its high functionality and variability, the vehicle provides comprehensive safety equipment and a high level of driving comfort.

"With the Sprinter and Vito, we are successfully present in the large and mid-size van segments. And the new Citan in the small vans segment will round off our portfolio. It was entirely re-developed by professionals for professionals. From its unmistakable design to its driving characteristics, not to mention its safety and connectivity systems, the Citan bears the DNA of a Mercedes-Benz," says Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

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THE RES SERBIA 2021 CONFERENCE – SEPTEMBER 15th

The first conference organized by the Renewable Energy Sources Association will be held on September 15th, 2021, at the Metropol Hotel. The conference will be held with the EBRD’s support and the in-

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LATINUM CREDIT CARD P – A SYMBOL OF THE FIRSTCLASS SERVICE

Banca Intesa Mastercard Platinum credit card gives a range of special benefits, privileged treatment and personalized services of the highest level because it is created in a way to meet the most demanding customers. Among them, the following services stand out - personal concierge service which is available to card users 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help solve a wide range of inquiries, flight delay pass for entering VIP lounges, Internet access worldwide, deferred pay-

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OL GROUP Q2 RESULTS: M STRONGEST QUARTER EVER

MOL Group has announced its financial results for H1 and Q2 2021. In the first six months, MOL Group delivered USD 1,559mn EBITDA while in Q2 Clean CCS EBITDA jumped by 153% year-on-year

stitutional support of the Ministry of Mining and Energy.

The conference will feature a series of panel discussions about the most important topics such as energy transition in Serbia and the region, the results achieved by 2020, the goals for 2030 and 2040, new investments and technologies, integration of renewable energy sources into the electricity market, implementation of auction premium model, as well as all the challenges and obstacles that the energy transition process brings.

In addition to officials from the Ministry of Mining and Energy and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the top officials from WindEurope, the Energy Community, provincial institutions and public companies, representatives of major investors in Serbia and the region, consultants, bankers and lawyers will take part in the conference.

ments up to 24 instalments with no interest rate and special discounts and benefits. For the first time ever, Banca Intesa Mastercard Platinum credit cardholders can choose one of the special local privileges - FitPass membership fee for fitness lovers, Skipass ski pass to be used on the Kopaonik Mountain and free access to the Arena Cloud TV channel package.

“The Banca Intesa Mastercard Platinum credit card is designed to meet all customer requirements through a range of prestigious services while providing them with simplicity, security and speed of a cashless lifestyle”, said Darko Popović, a Member of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa. to an all-time high USD 893mn, driven by stronger oil macro, record-high petrochemical margins and the easing of Covid-related restrictions with a subsequent positive effect on sales volumes. Strong Q2 EBITDA allows MOL Group to raise its 2021 full-year guidance to „around USD 3 bn” from „around USD 2.3 bn”.

Chairman-CEO Zsolt Hernádi commented on the results: “I am very proud to announce that we have had the strongest quarter in MOL Group’s history. Our resilient integrated business model not only managed to successfully navigate the challenges posed by COVID-19 but also captured the strong commodity cycle we are experiencing. Looking ahead, I am very pleased with the progress we are making on key projects as we execute our strategic plans on our path towards 2030 and beyond.”

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

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JULY

ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENTHRONEMENT OF KING MOHAMMED VI

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Belgrade hosted a reception on July 30th, at the Metropol Hotel in Belgrade, marking the 22nd anniversary of the Enthronement of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. His Excellency, the Ambassador of Morocco to Serbia, Mr. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, delivered a speech on this

H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Ambassador of Morocco with his wife and Ivica Dačić, National Assembly Speaker

H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Ambassador of Morocco to Serbia

17 AUG

THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF INDIA’S INDEPENDENCE MARKED

occasion to the audience composed of the high representatives of the Serbian state authorities, including Defence Minister, Mr. Nebojša Stefanović and National Assembly Speaker, Mr. Ivica Dačić, as well as many representatives of religious communities, diplomats and cultural and public figures in Serbia.

"The Embassy of India in Belgrade celebrated the 75 Independence Day of India at the Embassy. Ambassador H.E. Mr. Sanjiv Kohli hoisted the National Flag. On this occasion Ambassador spoke about celebration of 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence - Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The event was attended by Indian's and Serbian friends of India in large number. On the occasion, the Embassy also organized photo exhibition of freedom fighters, and an exhibition of Indian hand-

icrafts at Chancery premises. Three Serbian nationals who participated in the quiz competition organized by the Embassy during 7th International Day of Yoga were also felicitated. Prominent India-oriented Serbian cultural personalities recorded their statement on India’s achievements and its rich culture. In the evening, the Belgrade city authorities illuminated the famous Branko Bridge over Sava river and Fountain at Slavia square in Belgrade with tricolors of Indian Flag."

H.E. Sanjiv Kohli, Ambassador of India

01 SEP

NON-ALIGNED WORLD

On the occasion of marking the 60th anniversary of the First Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, also known as the Belgrade Conference, an exhibition titled "Non-Aligned World" was opened at the Museum of African Art (MAU) in Belgrade. The exhibition was opened by Maja Gojković, Deputy Prime Minister and Min-

ister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, and Dr. Marija Aleksić, Director of the Museum of African Art. During September, every Sunday, at noon, visitors will be able to enjoy guided tours of the exhibition.

Marija Aleksić, Director of the Museum of African Art and ministers of Government of Serbia at the opening of the exhibition

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

D&C Walking Dinner With the Mayor of Belgrade Diplomacy&Commerce magazine and Color Media Communications organized an event titled “Walking Dinner with the Mayor of Belgrade” in cooperation with the City of Belgrade, for representatives of the diplomatic core in Belgrade The goal was to introduce the guests to the rich culture and history of our capJULY ital, and they had the opportunity to see parts of Belgrade in a completely different light, in informal atmosphere and accompanied by a tour guide, and to visit restaurants woven in the capital city’s rich history.

The Mayor of Belgrade Zoran Radojičić opened the event at the historically significant location – today’s Belgrade City Assembly (former Old Palace, the Royal Palace of the Obrenović dynasty of Serbia): ”It is my pleasure to host this special dinner.

I hope you'll enjoy this evening and have great impressions once we've finished our "tour".

Some of you have been in Belgrade for quite some time, some of you have recently moved to our city. But I'm sure tonight we will give you a different perspective of Belgrade, its long history and tradition” concluded Mr. Radojičić.

After that, accompanied by the Mayor of Belgrade and the President of Color Press Group Robert Čoban, the guests visited three wellknown locations in the city: Azbuka restaurant located in Vukova zadužbina, the iconic Madera restaurant, and the oldest pastry shop in the city – Pelivan, which was founded in 1851.

The event was attended by representatives of embassies of the Kingdom of Morocco, Germany, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Egypt, Australia, Indonesia, Algeria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Angola, Cambodia, Malaysia, Armenia, Syria, Mexico, Montenegro, Cyprus, Belarus, UNHCR representative and Member of the City Council Dr Fadilj Eminović.

Robert Čoban, President of CPG is very pleased with the guests’ reaction: “We started the Walking Dinner concept in 2018 in cooperation with the Mayor of Novi Sad, Miloš Vučević. We saw that the foreign diplomats liked this opportunity to learn a lot about the history, and about the gastronomy of our country over the course of one evening.

