Diplomacy&Commerce 69

November 2021 | ISSUE No. 69 | Price 350 RSD

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THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT

SUMMIT IN BELGRADE

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UNIQUE FOCUS ON PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT ARY NAÏM

IFC’s Regional Manager for Central and Southeast Europe

DIPLOMATIC CORPS VISIT THE CAVIAR EXHIBITION Gallery of the Natural History Museum

WE WORK IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE

LOTS OF NICE THINGS...

Executive Director of NALED

Weekend Media Festival, Rovinj

VIOLETA JOVANOVIĆ

Slovenia

ROBERT ČOBAN

TOGETHER IN GOOD AND BAD TIMES

H.E. ALCINO DOS PRAZERES IZATA FRANCISCO DA CONCEIÇÃO Ambassador of Angola S P E C I A L

E D I T I ON

Croatia FOCUS ON

H.E. DAMJAN BERGANT Slovenian Ambassador to Serbia

H.E. HIDAJET BIŠČEVIĆ Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia

White Privileged Males membership. It’s the 21st century!

Also recently, academic Matija Bećković explained this disproportion in the SANU membership: "Why do you act so surprised that there are almost no women among academics, or why you are even looking for women in the SANU membership?

If you haven't noticed, there are no women in football clubs either. And why do you think tennis is divided into men's and women's? It simply turns out that men are more talented and capable of doing certain things. You cannot become an Academy member by pulling strings - there are certain criteria that you need to meet. The fact that today, more men meet these criteria is just a reality and a reflection of the current state of affairs because gender or anything else doesn't matter when academics are elected members. Even if someone is a hermaphrodite, if they are a genius, they will become a member of the Academy."

The facts show that Serbia is one of the leaders in the number of women in science. According to the latest data, almost every other researcher in Serbia is a woman, which puts our country in fourth place in Europe.

Professor Gordana Vunjak Novak-

ović has the highest scientific competence index among all Serbian scientists. She is also the only Serbian woman that was included in the list of the 100 most cited authors in history, in all scientific disciplines.

Then there is the young scientist, Milica Radišić, who worked with Professor Vunjak Novaković. According to the MIT Technology Review from 2008, when she was only 32, Milica was chosen among the 35 best and most promising young scientists in the world. Sanda Ljubičić, a biochemist and postdoctoral student at Harvard University, is on the verge of discovering a cure for diabetes that will enable people with type 1 diabetes to become independent of insulin therapy.

Jasmina Vujić is the first woman to head the Department of Nuclear Engineering. She graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade and received her Master's degree from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Following that, she went to the United States, where she became a doctor of science. Today, she is a professor at the University of Berkeley. Doctor of Science from Goethe University, Jelena Božilović, graduated high school in Leskovac, majoring in pharmacy, and then graduated chemistry at the University of Niš.

What can we expect from our political parties, the media and young people in stadiums and streets, if the most elite club of "white privileged men" sends out a message like this in 2021?

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ARY NAÏM

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

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

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

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

few days ago, in someone’s office, I saw the book "Women as members of the SANU".

It immediately struck me that the term "female members" was not used in the title. I am not in favour of the unreasonable use of gender-sensitive language in every place, but here, in the part that should speak about our greatest scientists and artists, the deliberate omission of the word "female member" spoke louder than a mere linguistic form.

Recently, there was news that the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences (SANU) got 30 new members and that there were no women among them. The Academy currently has 160 members, of whom only 15 are women which is less than 10% of the total

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CONTENT

UNIQUE FOCUS ON PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT IFC’s Regional Manager for Central and Southeast Europe

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TOGETHER IN GOOD AND BAD TIMES ”Color Media Communications” LTD, 21132 Petrovaradin, Štrosmajerova 3 TIN 107871532 Matriculation number 20887303 Phone: +381 21 4897 100 Office: Braće Jugovića 23/2, Belgrade Phone: 011 4044 960 CIP - Katalogizacija u publikaciji Biblioteke Matice Srpske, Novi Sad 33 Diplomacy & Commerce / glavni i odgovorni urednik Tanja Banković, 2016, br. 1 (mart)-.Novi Sad: Color Media Communications, 2016 - , -33cm Mesečno.

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H.E. ALCINO DOS PRAZERES IZATA FRANCISCO DA CONCEIÇÃO Ambassador of Angola

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WE WORK IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE VIOLETA JOVANOVIĆ

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND SCIENCE ARE KEY

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WHEN WE FIND RISK, WE SEEK TO REDUCE IT DAVID SWEANOR Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

CREATING THE ART WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHS Longtime theater and concert photographer, photographer of the Serbian National Theater S P E C I A L

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MEXICAN CUISINE IS ONE OF THE RICHEST AND MOST DIVERSE IN THE WORLD MRS. EUNHAI KIM The spouse of the ambassador of Mexico in Belgrade

Executive Director of NALED

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GREEN-LIT

Olaf Scholz’s “Traffic-light” Coalition is Taking Shape The broad outline has been agreed; details still to come

ne thing seemed clear during Germany’s topsy-turvy election campaign. Whatever the result, the negotiations required to form the first government of the post-Angela Merkel era would be complex, difficult and extremely long. A fragmented electorate was likely to force Germany into its first three-way coalition since the 1950s, binding together parties previously united only by distrust and disagreement. Mrs Merkel, mused some, would have to don one of her famous coloured blazers for one last New Year’s speech as chancellor, as the coalition talks ground into January. ONE THING seemed clear during Germany’s topsy-turvy election campaign. Whatever the result, the negotiations required to form the first government of the post-Angela Merkel era would be complex, difficult and extremely long. A fragmented electorate was likely to force Germany into its first three-way coalition since the 1950s, binding together parties previously united only by distrust and disagreement. Mrs Merkel, mused some, would have to don

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one of her famous coloured blazers for one last New Year’s speech as chancellor, as the coalition talks ground into January.

Seeking to prove that their putative alliance can be more than the sum of its parts, its members are promoting a narrative of “modernisation”. This finds expression in commitments to halve

proposed tweaks to the creaking public-pension system will not suffice to see off a coming demographic crunch. Its ambivalent statement on the European Union’s fiscal rules, over which governments will scrap early next year, “just shows that we couldn’t agree on anything consistent”, says Sven Giegold, a Green MEP

ALL BEING WELL, THE PARTIES WILL CONCLUDE A FORMAL COALITION AGREEMENT—LIKELY TO BE THE LENGTH OF A SMALL BOOK—IN DECEMBER the approval time for infrastructure schemes, accelerate digitalisation, loosen immigration laws, increase R&D spending and reduce the voting age to 16. There are also pledges to boost house building, tackle child poverty and to lift the hourly minimum wage to €12 ($14), the signature policy of Olaf Scholz, the SPD’s candidate for chancellor.

Yet the paper is vague, or silent, on the trickiest issues. Its

involved in the negotiations.

The biggest open question is how the government can hope to fund the huge investments needed for Germany’s promised energy and digital transitions. Pundits are buzzing with ideas, including the establishment of public companies or complex offbudget vehicles. But for now the parties promise merely to “ensure the necessary investments…within the framework of the constitu-

tional debt brake”. Threading this needle may be the trickiest part of the formal coalition talks to come.

Almost 300 negotiators, spread across 22 working groups, will now spend the coming weeks thrashing out the details. Their bosses must manage the delicate question of apportioning government jobs: the FDP and Greens both have their eye on the finance ministry, currently occupied by Mr Scholz. (After the surprise resignation of Jens Weidmann on October 20th, they must also agree on a new president of the Bundesbank.) All being well, the parties will conclude a formal coalition agreement—likely to be the length of a small book—in December. Assuming it is approved by the Green membership, and perhaps that of the SPD, Mr Scholz will be granted his wish of being anointed chancellor before Christmas, and Mrs Merkel hers of leaving her blazer in the wardrobe on December 31st.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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INTERVIEW

by Ruža Veljović

Unique Focus on Private Sector Development IFC has always been active in structuring and financing infrastructure PPPs, that we see as a very good option to leverage scarce public resources, mobilize private investment, and attract good practices from the best global players

ARY NAÏM IFC’s Regional Manager for Central and Southeast Europe

here are three main sectors that I would highlight as priorities for us in the region: renewable energy, to support the decarbonization agenda; waste management and water treatment, pillars of the circular economy and key to preserving the health of the environment and the people; and the capital markets – financial institutions in particular will lead the financing of a greener, more sustainable, and more impactful private sector overall.

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It has been more than a year that you have assumed the position of Regional Manager for the In-

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ternational Finance Corporation (IFC) in Central and Southeast Europe. What are your impressions of the opportunities for IFC to make an impact in this part of the world?

— Indeed, I landed in Belgrade in

I was first impressed by IFC’s footprint in the region, where we have sizable offices and teams in Belgrade, Bucharest, Sarajevo, Tirana, and Pristina. And by the deep experience and local knowledge that my colleagues have accumulated

WE HAVE HELPED BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVE THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, ATTRACT PRIVATE INVESTMENT, AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS IN THE REGION July 2020 after spending the last 15 years in North America, first in Washington DC, then the Caribbean, and finally in Mexico for the last 6 years.

When I took this new position,

over the past 20 years, making a strong impact for our private sector clients and government partners at times of political, social, and economic transition. With our unique focus on private sec-

tor development, we have helped build infrastructure, improve the business environment, attract private investment, and create opportunities and jobs in the region.

Most recent examples in Serbia include financing half of the country’s current wind-energy generation capacity, financing the Nikola Tesla airport concession, structuring and financing the new landfill and Waste-to-Energy plant in Vinča, and also multiple technical assistance, lending, and policy initiatives to reduce processing times for construction permits, digitalize business processes, increase access to finance for SMEs, and facilitate trade logistics across borders.

Much remains to be done, and I am also excited at the new possibilities that the region can lev-

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erage, as it enters the post-COVID era. Clearly, countries in Central and Southeast Europe are uniquely positioned to leverage three main trends that will drive the recovery: the digital economy, for which the region’s young populations have solid skills that can still be developed further; the sustainability economy, for which major investments are required that will create new well-paid job opportunities; and the regionalization of various manufacturing and agribusiness value-chains, that currently seek to develop new production capabilities in Europe and its immediate surroundings.

More specifically, what are IFC strategic objectives in Central and Southeast Europe?

— Our strategy is built around “the 3 C’s” of Connectivity, Competitiveness, and Climate. Connectivity, because countries in the region need to create a bigger pie together, generate economies of scale, and ensure good economic return for investors. Competitiveness, because people need better salaries and living standards — competitiveness must be the basis to attract fresh investment, rather than low-cost labor and tax incentives. And Climate, because the future is bleak in a world with depleted resources and a severe climate crisis, and because investing now in the transition to a green economy is key to creating the skills and jobs of the future. In a 2020 report titled “Ctrl-Alt-Delete: A Green Reboot for Emerging Markets,” IFC explored 21 economies in developing markets, and identified an estimated $10.2 trillion in climate investment opportunities by 2030, with the potential to generate 213 million cumulative jobs and reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 4 billion tons of CO2 equivalent. These investment opportunities are in renewable energy, and also in green buildings, transportation, smart agriculture, waste and water management, industrial energy efficiency.

So, is IFC more of an investment bank, a technical assistance pro-

vider, or a policy advisor?

— We at IFC acknowledge that multifaceted global development challenges such as rising inequalities, new demographic trends, environmental degradation, among others, cannot be addressed through a single lens. We implement our strategy through multiple instruments: leveraging our capital and AAA rating to finance projects and mobilize capital from others; mobilizing our knowledge and experience to provide advice to Government and firms; and leveraging our influence and thought leadership, when it comes to environmental and social sustainability, governance, impact investing,

mental Social and Governance advisory program for firms and financial institutions, and various Investment Climate initiatives, which are key for a broader, more systemic impact, alongside a transaction-by-transaction approach.

Finally, we work “Upstream”: when we identify specific barriers to creating new markets or making new investments, we work with public and private actors to address these barriers, advising on policy changes when needed, designing risk-mitigation instruments to foster investments, and co-developing projects where we can play a catalytic role. A

ONE OF THESE COMPLEX ISSUES IS TO HELP THE REGION OPERATE A “JUST TRANSITION” FROM A COAL-BASED ECONOMY TO A LOW-CARBON ECONOMY climate financing, and many others industry-specific topics. In today’s world where access to capital is relatively abundant for good projects, it is this additional value — beyond mere financing — that our clients seek from IFC. We are present in four main industry verticals: Financial Institutions and Markets, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Services, and Private Equity and Technology Financing. In Central and Southeast Europe, which for us includes the Western-Balkans, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, our investment portfolio amounts to 2.2 billion dollars invested with banks and financial institutions, microfinance, renewable energy, green building construction, transportation services, waste and water treatment, private health and education, manufacturing, agribusiness, and retail distribution.

Supported by various donor partners, we also implement targeted advisory programs across the region, for instance our Western Balkans Manufacturing Value Chains program, our Environ-

good example in the Western-Balkans would be on battery storage, where we will explore how new policies for energy transmission could foster investments in power grid regulation and facilitate the integration of new renewable capacity into the grid.

IFC is also known for its promotion of Public-Private Partnerships. How is the landscape changing for PPPs in the region?

— Recent examples in the region include the financing of airport concessions in Belgrade, Zagreb, and Sofia, the Vinča Waste-to-Energy project in Belgrade, and the successful PPP Labs initiative in Albania, which increased the availability of laboratories providing quality medical analysis, at a critical time before the COVID crisis hits.