Tonight’s "Walking Dinner With the Mayor of Belgrade" in cooperation with the Mayor Zoran Radojičić exceeded all our expectations.

I think that the Mayor and our guests, the ambassadors, were all very satisfied. We heard some interesting stories about the buildings where we enjoyed the gastronomic specialties, and also about the streets we passed through.

We will continue with this concept this winter in Novi Sad, and already on Saturday, September 11th, we are taking the ambassadors and representatives of foreign chambers and business associations to Kikinda, to “The Pumpkin Days” event.

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FESTIVAL

by Adrian Kranjčević, MA, musicologist

Feathers Instead of Fingers The Franz Liszt Festival is a shining example of cultural diplomacy between the Republic of Hungary and the Republic of Serbia, as well as the regional decentralization of culture. The festival was successfully held from 9th to 14th August for the fourth consecutive time. Color Media Communications was the festival’s organizer

čka, a small town near Zrenjanin in the mid-Banat region, played host to the festival held in memory of one of the most important Hungarian composers of all time, Franz Liszt (1811, Raiding - 1886, Bayreuth).

Not many people know that Franz Liszt held concerts in our Pannonian region.

The information about Liszt's tours can be found in historical records about music, but, unfortunately, not the details of those performances. Ferenc Nemet's recent research, which results were published in the Létünk culture and society journal in 2013, is a good contribution to this segment of cultural history. In his research,

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NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT FRANZ LISZT HELD CONCERTS IN OUR PANNONIAN REGION Nemet gives information on two guest performances of Franz Liszt.

The first was in Ečka in 1820, held on the property of the landowner Count Agoston Lázár, a friend of the Esterházy family of noblemen, who were also patrons of the young pianist. At the age of nine, Franz Liszt held a concert at the opening of the Castle (Kaštel) that still stands to this day. The second Liszt's performance was in Nagybecskerek (today's Zren-

janin) under the auspices of the landowner of Hungarian-Armenian origin, Count Laszlo Karacsony, held sometime around 1842.

This year’s Franz List Festival in Ečka featured a master course for young pianists, led by pianist Rita Kinka, a longtime professor and head of the piano department at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. Young pianists had the opportunity to improve their piano-playing technique, but also to attend

lectures by several experts who directed them on some of the important topics for performing artists today such as public performances, piano recording techniques, corepetition and chamber music, interpretation, media relations and others.

The most important moment of this year's Festival was the final concert given by the participants of the master class and their mentor, with the Zrenjanin Chamber Orchestra, which took part in front of Kaštel. The students performed pieces by composers who had a direct or indirect influence on each other. Haydn was Mozart’s professor, Beethoven studied piano and composition thanks to Mozart's works, contemporaries claim that Liszt considered Beethoven the greatest composer of all time, while Wagner was influenced by Liszt, both professionally and privately, since he was his son-in-law as he was married to Liszt's daughter, Cosima.

The young pianists showed great skills and astonishing playing techniques in technically demanding compositions. Also, it was their mentor, Rita Kinka, who delighted the audience with her interpretation of the Piano and Orchestra Concerto in C major KV.415

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, playing it with a subtle emotionality and poetic inspiration that at times it seemed that she had feathers instead of fingers.

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CULTURE

by Žikica Milošević

What to Read and Watch About Afghanistan?

Everybody wants to know what kind of country it is fter the fall of Kabul and the return of the Taliban to power, everyone is suddenly wondering "what kind of country is this?" and "how did this come about?" Here are a few suggestions of what you could look at or read to understand this complex country that has never become a nation in the true sense of the word.

do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet military intervention, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING - BY RUDYARD KIPLING (1888) AND THE EPONYMOUS FILM (1975) Maybe the greatest read about Afghanistan during the Great Game, and certainly the best film to see about the country. It tells us the story of the bygone times, when there were groups of non-believers, so-called Kafiristan, living in Afghanistan. The two scoundrels from the British Army, perfectly portrayed by Michael Cane and Sean Connery, roam deeply into Afghanistan. First, they try to teach locals how to fight, eventually turning themselves into demigods and incarnation of Alexander the Great. Funny and tragic at the same time, depicting the fickle and volatile mentality of the local tribes and their spiteful customs and endless clashes.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS - BY KHALED HOSSEINI (2007) “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is a multi-generational story that unfolds over 45 years but revolves around the lives of two women, Mariam and Laila, who are married to the same abusive man.

Mariam, an illegitimate teenager from Herat, is forced to marry a shoemaker from Kabul after a family tragedy. Laila, born a generation later, lives a relatively privileged life, but her life intersects with Mariam's when a similar tragedy forces her to accept a marriage proposal from Mariam's husband. A painful “sequel” to its successful predecessor.

A

GRUPPA KROVI (BLOOD TYPE) - BY KINO (1988) What is Kurt Cobain for American music and Milan Mladenović for Yugoslav music, Viktor Tsoi is for Soviet music. The too-early-departed musical hero was the symbol of Perestroika in music and embodied all of the fears and hopes of the Soviet and post-Soviet youth. The epic song called Gruppa Krovi exists in both versions, Russian and English, under the title Blood Type, and it tells us the story of a Soviet soldier in Afghanistan, who prays not to die in this faraway country. The song is also a discreet homage to Lermontov and an excellent postnew wave and darkwave song.

KITE RUNNER - BY KHALED HOSSEINI (2003) AND THE

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NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO INDULGE IN AFGHANTHEMED BOOKS AND FILMS EPONYMOUS FILM (2007) Placed in Kabul, the magnificent story by a local writer, born and bred in Afghanistan, who witnessed all the changes in this shaky country, it is a romantic and cruel story of nostalgia and terror. A boy from Kabul begins his

life in the Kingdom of Afghanistan and the Hippie Trail flourishes, the foreigners smoke weed and climb the Hindu Kush mountains, while Radio Kabul plays Woodstock hits. It all changes suddenly and the change is endless there.

It tells the story of Amir, a well-to-

THE GREAT GAME - BY PETER HOPKIRK (1990) In this work, the author relates the story of a time best described

by Captain Arthur Connolly, of the East India Company before he was beheaded in Bokhara for spying in 1842, as "The Great Game".

The Great Game was played between the Russian Empire and British Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. At stake was the preservation of India, key to the wealth of the British Empire.

When play began early in the 19th century, the frontiers of the two imperial powers lay two thousand miles apart, across vast deserts and almost impassable mountain ranges; by the end, only 20 miles separated the two rivals. It is interesting that the progressive Socialist president Najibullah, who was aligned with the Soviets, was actually translating the book from English to Pashto when he was killed by the Taliban.

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READ THIS ON WEB

INTERVIEW

by Sonja Ćirić

Dialogue of Theatrical Cultures

Photo: Jakov Simović

"A Belgian play choreographed by an Iranian. Out of four Serbian plays, one is directed by a German of Turkish origin, one by a Slovene, and one by a Serbian director who lives and works in Germany. A Serbian choreographer stages a play produced by Germans, while a choreographer of Mexican-Chilean origin choreographs a play is produced by an Austrian”

IVAN MEDENICA Professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts and artistic director of Bitef

his September, the 54th and 55th Belgrade International Theatre Festival, popularly known as Bitef, will be held together to make up for the last year of pandemic, when only the Festival’s prologue was held, heralding this year's festival.