I am convinced that PPPs are even more critical now. Whether we build a port, an airport, a power plant, a dam, or a bridge, investment decisions are being made for the next 30 or 40 years.

It is not an easy task for governments, at a time when both cli-

mate change and technological disruptions create enormous uncertainties for the future. Climate change, because everything we know about historic wind patterns, solar irradiation, water levels, will change in the next few years. Technology disruption, because it is affecting all segments of infrastructure: energy generation, with the rise of battery storage, hydrogen, distributed generation; transportation, with e-mobility; waste and water treatment, with the rise of the circular economy and changes in consumption patterns due to COVID; data highways, with the digital economy, the Internet of Things, cloud services, and new needs for broadband; etc.

Amid increased uncertainty, governments can take these risks and engage public resources upfront. Alternatively, they can call on the private sector to share some of these risks, build and operate new modern facilities, and charge for a service over the project lifetime. It is a great time to opt for the latter.

Looking forward, what are the priority sectors where IFC can make an impact in the region?

— We are trying to tackle some of the most challenging issues for the region, jointly with other development partners. One of these complex issues is to help the region operate a “just transition” from a coal-based economy to a low-carbon economy, where no one gets left behind. This calls for multiple interventions to decarbonize the economy while offering new job opportunities for affected people and protecting the most vulnerable.

Our contribution to this effort can be wide-ranging—from working with the local financial sector and promoting financing for green investments, to investing in the circular economy, better municipal infrastructure, private health and education services, as well as attracting fresh private investment in new endeavors that will generate the jobs of the future.

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE IFC is part of the World Bank Group and the leading global institution focusing only on the private sector as a main channel to achieve its development goals. This gives us a unique perspective: on one hand, we can help maximize private investment, at a time when governments need to rebuild fiscal space, continue investing in health care, education, and social protection, and still build the infrastructure that will sustain re-

covery over the long term. On the other hand, when faced with a difficult development challenge, we can leverage our experience and network to identify and incorporate global best practices from Asia to Latin America and from North to South. As the region enters a new phase of green, resilient, inclusive development, I truly believe that IFC can make a unique impact in the region, alongside other development partners, of course.

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INTERESTING FACTS

NATIONAL DAYS

Republic or Monarchy? What Makes you Richer?

NOVEMBER

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MOROCCO Independence Day

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LEBANON Independence Day

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ALBANIA " Dita e Pavarësisë" - Independence Day

DECEMBER

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ROMANIA National Day

02 UAE

National Day, formation of the federation of seven emirates on independence

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FINLAND

epublican and monarchist social orders are usually discussed from the stance of emotions, but rarely from the position of real arguments. Even when a reasonable argument is made, there is usually talk of abuse of presidential authority in terms of imposing a one-minded state or dictatorship, or of dual power or cohabitation, when the president is from one party and the prime minister and parliament from another. But wealth is rarely talked about. One theory on the Internet argues that monarchies are richer than republics.

In this article, using the GDP (PPP by capita) method, we will test that argument. The results are

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the following – using this criterion, the population of the Principality of Liechtenstein is the wealthiest, with $139,100 per capita, followed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with $122,740, and the Principality of Monaco with $ 115,800. Being small and a monarchy, is a winning solution for now. In 4th and 5th place are two former monarchies, now republics, Singapore and Ireland, followed by Qatar, Macao (Chinese autonomy), and the Isle of Man, Bermuda and Cayman Islands, all British territories, under the reign of Elizabeth II. In the Top 10, the result is 7:3 for the monarchies, which turns into 13: 7 in the Top 20 and 29:21 in the Top 50.

So, although the results are

pretty even, but the monarchies are still richer. Out of a total of 225 territories, only few monarchies are not at the top. Republics, if not as well-organized as Ireland, Germany, Finland, or Iceland, seem to often suffocate in corruption, election fever, and coups in the Third World. How do countries and territories in our region fare? Croatia is the second poorest country in the EU, ranked 71st in the world, and Bulgaria is the poorest, ranking 81st in the world.

Still, they are better ranked than the best WB6 countries - Montenegro is at the 87th place, Serbia at 92nd, North Macedonia at 101st, Bosnia and Herzegovina at 108th, and Kosovo at 136th place in the world.

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

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IRAQ National Day

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UNICEF UNICEF Day

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HE T NETHERLANDS Kingdom Day

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KAZAKHSTAN Independence Day

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QATAR ational Day, the N assumption of power

by Emir Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani in 1878

H.E. DANIEL EMERY New Ambassador of Australia to Serbia H.E. Daniel Emery is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Chargé d’Affaires, Australian Embassy, Zagreb. He has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Ankara, and well as postings in Seoul and Moscow. Previous he worked in DFAT on a several positions such as

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Independence Day of 1917

Director at Western Europe Section, Director, of the Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Section, and Legal advisor, all in Canberra. Mr Emery holds a Master of Laws from the Australian National University; a Bachelor of Arts; and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Adelaide University. He finished a language training in Russian language.

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JAPAN National Day (Emperor's Birthday)

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SLOVENIA Independence and Unity Day

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H.E. ANNIKA BEN DAVID New Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia Born on 30 april 1967 in Uppsala, Sweden, Divorced, mother of Joakim and Nili. Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Relations Internationales, Institut de Hautes Études Internationales, Geneva, Switzerland 1995. Master’s degree in Political Science, Uppsala, 1992. She served as the ambassador at large for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden (Stockholm), and before that as ambassador of Sweden to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2013-2016.

Before that she served as a Head of Section

Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, Africa Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and on a different positions in Sweden Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She worked also as a Desk Officer, at Department for Political Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs 1995-1996, as an Associate Protection Officer, in UNHCR Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic countries in 1995, as an Associate Protection Officer, in UNHCR Middle Eastern and South West Asia Bureau from 1994 to 1995. She is fluent in French and English, beginners Hebrew and German.

H.E. FARIS ROUMI MOHAMMED SHAHEEN AL-NUAIMI New Ambassador of Qatar to Serbia H.E. Faris Roumi Mohammed Shaheen Al-Nuaimi was Born on 22nd January 1966. He began working for the Qatari state administration in 1987 and was employed at the country’s interior ministry until 1991, when he transferred to the foreign ministry and served in the cabinet of the minister. He was posted as third secretary at the Embassy of Qatar to Egypt in 1993, there he earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Cairo’s Higher Institute of Cooperative & Managerial Studies (1997).

He served as a second secretary at the Embassy of Qatar to the UK from

1998 to 2001, and as the first secretary in Morocco from 2002 to ’04. After postings at the ministry – within the Directorate for the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Directorate for Europe and America and the Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs – he was appointed Consul General of the State of Qatar, with the rank of ambassador, at the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in Dubai, UAE (2013-15). Following a second stint in the Cabinet of the Minister, he was appointed Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Serbia on 16th September 2021. Ambassador Shaheeen Al-Nuaimi is married.