Our interlocutor Ivan Medenica, PhD, the artistic director of Bitef, chose fourteen plays from nine countries for the main festival programme. The festival’s title - "On the Edge of the Future" – which unites all performances rests on two topics of this year's Bitef - the environmental problems of today and the world without human beings, both topics dominating our present time.

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Preparing and organizing a festival like Bitef is, without a doubt, an extremely complicated endeavour even in a time not rife with pandemic disease. How did you overcame all obstacles and brought 14 plays from nine countries to Belgrade?

er than usual. The biggest aggravating circumstance was that we waited longer than usual for foreign theatre troupes to confirm they’re coming. We also had cancellations, because they had to coordinate new performances with the ones already booked, which

THE PERFORMER ON STAGE INTERACTING WITH THE AUDIENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE ESSENCE OF THEATRE AND NOBODY QUESTIONS THAT — Maybe my answer will come as a surprise to you. Preparing the 54th and 55th Bitef, two festival editions at the same time, because we skipped the festival last year, was only somewhat difficult in regular circumstances. In some respects, my job was easi-

did not take place due to the pandemic.

A mitigating circumstance is that part of this double programme was created last year when we devised the main production prerequisites for the guest appearances of these

troupes. However, the most important mitigating circumstance is that most of the theatres we contacted could hardly wait to resume international performances.

The reason is the primordial need for exchange, dialogue of cultures, as well as economic motives which should not be neglected.

Many foreign theatres, especially independent ones, earn money from guest appearances. It was interesting for us to notice that these companies entered into negotiations much faster and more efficiently than, say, institutional, subsidized and very wealthy theatres in the German-speaking area.

The latter were surprisingly lazy during the pandemic because they did not have to fight for survival.

The topics and the title of this year's Bitef were selected last

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You have chosen four plays from Serbia, which speaks volumes of the quality of the local theatre.

You especially highlighted the production of the Belgrade Drama Theatre. Why so?

— I have repeatedly pointed out that the season behind us, despite the impossible conditions in which it was prepared and held was aesthetically Bitef-like, to a surprising extent. This means that there were several performances of contemporary stage poetics that stood out on the institutional stage, rather than the independent one, as one probably expects, which ranged from a very radical actualization of the classics (“Kaspar”) to hybrid forms in which drama theatre permeates through or contemporary dance (“Cement Beograd”) or, those in the form of installations that use artificial intelligence, featuring visual arts (“Kao da kraj nije sasvim blizu”). Furthermore, theatre directors, who had their international promotion for the first time at Bitef, like Ersan Mondtag, Sebastian Horvat, Tomi Janežič, Boris Liješević, Miloš Lolić and Maja Pelević – worked last season in Belgrade theatres, and especially the Belgrade Drama Theatre, more than ever before. We must take care of our children even when

cant role, one in which the dancers are accompanied by a drone, one in which a robot is the main, but not the only performer, and one made for an online platform, specifically Zoom, and which exists, at least for viewers, only in virtual space. These performances are part of the aesthetic axis of this year's Bitef, where the notion of posthumanism, understood as a critique of the anthropocentric world, is used to problematize the live presence of performers and their exchange with the audience. In addition to the aforementioned influence of technology, this problematization will be realized in classical ways, for example with visual effects on stage that disintegrate the performing body. Of course, this is a re-examination of an aesthetic phenomenon - the performer on stage interacting with the audience has always been the essence of theatre and nobody questions that.

Photo: Jovo Marjanović

year and considering everyday life, they have become even more current now.

— The thematic and artistic line of this Bitef, as well as its title „On the Edge of the Future“, were chosen last year, when the festival, due to a pandemic, could not be staged in full capacity. The thematic line draws an arc from the ecological crisis to posthumanism understood as a critique of the anthropocentric world. Climate change, global warming, ecosystem collapse and nature pollution are some of the most pressing global issues in the world we live in. They are also very relevant locally if we keep in mind the ecological revolution initiated in our society following the construction of mini-hydropower plants, ecologically non-transparent investments of foreign companies such as Rio Tinto, water legislation, etc.

You are right when you say that the environmental problems have become even more relevant this year. Conspiracy theories aside, the Covid-19 pandemic is also the result of disturbed ecological balance and the destruction of the habitats of some animal species.

THE AUDIENCE’S RETURN TO THEATRES IS A SIGNAL OF THE RENEWAL OF SOCIAL LIFE, THAT IS, A RETURN TO NORMALCY they are all grown up. This season breaks the prejudice that Bitef does not influence the domestic theatre scene. Time will tell whether this influence is tectonic, a Bitef-like turn of events or a transient phenomenon.

Several performances are the result of the co-production of theatres from different countries.

Could this be a solution against the proverbial lack of money in Serbia?

— Yes, this has been an increasingly present tendency in theatres worldwide over the years, especially when it comes to plays made by international festivals, or with the basic goal of being performed at them. The situation is a bit different with performances of institutional, subsidized theatres, although they are also increasingly starting to embark on co-productions. You are right when you say that the main reason is financial, hence it looks like a production format that can resolve the lack of money, which we fear will be even greater after the pandemic. However, this also facilitates dialogue between theatre cultures, which is also very important.

I find it entertaining when, during my media appearances, I start listing the countries that have sent their plays to Bitef, as if I am talking about the Olympics. And yet, very few of those plays have one origin, which is, of course, excellent. Just look at the ‘statistics’ this year - a Belgian play choreographed by an Iranian. Out of four Serbian plays, one is directed by a German of Turkish origin, one by a Slovene and one by a Serbian director who lives and works in Germany. A Serbian choreographer stages a play produced

by Germans, while a choreographer of Mexican-Chilean origin choreographs a play which is produced by an Austrian.

We are used to seeing the latest play from the world stage at Bitef. Judging by the media, artificial intelligence being portrayed one stage is all the rage this year. What is this really about?

— It may be the most attractive, but it will not absolutely dominate. Regarding technological means and approaches, there will be one show in which artificial intelligence plays a signifi-

Knock wood but, as things are at the moment, it seems that Bitef will be live. This decision is healing in the sense that it awakens the hope of an imminent return to the pre-pandemic normalcy.

— As I said earlier, the physical, energetic, affective, and mental exchange between performers and spectators in a shared physical space is the aesthetic essence of theatrical art. Therefore, no media mediation, streams, recordings and the like can be identical to a real theatrical experience.

That is why returning to live performance means the resurrection of the theatre, and, logically, all its fans rejoice in it. Furthermore, the audience’s return to theatres is a signal of the renewal of social life, that is, a return to normalcy. Taking all that into consideration, we hope that 54th/55th Bitef will be held live, as planned, but we do also have alternative plans in place.

As usual, you will start preparing the next Bitef before this year's even starts. Will the next festival theme be about the consequences of a pandemic?

— Yes, the topic should be one of the most severe consequences of the pandemic that some groups have already felt, and I think we will all soon begin to feel it too – that is the working conditions, job loss, exploitation at work, the professions that are in particular jeopardy because of the pandemic, etc.

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CULTURAL HERITAGE

by Žikica Milošević

Decaying Gems Castles of Serbia - a forgotten cultural and tourist treasure

t all started as a tourist activity – visiting interesting destinations in our area during the lockdown summer of 2020. And then we discovered several castles and summer houses, mostly in Vojvodina, which are in a sad state of affairs - dilapidated or already collapsing. This is when ‘Castles of Serbia’ started.

There are very few castles that are in great condition and that are open to the public and commercially viable. Still, they are what we want to see other castles to look like. First of all, let's look at the astounding difference between Kaštel Ečka or Fantast Castle (temporarily closed), which has become a gathering place for people and picnic lovers, on weekdays and weekends, places for family gatherings, weddings, team-building sessions, and the place that ordinary tourists frequent and which beauty has been immortalized on so many photographs and a completely ruined but once a lovely castle known as Spitzer's Castle in Beočin.

There are so many myths and historical tales about castles in Serbia. Today, they seem even a little strange. Franz Liszt once performed his first concert in Ečka, before he became the "superstar"

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THERE ARE SO MANY MYTHS AND HISTORICAL TALES ABOUT CASTLES IN SERBIA. TODAY, THEY SEEM EVEN A LITTLE STRANGE of the time and the first concert "pop star" who would cause girls to sigh at sold-out concerts across Europe. Beethoven had a lover at the Schloss castle in Golubinci. Johanna von Honrath was the first love of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. When she married the captain of the Austrian army, Karl von Gret, in arranged marriage, he was transferred and moved to a villa in Golubinci, where he lived with the families of other border officers. Johanna continued

to correspond with Ludwig so fervently that she sent him drawings of the castle and maps and instructions on how to get to Golubinci. It is believed that at least once Beethoven embarked on love expeditions to Golubinci from Vienna, where he was a court composer. Somewhat further north, in Futog, historical figures from all over the world came to our region to create great works. There are several interesting stories related to the Hadik-Kotek castle in Futog.

One is that Johann Strauss, the famous Austrian conductor, violinist and composer, and "king of waltzes", was a guest of the Koteks on his journey through the southern parts of the Habsburg monarchy. It is said that, in 1867, he composed his most famous waltz "The beautiful blue Danube" in Kotek's castle, having previously heard ‘Donaujaegers’ whistling the tune on Novi Sad's beach. Donaujaegers were people who gathered along the Danube to "hunt" for work ("jaeger" "hunter" in German).

Also, it seems that he composed the operetta "Apple" here, which takes place in the then Southern Hungary. In the libretto, Strauss says that it takes place in the "Serbian regions". The operetta describes the folk customs of the Serbs and two noblemen called Mirko and Vasa Gradinac.

The fact that today we have a strange attitude and almost disbelief towards these stories does not make these stories less true – today, when we are a European province and have spent decades neglecting ourselves and our culture, does not mean that we were not the centre of European events once. Our attitude towards castles, which in neighbouring Hungary, but also Poland, Latvia or Belarus, are perfectly restored, has nothing to do with various political regimes such as socialism or the political orientation of our country, but only on self-esteem, which why we need to re-discover it. We also need to re-discover our sense for business. Why shouldn’t we transform a part of the Schloss castle into a restaurant called ‘Beethoven’s Inn’? Why isn't his bust in front? Why didn't the cas-

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tle at least become a cultural station in Golubinci, but now stands hollow and empty in the centre of the village? There are many business opportunities and yet so little action to use them.

There are also more unusual stories about castles. If the Schloss Castle in Golubinci is today perfectly restored on the outside and empty inside, and if Kotek's castle in Futog is home to a high school, what about the Bissingem castle in Vlajkovac, near Vršac, which is so beautiful and monumental, but it is literally falling apart? Until recently, like most others, it was open, but now its roof is caving. It’s full of trash, and everything inside of it has been looted. A certain Roma man, who introduces himself as Vule, let us in for 200 dinars and a loaf of bread. He says that "a Ministry employee gave him the keys to guard the castle from hooligans." When asked "who exactly” gave him the keys, he answered, "Slavica". Nobody knows if Slavica from Belgrade even exists.

Some summer houses in eastern Serbia are squatted. Squatters threw stones at us when we came to film them. Two stories from the village of Veliko Središte, near Vršac, and Sonta, between Odžaci and Apatin, are a perfect illustration of how little we know about our castles.

In Veliko Središte, there are two castles, standing next to each other - the older one, which is an elementary school, and the newer, more beautiful one, which is completely ruined. A man who lives in the nearby street did not even know where the castles were, and he is about 60 years old. We found them without anybody’s help. One castle is known as a school, while the other couldn’t be classified as anything else but a classic castle.

In Sonta, the legendary Vendl Mor castle, or also known as Weindler's Castle, which is mentioned in every historical record of Sonta,

is also unknown to people living here. When we asked a local to tell us where Weindler’s Castle was, he answered with: "I don't know about the castle, but there is an agricultural propert estate, with a big building. Maybe that's it!” That was it. Behind the gate, which was unlocked by the guardian of the bankrupt company called Mladi Borac, a magnificent castle emerged. It is in a dilapidated state, as in Russian novels and series based on Dostoevsky's stories.

Aleksa Šantić (Šari), in Bačka district, not far from the border with Hungary, and out of all the castles in Vojvodina, it is perhaps most reminiscent of castles in Transylvania. It was built in 1907 and designed by the Hungarian architect Rezső Hikisch. It was, after Fantast, the most impressive castle in Vojvodina, but after the Second World War, it was used as the seat of the Aleksa Šantić agricultural estate, and consequently served other purposes. Still, it looks mag-

TWO STORIES FROM THE VILLAGE OF VELIKO SREDIŠTE, NEAR VRŠAC, AND SONTA, BETWEEN ODŽACI AND APATIN, ARE A PERFECT ILLUSTRATION OF HOW LITTLE WE KNOW ABOUT OUR CASTLES Overgrown with weeds, surrounded by mosquitoes, you would need a machete and Indiana Jones to get to it. We managed to reach the front of the castle without a machete, but not the rear.

The saddest story is probably the one about the Fernbach Castle or Baba Puszta, located in the middle of nowhere near the village of Aleksa Šantić, close to Sombor. It is so overgrown in bushes that you can easily miss it.

Baba Puszta, the castle of the nobleman Karoly Fernbach, is located 9 kilometres from the village of

nificent. During the 1990s, the agricultural estate collapsed and the building was allowed to collapse too. It became a meeting place for drug addicts. Back in 2009 and 2011, reports show a castle that has no roof, but is clearly visible. Today, it is not visible from the bushes at all, the chapel with frescoes was destroyed, the frescoes were scratched, and the marble altar was broken into two parts by hooligans because they were told that there was gold under it.

There was no gold, of course. Today it looks like something from

an Indiana Jones movie. In just 10 years, the plants have swallowed the castle, so much so that it is reminiscent of the lost cities of Latin America, like Eldorado. It also resembles Angkor Wat or Palenque. It is devastating to see it in such a state. Several people live around the castle. Sandor, once employed in the castle, told us with a nostalgic note in his voice: "Life used to be beautiful in Vojvodina."

There are over a hundred similar stories. The state buildings that are still used are well-preserved, as is the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church - the bishop's courts, seminaries and other palaces are monumental, something to be proud of. But the rest need urgent renovation and conversion into self-sustaining facilities, similar to Ečka or Fantast. We expect the Serbian government to pass a special law to protect them. However, things seem to be moving forward for Serbian castles. Namely, the Color Media Communications Company, together with the Ministry of Culture and Information, has launched the website www.dvorcisrbije.rs , where all 118 castles on the Ministry's protection list are mapped and recorded. In the second half of September, a delegation from the French Ministry of Culture will come to Serbia and, in agreement with Culture Minister Maja Gojković, do a joint assessment of the castles and select 25 of them that will be restored with the help of French experts and EU funds in the first round.