NEDA DJOKIĆ New Director of Heineken Serbia Neda Djokić has been appointed the new director of HEINEKEN Serbia, as of October 1, 2021.

Ms Djokić will lead the HEINEKEN team in Serbia and contribute to the further sustainable development and growth of the company. With her abundant work experience and knowledge, Neda will solidify HEINEKEN's position as an industry leader in Serbia, with a focus on people development, a strong growth strategy based on brands that consumers love, boosting partnerships with customers and creating a better world for the local community.

Ms Djokić is the first director of HEINEKEN to come from Serbia, which is a great success but also a great

responsibility: She started her career in the UK, at Unilever, after which she joined L'Oreal. In 2009, she started working for Estee Lauder as a marketing manager for the Bobbi Brown brand, and in 2012, she moved to Coca-Cola Hellenic Serbia as a manager for non-carbonated beverages. Two years later, in 2014, she was appointed marketing director. After that, in 2018, she made a step further in her career and was appointed sales director at Coca-Cola Hellenic Serbia. Ms Djokić joined HEINEKEN Serbia in 2019 and as a marketing director, she continued the successful development of the company's portfolio and fortifying the company's position on the Serbian market.

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INTERVIEW

by Žikica Milošević

Together in Good and Bad Times We are hoping to see Serbian tourists and to become a new tourist hotspot!

H.E. ALCINO DOS PRAZERES IZATA FRANCISCO DA CONCEIÇÃO Ambassador of Angola

ngola and Serbia were friends from the Angolan independence in 1975, and Angola stood with Serbia in bad times in the 1990s. Now, we are preparing new developments, in agriculture, economy, tourism, sports, to open the door of this rich country.

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Yugoslavia and Angola were extremely friendly since the independence of Angola in 1975, and these excellent relations have been transferred to Serbia. How do you rate the relations between us?

— The bilateral relation between Serbia and Angola is historic and solid. It has been built under the leadership of the former president of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito and the former president of Angola, Antonio Agostinho Neto.

As you probably know, Yugoslavia was one of the first European countries that recognized Angola's independence. The Republic of Serbia, as the sucessor of Yugoslavia, has always been supportive by forming strong ties between our respective governments. Angola has reciprocal support and is the only Sub-Saharan country represented in Belgrade by an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Our ties are solid so much so that the Angolan embassy kept all its staff in Belgrade during the NATO bombing in 1999. To show our commitment and support to the Serbian government, Angola also supports Serbia on the sensitive issue of Kosovo, and both governments agreed to mutually support any diplomatic initiatives that are considered important and strategic for both.

Today, the ongoing steps taken on developing the bilateral cooperation are commendable, namely the visit to Serbia of some important Angolan ministers whitin the last three months and the preparation of some important agreements that will certainly enhance our diplomatic and economic relations. Finally, I am confident

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WE WERE FRIENDS RIGHT FROM THE START, IN 1975, AND WE REMAIN FRIENDS TO THIS DAY that Serbia and Angola are aware of the need to expedite and farther strengthen our bilateral relationship and adapt our bilateral policies to the changing circumstances of the world today.

Angola is one of the leading oil-producers in the world and especially in Africa. Our companies collaborate with the Angolan ones. What more our economic cooperation may offer?

— Like the entire world, the Angolan economy has been negatively impacted by the pandemic crisis. The government has been implementing all the necessary measures to restore macroeconomic stability thus lying the foundation for renewed real economic growth and development.

Angola is expecting real economic

growth to achieve 3.1% this year, and is implementing the required measures to accommodate its fiscal and monetary policies in the context of challenging period. Under its national development programme for 2018-2022, supported by an extended financial facility from the IMF, Angola is experiencing growing macroeconomic stability and sound strutural reforms. International reserves have been restored to around 15 billion of US dollars in the first half of 2021 and the government' macroeconomic programme is sought to stabilize the economy through a combination of fiscal consolidation and orderly exchange rate adjustment backed by a tight monetary policy and other measures to safeguard the financial sector.

Angola is also implementing im-

portant structural reforms with the aim of restoring market confidence and promote direct foreign investments. It is against this backdrop that I am considering that there is room for improvement on bilateral economic relation between Angola and Serbia.

As of today, around 80% of the contractual agreements between our two countries are on the field of the Defence industry and Security. In this respect, many Serbian public and private entities are working in Angola, including your reputable oil company NIS-Naftagas through is main partner Gazprom. Angola and Serbia are also working together to conclude some important bilateral agreements that will regenerate our economic cooperation, especially the important bilateral agreement on the reciprocal suppression of visas for diplomatic and service passports which will allow the free circulation of people and the political dialogue between the two ministries of Foreign Affairs.

In addition, a third agreement will shortly be concluded to avoid the double taxations for the investors.

We have also managed to promote and protect investments made by public and private entities in Angola. These will be important legal instruments that will lay the foundation for investment in other important sectors such as agriculture, industry, transport, infrastructures, education, etc.... Let's be prepared for mutual win win approach in terms of investment.

And the prices of oil are rising, it is good for Angolan economy, right?

— We are optimistic about these forecasts. The World Bank estimates that our real economic growth in 2021 will be higher than 3%. Based on a long period of recession that we have been through since 2019, these are good expectations . We also have some important news in terms of our fiscal policy performance. The implementation of a value added tax in 2020 and the decision to better improve the quality of the public expenditures are steps in the rigth direction. In addition, our national development programme

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continues to show resilence and some good results are coming on stream. Oil prices are also on the rise and it will be a good sign in terms of incresed public revenues that will allow bigger public expenditure in terms of investments in social programs.

Angola went though the civil war, like Yugoslavia and Serbia, and yet it recovered. What lessons from Angola can be applied to the Balkans, in your opinion?

— It is not a matter of teaching but learning. What we have learned from the past is the resilience and the need of strong political leadership to pass through all those processes. I think Serbia and Angola remain committed to the principles and values of sovereignty and multilateralism, and it is important to reaffirm our determination of maintaining mutual interest, cooperation, and respect for justice and international obligations, as well as respect for fundamental human rights and territorial integrity of all nations. These are the lessons that we have learned from the past that can be applied in Serbia too. The Civil War was, in a way, useful in terms of going through a historic learning process so we can move forward.

BELGRADE IS A VERY IMPORTANT EUROPEAN CULTURAL HUB, AND IT IS ALSO A PLACE WHERE MANY EVENTS REPRESENTING WORLDWIDE TRADITIONS AND CULTURE TAKE PLACE

How Angola is coping with the pandemic of corona virus, and its economic consequences. How the vaccionation rollout is going on?