We hope that this practice will continue and that all the castles will eventually be restored to their full splendor so we can be proud of them and enjoy them at the same time. But we are not talking about the Indiana Jones-style enjoyment, but the hedonistic delight we are used to experiencing around the world. Or in Ečka, and until recently, in Fantast.

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INTERVIEW

by Sonja Ćirić

For Quality Minority "My songs are, above all, very emotional, and they hide that primordial, sincere emotion. It is precisely this sincerity of emotion that my audience recognizes, feels, and finds themselves in”

Photos: Anamarija Vartabedijan

dience sang them along with you in unison. This is a sure sign of your popularity in Serbia, but could it also speak of nostalgia for the days before the 1990s, for romantic vacations and the beauty of youth? Do you agree?

— In fact, I played ‘the best of’ or a cross-section of my entire, now 35-year-long professional career; from my own original songs that I composed during my time with Djavoli, back in the 1980s, through those that I did during my solo career, ten or twenty years later, all the way to my latest song, called “Zvijezde”, which I released two months ago. Considering that the concert was attended by different generations, i.e. from the ages of 7 to 77, I can only partially agree with the notion of nostalgia. That may be applicable only to those people in the audience that were over the age of 50 who came to the concert in great numbers. They simply came to ‘collect’ their dose of good, quality, emotional music.

NENAD NENO BELAN Croatian rock musician

e hasn’t performed in Belgrade for two years due to the pandemic and then, in late July, at a concert in the Botanical Garden, after he started playing his first chords, it seemed that time never stopped as he made up for the lost period. The concert was everything that we expected Belan to be. The audience sang along with him with his hits forming a bond between them while he was singing about things that we all find close to our hearts and need.

Nenad Neno Belan started his musical career with the band called Djavoli (The Devils), which he founded 35 years ago in Split, in the then Yugoslavia and today’s Croatia. His songs of the sea, romance and love resonated among the audiences throughout the country. Belan remained true to the music he played with Djavoli, even after going solo in the early 1990s, and then with the band called Fiumens, which he also founded.

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Lyrics brimming with emotions that are not pathetic and are radiating a very special kind of optimism and serenity of the Mediterranean, are a trademark of Belan's career, starting with his 1980s hits like “Dugo Toplo Ljeto” or “Pričaj Mi o Ljubavi” which were sang by the entire region regardless of the then political barriers. Other hits included “Vino Noći” and “Sunčan Dan” all the way to the latest songs which he sang at the aforementioned concert in Belgrade. We should also mention that, last year, he composed the musical ‘Bambina’, staged at the Croatian National Theatre in Split, and that he recorded eleven of his songs in the Italian language, but also sang in English and Polish. Judging by all of this, last year, i.e. the year of the coronavirus pandemic, was very busy for Belan.

You have not performed in Belgrade for two years, justifiably so, due to the pandemic. That is why your recent concert at the Botanical Garden was very meaningful for the audience – it was an encounter with the mu-

I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I ENJOYED EVERY SECOND OF THE BELGRADE PERFORMANCE. BIG THUMBS UP FOR THE CONCERT AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN! sic they love and a prelude to the return to normalcy, namely to a life that does not depend on the coronavirus. How was it for you?

— I had an identical experience as my audience, because, during the ongoing pandemic, I was given a rare opportunity to do what I love the most, that is to perform my music live together with my faithful band Fiumens. I have to admit that I enjoyed every second of that performance. As for the prelude to the return to normalcy, we are all optimistic and hope that it is happening, but instructed by past experience, we are cautious in assessing the situation and reaching final conclusions. Anyway, big thumbs up for the concert at the Botanical Garden!

You performed your old hits and Djavoli’s hits as well, and the au-

You have been performing in all parts of the ex-Yugoslavia. When scheduling concerts, do you take into account the current relations between Croatia and the country in which you plan to play, or not? What is your experience in practice? Is the saying that that music knows no boundaries true?

— If Croatia and any country I perform in have normal economic relations, i.e. if trade between Croatia and that country is functioning normally at all levels, if travel, therefore the border system, is functioning normally, if cultural exchange in the form of movies, music, exhibitions, theatres, etc., is also as usual, then I don't see any reason why the concert exchange between those countries cannot function normally. And it does! My personal experiences are

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pretty normal. I play everywhere in the most normal and relaxed manner.

If it weren't for the coronavirus, you would have celebrated the 35th anniversary of Djavoli last spring, that is, 35 years of your successful career. How did you make it last so long? Was it because of your love for music?

— Absolutely! I did everything with love - a love for music and dedicating my life to it. Of course, in addition to love and talent, which are the basic prerequisites for longevity, there is also a lot of work, effort, sacrifice, perseverance, faith, and sometimes a dose of happiness involved.

Have you ever had an unpleasant experience during your performances because of politics?

— Fortunately, I have not, because I think that my art and my audience have nothing to do with politics. Consequently, there have never been any problems, and I believe that there will be none in the future.

People say consistency with who you are and your musical style is your trademark. You have never followed trends. I have to ask you about the risk related to that. What if your approach to music doesn’t bring you new and younger audiences? Who did you dedicate your music to?

— My approach quite likely repels most of the new generations, but there is a quality minority among these new kids who understands, appreciates and respects my music and that’s enough for me. It’s better to be a part of a quality minority than a poor quality majority. It is this quality minority that I dedicate my music to.

I DID EVERYTHING WITH LOVE - A LOVE FOR MUSIC AND DEDICATING MY LIFE TO IT

I meant to ask you something for a long time and I apologize in advance if I sound rude. Are your songs, that made so many generations of people fall in love, based on true stories?

— My songs are, above all, very emotional, and they hide that primordial, sincere emotion. It is precisely this sincerity of emotion that my audience recognizes, feels, and finds themselves in.

Whether that emotion arose as a product of a true story or is artistic fiction, and in my case, both are true, is less important.

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EMBASSIES AND RESIDENCES

by H.E. Adam Koenraad, Belgian Ambassdor to Serbia

A Building of Interesting History The building has been constructed by the Obrenović family, at the end of the 19th century. It became the home of Draga Masin wife of King Aleksandar Obrenović

t is a real privilege to live in the Belgian Residence, right in the center of Belgrade, close to Serbia’s political and socio-cultural heartbeat. Parliament, Presidency, the seat of Government and City Hall are within walking distance. This also gives me the luxury to leave my car behind, a modest contribution to a healthier Belgrade.

Drawing up the history of the Residence has been a challenge for many of my predecessors. They all have been confronted with a shortage of factual documents that would have shed a light on this. The bombing of the Embassy compound during the second World War and the looting of our archives in 1960, -when the Embassy premises were invaded by hundreds of demonstrators, who ventilated their anger over the Lumumba assassination-, have left us with little historically verified sources. We are still trying to put this jigsaw together. I take this op-

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portunity to launch an open appeal to all your readers who could help us in this endeavor.

What we do know today is a mixture of facts, legends and myths that have thrived well in the absence of archives. The beauty of all this is the link between the building and some of the most important persons and spectacular events in Serbian history. Facts

eksandar Obrenović. When she left the house, her sister allegedly came to live here with her daughter. Queen Draga tried in vain to designate the girl as heir to the throne. The dramatic events in 1903 that lead to the assassination of the King and the Queen, gave room to another legend, vividly described by former Belgian Ambassador Trouveroy in a col-

AFTER THE FIRST WORLD WAR THE BUILDING WAS ACQUIRED BY THE BELGIAN LEGATION IN 1920 and fiction blend nicely, in what definitely makes up a fascinating story.

The building has apparently been constructed by the Obrenović family, at the end of the 19th century. It became the home of Draga Masin, lady in waiting in King Milan’s court and the later mistress and wife of King Al-

umn in a Belgian newspaper. The Queen’s brothers - in the meantime also presented as possible successors- had to hide in the garden of the house, under a prune tree. They didn’t escape from the wrath of the assailants though.

They were captured, brought to the river and killed, at least according to the Ambassador’s ver-

sion of events.

Interestingly enough these legends have also another, partially verified and equally colorful dimension. The Residence building was linked with underground tunnels to buildings in the neighborhood. Some say this constituted the ‘romantic’ connection between the King and his mistress.

For the curious reader I may add: no, sorry, those tunnels don’t exist anymore, they have been closed down some time ago !

After the First World War the building was acquired by the Belgian legation in 1920, something we could verify with a document in the Belgian Foreign Ministry archives. The modalities of this sale are not completely clarified. According to one version the plot was graciously put at the disposal of Belgium by King Aleksandar Karadjordjević, in recognition of Belgian support to independent Serbia and our sacrifices during the war.

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The second World War lead to the complete destruction of the house that was rebuild in 1947, by a yet unknown architect. It is clear that he was inspired by the art déco style when designing the current building. This style is also reflected in the furniture,- tables, display cabinets and cupboards-, as well as in the indirect ceiling lighting, the sliding doors with art déco elements, the wrought iron gates and doors, art déco lamps and a marble fire place that all fit together in elegant harmony with the spacious salons.

Over time some Louis XV and XVI style seats were brought in, but the overall art déco ambiance was preserved, thanks as well to some important refurbishing efforts by my predecessors.

Some features stand out and give these spaces their charming

character : the graceful art nouveau style staircase, that leads to the private apartment. The ‘Salon de Danse’, that borrows its name from the big stained glass « La Danse”, in front of which an elegant chaise longue invites for leisurely rest. Walls are decorated

tory with souvenirs from various countries. Our latest acquisition, a beautiful Kilim carpet from Pirot, will henceforth be part of this nostalgic ensemble.

The big dining room caters for 24 people at a huge English style mahogany dining table. This

THE BUILDING HAS APPARENTLY BEEN CONSTRUCTED BY THE OBRENOVIĆ FAMILY, AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY with old paintings, one of which by 17th century Flemish school master Michau, and a portrait of the charming Queen Astrid.

As is the case in most Residences, you will find some traces of our own professional trajec-

proved to be very convenient in Covid times for meetings where physical distance needed to be respected. ‘Piece de résistance’ in this room is the spectacular crystal chandelier, brightly reflected in the mirror wall.

We managed to fit in our Paul Delvaux lithographie ‘L’impératrice’ in one of the spacious and airy reception salons, as a wink to the prestigious former occupant of this building. The Günther piano, recently completely overhauled, separates the classically decorated room from a more modern designed space, where lunch guests are hosted. The lithography self-portrait of Flemish painter Roger Raveel keeps a watchful eye.

Though situated in the city centre we are still blessed with a small garden with sufficient space to host our national day receptions. My wife and I enjoy every moment in this pleasant environment, and we already regret the day we will have to leave this place and its fabulous history, real or imagined!

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FOOD PLANET

by Vanja Kovačev

Brazil is a Tropical Country With an Abundance of Everything I dream of building a little house on Kamena Gora – Love brought the most famous Brazilian to Serbia and he stayed your region?

— The best-known meals from Rio de Janeiro are definitely “feijoada” - a black bean stew with beef and pork and Globo cookie with mate, which isn’t really a meal, but rather the most famous snacks you will find on the beaches. From Minas Gerais, we have my favorite “feijão tropeiro” beans cooked with salted or dried meat, manioc flour, and various flavorings, as well as the irresistible “pão de queijo”, literally translated to cheese bread – a must try!

As for sweets, we have “brigadeiro” - a chocolate truffle all Brazilians grow up with and “açaí” - an Amazonian berry that made its way into becoming a well-known super food worldwide.

THIAGO FERREIRA Member of Managing board of Serbia4Youth

e agreed for this interview after a tourism related Color Media Communications on line conference Thiago participated in. It was so easy to communicate with this 29 years old young man who proves that new generations are open and positive and not only hiding behind screens as it is a general perception. Thiago came to Serbia in 2012 and since than he has been working as promoter of Serbia. My eye “caught” him as a charming tv host who spoke irresistibly charming good Serbian, showing that he has many talents to show and he choose Serbia as his professional arena. He holds Serbian passport now and when he received it Thiago said: “I am very honored that your country has recognized the quality of my many years of work on bringing Serbia closer to Brazil and promoting your culture and customs.

Thanks to him, Brazilians have become frequent guests in Serbia, because on his blog "Welcome to Serbia" in Portuguese, on which he promoted Serbia and started organizing tourist tours. This smiling tourism expert from Rio is now the “face” of Balkan Trip Television where he hosts the show "Tiago's Balkan". On this occasion let's hear from the most famous Brazilian in Serbia part from his amazing life story related to Brazilian food.

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IF YOU SEE SOMEONE EATING RICE, BEANS, MEAT, SALAD, POTATO AND PASTA ALL AT ONCE, IT’S 100% SURE THEY ARE BRAZILIAN! you-can-eat restaurants in every city. It seems like Brazilians have a problem with choosing just one thing to eat for a meal, so don’t be fooled – if you see someone eating rice, beans, meat, salad, potato and pasta all at once, it’s 100% sure they are Brazilian!

— I was born and raised in the city of Rio de Janeiro, but half of my family is from Tiradentes, a small historic town in the city of Minas Gerais, some 300 kilometers away from Rio. I was always traveling back and forth between the two cities.

Which part of Brazil do you come from?

What are three most known Brazilian meals and sweets from

Do you like to cook and who taught you how to cook?

— To be honest, I don’t cook much, but I had my time living alone in Belgrade and ended up learning something. Friends and family helped me the most with recipes.

Which Brazilian meals you prepare in Serbia?

— It’s hard preparing most of the Brazilian food in Serbia because you just can’t find many of the ingredients available in Brazil.

However, Brazilians always find a way... We love preparing “pão de queijo” and “brigadeiro” for friends and family gatherings, but

Thiago, how would you describe the main features of Brazilian cuisine?

— The main characteristic, in my opinion, is the Variety. Brazil is a tropical country with an abundance of everything. In every corner, you can find all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables, top-quality meat, as well as snacks and sweets one just can’t live without.

Everything is just so tasty that it is not unusual to find “rodízio” all-

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Feijão Tropeiro

with some creativity we can prepare also prepare our beloved rice and beans the Brazilian way.

BRAZILIAN BEANS WITH SAUSAGE AND COLLARD GREENS

What is your favorite Serbian dish and why?

— Sarma! Because it was such a shock in the beginning, I couldn’t stand it - in Brazil we don’t eat much cabbage at all, but after some time I fell in love with it, especially when it’s served together with “ruska salata” and homemade bread.