— Angola is dealing with this pandemic situation relatively well, although we continue to struggle to have access to affordable vaccines at moderate prices. While we should get together to fight this pandemic, we have seen, nevertheless, a selfish behaviour from some welthy countries. In Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, less than 50% of the population has normal access to vaccines. Thanks to the Covax program and the solidarity by our friends, including Serbia, Angola has been able to vaccinate more than 30% of its population as of today. According to our public data, Angola has had around 63,000 cases of COVID-19 and 1600 fatalities. Angola is thankful to all support as this pandemic shows the level of solidarity and the cooperation in the world. Without solidarity and perseverance, in my opinion, it will be more difficult for all of us to overtake this pandemic.

What can we do to enhance the cultural cooperation? We all know capoeira as an Angolan cultural import.

— Cultural cooperation is very important for boosting bilateral cooperation. As you said, capoeira is an aspect of the Angolan tradition, and it has been transferred to the Brazilian culture through the migration of slaves.

Although, today, it is considered a segment of the Brazillian culture, originaly, capoeira comes from Angola. On the other hand, Belgrade is an important European cultural hub, and it is also a place where many events, representing worldwide traditions and culture, take place. As an African, I was delighted to visit the Museum of the African Art in Belgrade and had the opportunity to showcase our rich culture and artistic programme last June. As an African ambassador in Serbia, I will do everything in my power to bring Angolan traditional and folklore groups to Belgrade to perform across Serbia, thus improving the cultural relations between our two countries.

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We do not forget that Angola has wonderful coast and extreme tourist potentials. Can we do something to open the market for Serbian tourists?

— This is a very important question. JAT used to fly between Luanda and Belgrade on a weeekly basis and, wasn't that long ago, was in the 1990s. Angolans and Serbians, who work and study in our respective countries, and other Angolans, students in the Balkans, used to frequently use this flight. My goal as an Angolan living in Serbia is to continue to work closely with the Serbian government to re-establish these flights between Belgrade and Luanda. This will, of course, depend a lot on how much trade between the two countries will grow, as well as on educational and financial cooperation that, in my opinion, will increase very quickly.

Angola has tremendous turistic potential, with magnificent beaches, nice hotels, a warm climate throughout the year and also wonderful mountains, rivers, savannas and wild animals that are waiting to be discovered and ex-

plored. Serbian and Balkan tourists are more than welcomed in Angola. In this regard, we have reformed the relevant legal procedures to facilitate the issuance of visas. The Angolan Consulate in Belgrade is ready to inform and administratively support all Serbian citizens interested in travelling to Angola for tourism purposes, as soon as the pandemic situation allow us to do so.

Angola is a sport superpower in Africa. What do you expect from the Olympic Games in Tokyo?

— The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo were realized under very difficult conditions, without spectators at the stadiums. These were very hard conditions even for the athletes to perform. Generally speaking, our participation was positive considering the current standards in the Angolan sports. For example, our women handball team performed really well. They did not reach the finals but their participation was honorable. Angola needs to improve significantly its high-ranking sports. In the past, we have been supported by the Serbian sports institutions, sports academies and Serbian coaches to further develop our capacities so that we can achieve good results in the international competition arena. I hope that, in the near future, that cooperation would also be restored.

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by Tanja Banković

We Work in the Best Interest of the Public and Society as a Whole Challenges in our work are a daily routine and require a willingness to make quick decisions and maintain flexibility so that we can function in changing conditions, which has helped us to adapt to new working conditions after the outbreak of a pandemic VIOLETA JOVANOVIĆ

crisis. In those days, our team worked diligently to identify problems and solutions, provide legal assistance, inform the public, as well as collect donations for the most vulnerable communities and health care facilities.

Furthermore, we devised a set of 10 priority measures to support the preservation of economic activity and jobs, and then dozens of sectoral recommendations for sectors such as health care, agriculture, construction industry and transport. Our efforts have borne fruit over time and we are pleased that we have managed to support businesses to operate more easily when movement was limited, but also to show solidarity and collect financial assistance for those who need it the most.

Executive Director of NALED

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e interviewed Violeta Jovanović, the executive director and the first-ever employee of NALED, which was founded 15 years ago, about the organization's significant jubilee and the activities they carry out towards creating the best possible economic and business environment for all companies. "As we are celebrating our 15th anniversary, we would like to highlight that today we have 300 members and almost 100 employees, and are an ineludible interlocutor in key reform processes and a leader of dialogue between all segments of society. It is a great privilege to head such a team that does not look at their society passively and discouragedly, wondering why it is like that. We see Serbia as it could be and we work tirelessly to make it so,“ says Ms Jovanović.

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This year, NALED marks its 15th anniversary. How important is this jubilee for you as a director, but also for the organization itself?

— We started as a small organization with only 17 members, and with a lot of effort and perseverance, we grew into the most influential private-public association.

In the jubilee year, we will soon have 200 realized projects aimed at creating better conditions for doing business, which helped the economic development of Serbia with more than 25 million euros.

Nearly 700,000 issued electronic building permits, 1.2 million submitted applications for cadastre registration via e-Šalter service, a more transparent taxation model for 120,000 business owners who pay flat-rate tax, 1,200 registered national and 100 local nontax levies, and over 600 installed recycling containers to be used by 2.5 million citizens, are just some of the development and reform

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NALED'S STRENGTH LIES IN THE UNIQUE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION WHICH GATHERS REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL THREE SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY – BUSINESS PEOPLE, MAYORS AND EXPERTS achievements initiated by NALED or directly supported by NALED. Since NALED's inception, we have been guided by a different vision of Serbia, as a better place to live and work, and which will be recognized outside the borders of our country as a hotbed of smart solutions and successful reforms.

You have been working tirelessly on improving the business environment and contributing to the

adoption of various laws and implementation of reforms. Which year/period was the most challenging for NALED? — Inherent in NALED, we responded to the current social challenge decisively and promptly. Already in the first days of the state of emergency, we established the COVID-19 digital platform to help citizens and businesses cope with the challenges caused by the first onset of the

What would you say are the basic strengths and advantages of an organization like NALED? — NALED's strength lies in the unique structure of the organization which gathers representatives of all three segments of society – business people, mayors and experts - who through the exchange of arguments come to agreed solutions that further the business environment and are in the best interest of the public and society as a whole.

NALED's uniqueness is reflected in its comprehensive approach to advocating for reforms - from problem definition and conducting research and analysis to collecting data and argumentation, through consultation with all stakeholders, drafting and advocating reforms, preparing regulations and digital solutions, training and supporting institutions in implementation, monitoring the implementation and informing the public.

You cooperate with numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations, institutions and organizations. How

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would you rate the cooperation with partners and how can it be improved?

— NALED cooperates with the private and public sectors on a daily basis through its administrative and working bodies or thematic alliances that bring together numerous eminent representatives of local governments, the business sector and civil society organizations. In the last 15 years, NALED has formed 6 programme associations related to fair competition, e-government, health, food and agriculture, property and investments and the environment.

Our newest body is the BFC Club, an association made of the most successful local governments in Serbia.

Through dialogue inside the organization, members define strategic priorities and help formulate regulatory solutions that find their way to the Government of Serbia and our international partners through tireless public advocacy. NALED's has accomplished a very high percentage of its strategic goals which shows that we are successful in cooperating with the international community and decision-makers in the country, among which we strive to recognize leaders of change and provide support to consistently implement the solutions we propose. We see concrete space for progress in more efficient inter-ministerial coordination and greater determination of decision-makers to implement reforms which they are authorized to do and shorten procedures that are important to citizens, such as simplifying the procedure of buying and selling used vehicles, electronic referrals for medical examinations and systemic solutions, such as those relating to illegal construction and parafiscal levies, which have been waiting for more decisive reformists for decades.

What should be the priorities of all business factors in the coming period, given that the pandemic is slowly phasing out?

— The new practices that we have introduced due to the pandemic will certainly be valid in the post-COVID period too, which will require that the entire economy, and especially small businesses, adapt to remote work and doing business online. In cooperation with the Serbian government and with the support of the British Embassy, NALED has already

launched a project aimed at boosting the sustainability of small and micro enterprises, which includes training and teaching skills for e-invoicing and the use of new electronic services. During the project, a Digital Caravan will be held where we are going to visit 10 local governments and help small entrepreneurs in Serbia to regis-

lenges such as the crisis in energy markets in Europe, what NALED members point out as an everyday challenge and opportunity in the period ahead are modernization and digitalization of business, which is becoming imperative, especially when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises which are the backbone of

MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IS HAVING A TEAM OF PERSISTENT, ENERGETIC AND MOTIVATED PEOPLE WHO, BY ACTING IN UNISON AND AGREEMENT, CAN ACHIEVE EVERYTHING THEY PUT THEIR MIND TO

ter their business on Google Maps and Google My Business applications in order to increase their visibility and take full advantage of e-commerce.

What challenges will the Serbian economy face in the coming period?

— If we leave aside macro chal-

the local economy. Online shopping, online payments, and the transition to the digital economy are some of the safest ways to overcome the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the long run.

You are the first-ever employee at NALED. Looking back, could

you single out five of your biggest achievements?

— There are many programme-related achievements that we are proud of, especially those very first ones such as the Gray Book that grew into the regulatory Bible of reform-oriented ministers, and the BFC Municipality tailored to the economy as a guide for visionary mayors who want to improve the work of their administration and create prerequisites for the growth of the local economy. Shorter procedures for being granted maternity leave, abolition of seals and employee cards, electronic registration of workers and digitalization of solutions for small business owners in the flat-rate tax system, are just some of the effects of our activities on reducing red tape which benefits are equally felt by both businesses and citizens.

The building permit reform is certainly an unprecedented result because its success has opened the door to digital solutions in all segments of state administration. We are especially proud of the solutions that are ahead of their time, such as the application and software solution for the registration of seasonal agricultural workers, thanks to which 50,000 people are now documented agricultural workers in just three years of the solution's implementation.

In our activities, we strive to be a platform for the development of sectoral organizations, such as SPOS, MINS and the Association of Bidders, whom we help create a routine in dealing with state institutions and spread a culture of public-private dialogue in advocating reforms. As I have been supporting programmes for economic empowerment and equality of women in society for 20 years, I am especially proud of the support that NALED provides to the Ethno Network regarding the implementation of the 1,000 Women initiative in cooperation with the Coordination Body for Gender Equality and help women who make handicrafts to become socially and economically empowered, create a source of income for themselves and become self-employed.

As the first-ever NALED employee, my greatest achievement is having a team of persistent, energetic and motivated people who, by acting in unison and agreement, can achieve everything they put their mind to.

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A Lot of Potential for Developing Fintech Industry in South East Europe Each country and region is a story for itself. World-leading countries have spent many years developing the relevant industries and made this process easy going, and on the other hand, some countries found this process a little bit challenging. We at Visa noticed an increasing interest in the fintech area, through our Visa Everywhere Initiative YEVGEN LISNYAK Visa’s Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech & Ventures for CISSEE region

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hile some trends are accelerating due to Covid-19, most were evident and growing rapidly before the pandemic. These trends and initiatives such as open finance, open banking, and APIs, brought new players to tech markets and changed the game rules.

“Each country and region is a story for itself. World-leading countries have spent many years developing the relevant industries and made this process easy going, and on the other hand, some countries found this process a little bit challenging. However, the SEE region shows a lot of potential for the fintech industry“ said Yevgen Lisnyak Visa’s Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech & Ventures for the CISSEE region.

In an interview for Diplomacy and Commerce, Yevgen Lisnyak, who recently spoke at Belgrade Economic Forum on the topic “Driving the new economy through partnerships and innovations”, talked with us about new trends and partnerships, interesting projects developed, and fintech development in the SEE region.

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Over the last years, we are witnessing some different directions of tech market-shaping, with new financial players appearing - fintech and new banks.

Does this mean that traditional actors will be replaced, or are new partnerships between older and younger players on the horizon?

— We are witnessing a rapid transformation of the financial banking sector. Today fintech, which combines finance and technology, is a dynamically developing segment that complements the traditional financial

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VISA EVERYWHERE INITIATIVE HAS HELPED 7,000 START-UPS TO RAISE MORE THAN $2.5 BILLION IN FUNDING COLLECTIVELY OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS world and provides new opportunities for consumers and the financial market in general. More and more tech and business giants are showing an inclination towards fintech in the face of AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrency

is gaining importance worldwide.

At the same time, the increased focus on data opportunities and clearer regulatory jurisdictions have contributed to the massive acceptance of fintech across verticals. Fintech has been empower-

ing businesses and people across the globe for the last few years.

The revolutionary field has managed to transform multiple businesses in varying segments, from retail banking to financial advisory services and more. The powerful impact of fintech has also trickled down the industries of stock trading, transportation, smart cities infrastructure, and more. At Visa, we believe in the power of partnership. So, I am assured strategic partnerships between banks and neo banks are likely to emerge in the coming years. Banks bring control and au-

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thority, while the neo banks bring innovation and speed, and brandnew clients. On the one hand, the bank is a well-established cautiously-moving source of funds and typically risk-averse which emits confidence, while neo banks are attractive to consumers through their earnestness to serve, customer-centric digital interfaces, and speed.

What is Visa's role in this process?

— Visa is connecting dots. Our goal is that all of our clients are in a position to build better digital experiences for their consumers. We would love it if every bank had the latest tools to onboard clients and build digital experiences but that is not the case. Luckily, we’re bringing innovation into the financial ecosystem so that anyone can take advantage and at the same time declare openness for new players. Visa is offering 360 degrees support to fintech players.