How do you like living in Belgrade? Which regions/cities have you visited and which is the one you would recommend to your expat friends and why?

— I love living in Belgrade! It is one of the most exciting cities I have ever been to... It has something unexpected to it, which you just can’t really explain. It’s far from being an obvious city... You really have to explore it to discover what it is really about and, once you do, I guarantee you’ll fall in love! Serbia is overall an amazing country... Working with tourism, I’ve visited all the regions and it’s hard picking a favorite one, but I have to admit western Serbia has a big part in my heart because of all its inspiring landscapes filled with mountains, cliffs, rivers and amazing viewpoints! I dream of building a little house on Kamena Gora, my favorite mountain village on the very border between Serbia and Montenegro.

PREPARE FEIJÃO TROPEIRO AND YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS REALLY TO DIE FOR

And last but not the least I decided to share with DC readers a recipe of my favorite “feijão tropeiro”- by far the most requested recipe on famous www.oliviascuisine.com/feijao-tropeiro/ blog.

Prepare Feijão Tropeiro and you will see that it is really to die for and is the ultimate Brazilian dish.

Feijão Tropeiro translates to “Cattleman’s Beans” since back in Brazil’s colonial times, troops of cattlemen – known as “tropeiros”, in Portuguese – would travel long distances to explore the inland territories of Brazil and transport cattle and commodities.

INGREDIENTS • 1 pound dry carioca beans (substitute: pinto beans), rinsed * • 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh • 6 cups water • 1 bunch collard greens, rinsed and dried • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided • 14 ounces calabresa sausage, sliced (substitute: chorizo, smoked kielbasa or any other smoked sausage) • 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon, diced • 1 large onion, sliced • 6 cloves of garlic, minced, divided • 5 eggs • 1 to 1 1/2 cups toasted manioc flour • Salt and pepper to taste • Chopped parsley and green onions to taste

INSTRUCTIONS Start by cooking your beans.

My preferred method is using a pressure cooker: combine the beans, bay leaves and water in your pot. Secure the lid and bring it to the stove, over high heat. When it reaches high pressure, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to cool down and release all the pressure naturally.

When ready to open, unlock and remove the lid. Check if the beans

are al dente. If not, cook them longer, in 5-minute increments.

(Note: this method is for stove top pressure cookers. If you are using an electric pressure cooker, follow your cooker's instructions to cook beans.) You can also cook your beans the conventional way, on the stove, but it will take longer. Just bring the beans, bay leaves and water to a boil, over medium-high heat. When boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, until al dente, adding more water as needed to keep the beans submerged. The cooking process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. Be patient! (Or get a pressure cooker.) When the beans are done, drain all the water and reserve. Remove the stems of the collard greens leaves. Then, stack a few leaves on top of each other and roll that stack into a cylinder.

Using a chef knife, slice the collard greens into thin strips. Repeat with all the leaves. Place the oil in a medium-sized skillet and place it over medium heat. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring gently, until they are scrambled. Reserve. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 3 cloves of garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the collard greens and cook until withered, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve. Using that same pan, over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown the sausage until it starts

to get crispy, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan and reserve.

Discard the fat. In the same pan, add the bacon and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Then, stir in the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until translucent (about 3 more minutes). Add the drained beans and the sausage and cook for a minute, letting the beans soak up all those amazing flavors.

Then, add the eggs and the collard greens, stirring until everything is well combined. Season generoulsy with salt and pepper. Then, add the manioc flour (to taste), a handful at a time, stirring until it is moist and incorporated into the dish. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the parsley and green onions.

Serve immediately!

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POSTCARD

by Robert Čoban

Istrian Montenegrins and the Tragic Death of Baroness Barbara Hiterot - part I Cycling in Istria - the wonders of St. Foška, the Montenegrins who settled in Istria in the 17th century in the Venetian Republic, the mysterious mummies in the church in Vodnjan and the exciting life and cruel death of Baroness Barbara Hiterot, once the owner of Red Island, situated across Rovinj

THE LARGEST IN ISTRIA: Church of St. Blaž in Vodnjan

hat do Vojvodina and Istria have in common and why are they also different? I have had the opportunity to cycle around the two regions that have been often "twinned" over the past twenty years and saw many things that otherwise cannot be seen from a car, bus or boat.

The similarities are mainly reduced to the historic legacy of Istrians and Vojvodina, namely multiculturalism of towns and villages, multilingual signs, every place having a Marshal Tito Street and monuments erected in honour of partisans, and kind and peaceful locals. The differences are much more contemporary. While driving through Istrian towns and villages, I did not see any illegal dumps and dare I

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“THE SVETA FOŠKA WONDER BY THE SEA", THEY SAY IN ISTRIA. THIS 11TH-CENTURY CHURCH ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO BELIEVE IN ITS MIRACULOUS POWERS say it, not even a bottle or a plastic bag on the ground, even though tens of thousands of tourists were flocking around. On the other hand, in Vojvodina, wild landfills desecrate the appearance of even the most idyllic landscapes. The land is more fertile in Vojvodina than in rocky and "lean" Istria, which is nevertheless a much wealthier region today. There are many reasons for that - proximity to countries like Austria and It-

aly is one of them and the lack of landfills and garbage is only the final product of mental and geographical proximity to Europe.

"Most of my workers come from Serbia - from chambermaids that come from Niš to waiters from Novi Sad. They are all very hardworking. We are happy with their work and obviously, they are happy with us as employers, otherwise, they wouldn’t be working for us for years now,” says the own-

er of the Menenghetti Hotel, Miroslav Plišo, while we were drinking coffee under an olive tree.

Miroslav was a lawyer from Zagreb who chose to replace drab court chambers with perhaps the most beautiful place in our region. He is certainly one of the best people to analyze tourist opportunities on the Adriatic with.

Last year, when Dalmatia, Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey experienced a huge decline in the number of tourists, Istria had a satisfactory tourist season. This year, says Miroslav, despite the global bogey called the Delta strain of the coronavirus, Istria is approaching the numbers of tourists, overnight stays and income from 2019.

To avoid being totally spoiled by the swimming pool, olive oil

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and Malvasia wine from Miroslav’s hotel, I decided to visit several nearby villages and towns on a rented bicycle.

Although it seemed much flatter when driving a car, Istria is hillier than most of Vojvodina, so you need to be at a slightly higher fitness level, especially on the ascents to the cities that are usually on the hills.

I did not plan to visit it, nor had I heard of it before, however, the signpost saying "Sveta Foška" (Saint Foška) led me to turn my bicycle to the left between Barbariga and Peroj and head uphill in the rugged landscape.

“The Sveta Foška wonder by the sea", they say in Istria. This 11th-century church attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world who believe in its miraculous powers. The church was locked, so I managed somewhat to photograph the interior through narrow windows in which believers leave photos of family members who need healing. Apart from the photos, there are also a lot of candles, flowers, children's toys left there... Three families with small children were hanging around the locked church.

One local I talked to tells me that people come here from all over the world. Even some women fell pregnant after visiting the church, despite not being able to before. To his knowledge, 26 women became mothers after coming here. A couple of years ago, several families arrived from Russia with an eight-year-old boy, Alyosha. At one point, the child flew out of the church in tears. His mother asked him what had happened, and the boy said in shock that he had seen Sveta Foška’s

head being cut off. Other people had the same vision in the church.

The church is secluded - half a kilometre away from the nearest houses. It can be reached by a macadam road after turning off the Vodnjan - Bale road, and going further towards Batvači. Despite the church being so dislocated, both the village and the church have been frequented by many believers since the mid-1970s, but also people who just want to experience a surge of strong energy.

Sveta Foška was born 1,700 years ago in Ravenna, Italy. It was a time when Christians were persecuted and killed. But Foška, then a 15-year-old girl, decided to live according to Christian principles which was a disgrace for her whole family. The father re-

NJEGOŠ'S QUOTE: Orthodox cemetery from the Church of St. Spiridon in Peroj

ON JULY 21, 1657, FIFTEEN FAMILIES FROM MONTENEGRO MOVED TO PEROJ. THE MOST IMPORTANT AND ONLY DOCUMENT FROM THAT TIME IS THE SO-CALLED PEROJ CHARTER BY WHICH THIS VILLAGE, SURROUNDING PASTURES AND FORESTS ARE GIVEN TO IMMIGRANTS FROM MONTENEGRO nounced her and reported her to the authorities, also denouncing her as a Christian. Together with other Christians, the authorities tortured her, trying to expel "the heresy" out of her head. They beheaded her and threw her body into the sea. Legend has it that Foška’s body floated to the shores of North Africa, where it was celebrated until the arrival of the Arabs. Then a man named Vitale transferred the relics of Saint Foška to Torcello, an island in the

WORLD ATTRACTION: Mummies in the church in Vodnjan

Venetian lagoon. In 1220, a church was built on that island in her honour. Sveta Foška is revered as a protector against headaches, arthritis, rheumatism, depression and a patron saint of young people. The Sveta Foška pilgrimage starts in mid-February every year.

The descent goes much faster than the ascent, so in no time, I found myself in front of the Peroj road sign. This town is located on the southwest coast of Istria and has a great view of the

Fažana Channel and the Brijuni Archipelago.

Peroj was already a famous summer back in old Roman times when it was called Praetoriolum or Casale Petriolo. The architecture of the old town is reminiscent of other Istrian places with old stone houses with ballatoios (a mezzanine typical of old Istrian houses) and stone benches in front. As early as 1197, a settlement called Pedrol is mentioned to be located here.

In the 12th century, Istria was ravaged by plague and cholera, which devastated towns and villages here. The Venetian Republic, which ruled these areas at that time, was trying to settle in Istria, including Peroj, where the natives became extinct. Attempts were made to settle Bologna farmers and craftsmen on two occasions with Greek families from Cyprus and the Peloponnese. These attempts were unsuccessful because the would-be settlers all returned to their homelands. Then the cunning Venetians remembered a much more resistant strain.

On July 21, 1657, fifteen families from Montenegro moved to Peroj.

The most important and only document from that time is the socalled Peroj Charter by which this village, surrounding pastures and forests are given to immigrants from Montenegro. The Montenegrins of the Orthodox faith were not allowed to build a church here but were given the church of St. Nicholas in Pula, which was the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1788, the people in Peroj were allowed by the Venetian Republic to build their own church.

Church of St. Spiridon takes its present form in 1834. The chapel

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was built in 1880 and the bell tower in 1860. It is interesting to note that the Montenegrins in Peroj have kept their Orthodox (Serbian Orthodox Church, the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitanate) language and Cyrillic alphabet to this day, for 350 years, that is inscribed on their tombstones. Indigenous Peroj people nurture their customs, church celebrations and speak the Peroj dialect.

In the cemetery behind the church, I also found some monuments that quote Petar Petrović Njegoš. Among the monuments, I notice one that reads: "In memory of the people of Peroj who died and perished in the Great War 1915-1918." Yes, Italy entered the First World War only in 1915, after the Treaty of London stated that Dalmatia, Istria, Trieste and South Tyrol would become Italian territories.

Across the church is a monument to the fallen Allied soldiers in WWII and the victims of fascist terror with the names of the locals printed in Cyrillic and a red five-pointed star on top. Lots of fresh flowers are laid in front of the monument.

Six kilometres of pedalling uphill and I arrive in Vodnjan, the seat of the municipality to which Peroj and Barbariga also belong.

"I was born in 1942 here, during the reign of Italy", a woman in front of the Church of St. Blaž in the town centre says. A few minutes earlier, while I was locking the bike, she was talking to a younger Roma woman and

LIVING MEMORIES: Italian woman born in 1942 in front of the church in Vodnjan

ACCORDING TO THE 2011 CENSUS REPORT, VODNJAN HAD A POPULATION OF 3.119 - 55% OF THEM ARE CROATS, 20% ITALIANS, 3% ROMA, 2% SERBS, FOLLOWED BY BOSNIAKS, MONTENEGRINS, ETC.

MAGNET FOR PILGRIMS: Believers attribute healing powers to St. Foška

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CYRILLIC ALPHABET IN ISTRIA: Monument to the fallen Allied soldiers in WWII in Peroj

her son. She told the boy how his mother had to work so that she could buy him sweets and a soccer ball.

With a strong Italian accent, she explains to me that the Italians, unlike the Germans in Vojvodina, were not expelled after the war or sent to concentration camps. "They were free to return to Italy. There was a lot of propaganda. My father decided to stay and we never had any problems.

We always had classes in Italian and spoke our language without hesitation," she says and adds that there are about 100 Italian families even today in Vodnjan. As I was walking in the direction of the town square, where my interlocutor told me that I could buy ice cream, I heard her shouting something at a child in Italian. According to the 2011 census report, Vodnjan had a population of 3.119 - 55% of them are Croats, 20% Italians, 3% Roma, 2% Serbs, followed

by Bosniaks, Montenegrins, etc.

The local newspaper Attinianum, which is bilingual (Croatian and Italian), has an interesting section that all local newspapers and portals should have - "Lipo Bello / Grdo - Brutto" (Beautiful – Bello / Ugly – Brutto) with photos of how to and how not to do behave (throwing garbage, writing graffiti, bad parking).

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by Vanja Kovačev

CULTURE NEWS

08 SEP

24 SEP

BABY CONCERTS Belgrade Philharmonic Hall 11 & 12:30

CONCERT Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation 20:00

Conductor: John Axelrod, Musician: Behzod Abduraimov, piano D. Shostakovich Festive Overture S. Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 P. I. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

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THE NOVEL

The Voices of the Yellow Notebook The Laguna publishing house has recently promoted one of its latest titles, the novel by Sonja Ćirić, „Glasovi Žute Sveske“ („The Voices of the Yellow Notebook“). The main characters of the novel, Jelena, a 38-year-old journalist working for an independent newspaper and her husband Boris, a screenwriter, are living a life that does not suit them after having a series of good years. As a consequence, both of them started to behave like singles, and to live their lives in their life together. Their conversations turned into monologues. Why did they stop being a whole? What to do when you are with someone and feel lonely? Should you give up what you have been building with them up to that point? Is the modern way of life to blame for everything? „The Voices of the Yellow Notebook“ is a collection of such stories and issues that can be found in the writer's surroundings. The book is written both as a dialogue

and monologue, which makes it realistic.

Sonja Ćirić is a journalist and one of the editors of Vreme weekly.

Before this novel she wrote books for teenagers, of which „Neću da Mislim na Prag“ („I will not think of Prague“), was rewarded with four prestigious awards.

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