From helping them in the phase of product building, growth acceleration, and service improvement, to connecting them with certified partners for digital publishing and traditional players that are willing to integrate such products in their business models. We act as a onestop shop for fintech.

MANY PAYMENT PLATFORMS AND FINTECH ARE ALREADY COLLABORATING WITH VISA GLOBALLY TO CREATE NEW CONSUMER AND MERCHANT EXPERIENCES Could you share with us, some interesting projects that came from these partnerships?

— Many payment platforms and fintech are already collaborating with Visa globally to create new consumer and merchant experiences. I would like to point out our collaboration with Space, the first Georgian neo bank, on developing innovative, user-centric, and secure banking solutions.

Launched in 2018 with just three employees, Space has achieved more than 400,000 downloads and 160,000 registered customers in few years only. Structured as an autonomous business, Space provides customers with a full range of retail banking services including loans, saving products, and

payment cards. Visa also is helping the neo bank to investigate expansion to other countries focusing on CISSEE geographic area.

Then, we have established collaboration with the first Ukrainian neo bank, Monobank, which is only three years old and reached over 4 million happy customers.

Also, Visa's Tap to Phone solution is one of the services that has emerged from a collaboration with fintech. The solution transforms Android smartphones into POS terminals via a simple mobile app allowing businesses to accept contactless payments without additional investments in hardware.

At the recently held Belgrade Economic Forum, you said that more

DIGITAL PROPERTY LAW One more important thing I would like to point out I am very glad that Serbia now has a Digital Property Law, which brings a great legal framework for developing the fintech industry. So, that’s also one great signal that Serbia is taking steps towards the fintech industry.

and more banks globally declare openness toward fintech, becoming platforms for the development of new projects and products.

How do you see the development of this process in the SEE region?

— Each country and region is a story for itself. World-leading countries have spent many years developing the relevant industries and made this process easy going, and on the other hand, some countries found this process a little bit challenging. However, the SEE region shows a lot of potential for the fintech industry. We at Visa noticed an increasing interest in the fintech area, through our Visa Everywhere Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to help these new players further enhance their product propositions and provide visionary solutions for Visa's vast network of partners. Visa Everywhere Initiative has helped 7,000 startups to raise more than $2.5 billion in funding collectively over the past five years. The greatest benefit we are offering to participants of the Visa Everywhere Initiative is the opportunity to scale their businesses through Visa's global reach.

Also, we are expecting to work with local providers on enabling peerto-peer, and B2B payments in the future, as the next big thing in the payment industry.

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Mlekoprodukt – Most GenderSensitive Company in Serbia As a leading socially responsible company, Mlekoprodukt, is now recognized for one more thing

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or every company, the commitment to the principles of social responsibility is an imperative and measurability of success, in all fields.

In its daily activities and work, the Mlekoprodukt Company recognizes the importance of a strong community and has set the empowerment of women as its longterm priority. To that end, winning the Cvet Uspeha za Ženu Zmaja Award for the most gender-sensitive company in Serbia, in the best women entrepreneurs category, given out by the Association of Business Women of Serbia, gave Mlekoprodukt a strong wind's in its sails and has furthered fortified its mission to support women in the long run.

Mlekoprodukt encourages and nurtures gender sensitivity at every step, and cooperation with women entrepreneurs, who are the heads of dairy farms, is just one of the ways how Mlekoprodukt and the entire Savencia Group provide equal treatment for women and men, from financial compensation, through the right to obtain a position in a company, have various privileges, enable career advancement, and in particular, the employment of women in managerial positions. The company has been financing education and professional development and introduced online courses, including training on ethical behaviour and gender equality, among others.

The award criteria are very exact: when selecting companies that have demonstrated the strongest commitment to the principles of gender equality, each candidate company got a number of points on measures that are implemented within the company itself and those that support the economic empowerment of women in the local community. Companies that cooperated with business entities run by women got the highest number of points, with Mlekoprodukt scoring very high among the producers with whom it regularly cooperates. One

F

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GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IS THE COMPANY'S LONG-TERM PRIORITY thing that Mlekoprodukt is especially proud of is the fact that it cooperates with five dairy farms managed by women. In this way, Mlekoprodukt actively applies the Business Ethics Code, which implies gender equality in doing business with suppliers, but at the

same time, facilitates respect and better understanding, as well as the development of more humane society as a whole.

The award was presented by Minister Zorana Mihajlović, who is also the head of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality.

"The state is here to support women entrepreneurs, because they are beneficial for the whole society. Together we can do much more to create equal opportunities for women and men. I presented the award for the most gender-sensitive company, which the Coordination Body and the Association of Business Women traditionally give out for the fourth consecutive year to companies that are implementing socially responsible business strategies and take into account the principles of gender equality," said Minister Mihajlović.

Bojana Momčilov, Manager of Communications and Socially Responsible Business at Mlekoprodukt, said at the award ceremony, that gender equality and women's empowerment is the company's long-term priority. „It is a great pleasure and a real privilege for me to receive such a significant recognition on behalf of the Mlekoprodukt Company.

Needless to say, I am proud that Mlekoprodukt is recognized as the most gender-sensitive company, as this is a validation of our company's long-standing policy to foster gender equality, empower women and treat every member of its team with due care, taking into account all our differences. We can see that the role and position of women in society are evolving, and Mlekoprodukt is an example of how gender equality is respected and implemented in the right way. Our management and employees will continue to move in the direction of social, professional and economic empowerment of women and achieving full gender equality. I would like to thank Minister Zorana Mihajlović and the Association of Business Women, led by President Sanja Popović-Pantić, for this recognition, which I dedicate to all women in our country".

This award encourages Mlekoprodukt to continue to actively apply the principles of gender equality and women's empowerment in its business.

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Cryptocurrencies are a Massive Trend that Cannot be Ignored We have partnered with more than 50 crypto platforms to help them launch Visa cards that make it easy and seamless to spend from a crypto balance anywhere Visa is accepted. Customers of Visa spent on cryptocurrencies about $1billion in the first half of 2021

of total spend on Visa cards, but having in mind these programs exist only a year, it is an indication that crypto-assets are entering a new era.

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AKSHAY CHOPRA Vice President and Head of Innovation and Product Design for Visa CEMEA

nterest for digital currencies from consumers and businesses grows worldwide. It’s reported that at least 14 million users are new crypto market participants as of 2021. Although cryptocurrencies are not accepted in Serbia as a legal payment method, this type of digital payments has the potential to be used in the future. For the November issue of the Diplomacy&Commerce magazine, we talked with Akshay Chopra, Vice president and Head of Innovation and Product Design at Visa CEMEA region about the digital payment's leader experience with cryptocurrencies and how safe are they.

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Why Visa decided to support digital currencies?

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— Visa facilitates payments in all different currencies all across the world. The importance of cryptocurrencies has grown in recent months and it is a massive trend which cannot be ignored by any organization or individual. In order to continue to improve all forms of money movement, about a year ago we shared our strategy

because it serves as the bridge between the crypto ecosystem and our global network of 70 million merchants and 10 thousand financial institutions.

Moreover, we have partnered with more than 50 crypto platforms to help them launch Visa cards that make it easy and seamless to spend from a crypto bal-

WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE RESPONSIBLE INNOVATIONS THAT MAINTAIN THE TRUST AND SECURITY OF THE GLOBAL PAYMENT ECOSYSTEM for supporting digital currencies.

We are focused on delivering the greatest value to people, businesses and economies everywhere, so this is a natural step in responding to market needs. The extension of our network of network strategy is also important change,

ance anywhere Visa is accepted.

Customers of Visa spent on cryptocurrencies about $1billion in the first half of 2021. So many people said that they want cryptocurrency and it is easy for them to do it with Visa linked-cards in a secure way. This is a small portion

How can we buy and spend crypto?

— Although getting a Visa crypto linked card in Serbia will most likely happen at some point in the future, let me share experience from the US for example. If you want to buy bitcoin on an exchange, such as FTX, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, the easiest way to do so is with your Visa card, which serves as an on-ramp to get funds into a crypto exchange. In the meantime, the value of your bitcoin may go up and then you want to cash out a portion of your investment to pay for a new car. With the FTX Visa card, that is easy.

Through a crypto-linked card program, you can use that stablecoin balance to buy groceries or take your family out to dinner, without having to send your earnings to a traditional bank account. All the conversions happen instantly, in-store or online, so we can say that it is as easy as a standard Visa transaction.

And what is also important – thanks to the magic of „tap and go” principles, the store where you bought something does not need to change anything about how it accepts payments, and they are paid in their preferred currency, as any other Visa transaction.

Are crypto-linked Visa cards changing how people use crypto for payments?

— These card programs are still relatively new, but we are tracking several trends that suggest they are gaining traction. It is important to highlight that the number of consumers interested in owning crypto assets is growing. But the number of merchants directly accepting payments on block-

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chains is quite small, so it is difficult today to use your crypto to buy goods or services on the blockchain.

Having a Visa card linked to your crypto balance adds significant utility, because you will be able to access that liquidity, to fund purchases and manage expenses, and to do so instantly and seamlessly.

What is the potential of cryptocurrency in the SEE region?

— Regarding the development and acceptance of cryptocurrencies, this is the question that depends from market to market. Our approach depends on treatments of this topic in different markets and how each regulator handles it. We are always doing deep-in researches, to see what regulators and central banks are doing in the domestic market. For example, Balkan is in the middle of this process of accepting crypto. But it takes time and the general acceptance of digital currencies to be able to view their potential locally.

As a participant of the recently held Belgrade Economic Forum, you spoke about the secu-

RESPONSIBLE INNOVATIONS Updating and maintaining our technology capabilities and risk management services, are a priority. Our partners and stakeholders know that in all our undertakings - in digital currency and beyond our focus on security and trust remains paramount. Therefore, we will continue to advance responsible innovations that maintain the trust and security of the global payment ecosystem.

rity of cryptocurrencies. How do you comment that cryptocurrency is an appealing method of payment to hackers, particularly for ransomware attacks and how is it possible to overcome this challenge?

— Hacked exchanges are often mentioned in the context of cryptocurrencies, but we are building a security infrastructure, constantly improving it and insisting upon the same cybersecurity standards that we always have.

It is interesting that cyber threats against crypto wallets and users is still remarkably similar to cyber threats against other digital platforms, so we can use our experience and existing artificial intelligence to overcome it and we manage to do that. In 2018 alone Visa prevented fraud and embezzlement in the amount of 55 billion USD. Another threat actor that has entered the crypto space are money launderers and terrorist financiers. This is why, we only work with exchanges that can demonstrate proven compliance programs that adhere to AML/ KYC international standards and local laws.

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ECONOMY

No More Abundant and Cheap Fuel The end of an era hen fossil fuels were discovered, they pushed forward the industrialization of all countries and globalization, but they also polluted our planet. Other alternatives have proven to be quite risky. For example, nuclear fuel - if a human error occurs, as in Chernobyl, tragedy strikes. If the human factor is flawless, and a tsunami occurs, as in Fukushima, part of Japan and the entire Pacific are polluted. The French don't seem to care, and the rest of the world is looking to find cheaper and cleaner fossil fuel, which is gas. Alas, gas has proven to be the most expensive fuel.

Putin played a joke on Western Europeans, quoting a Russian fable in which a fox convinces a wolf to fish by drilling a hole in the ice and putting his tail in ice water. As the wolf freezes listening to the "well-intentioned advice" of the fox, the fox laughs away and says "Freeze, freeze, wolf's tail!" Similarly, the Americans have managed to persuade the Europeans not to buy Russian gas and sabotage Nord Stream-2, and now gas and electricity have become too expensive, just like pretty much everything.

The Europeans themselves are to blame for everything. In the 1960s, they "cut" the railways in Britain to speed up bus and car traffic, and turned beautiful cities into cars galore. Many towns were deserted because they were no longer connected. Now, there are so many cars that there is not enough fuel for them when the crisis comes, and even when there is enough fuel to go around, there are no truck drivers to transport fuel. Power outages in parts of China stem in part from the country's attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which have reached enormous levels, so much so that life in Chinese metropolises has become unhealthy.

The decline in coal stocks at power plants in India is linked to a growing import price of coal.

However, the underlying factor is expected to exacerbate the shortage in the next few years, that is declining investment in oil wells, natural gas hubs and coal mines.

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GAS WILL BE A LIFE-SAVING, MIDDLE-GROUND SOLUTION IN THE NEXT THREE DECADES IF THE WEST GETS RID OF THE PARANOIA CALLED "PUTIN'S FAUCET" All this is part of the pressure to decarbonise the economy. On October 23, Brent exceeded the $85 limit, and it will likely reach $100 again in a while. As the pandemic stretched out, the demand for crude oil plummeted. Now, the demand for crude oil has jumped with production unable to meet the. The crude oil prices are growing just like inflation. In Germany, in September, it exceeded 4% for the first time in many decades. And since more than 5 years of low crude oil prices have emptied the budgets of oil producers, from Russia to Saudi Arabia, from Algeria to Iran, from Venezuela to the Emirates, the priority of these countries is to fill budgets and restore social peace, not to reduce prices and increase capacity to make the world more comfortable. So, don't expect the crude oil price to drop shortly.

Even in China and India, which are planning to build new coalfired power plants, the mood has changed against the dirtiest fossil fuel, both because of carbon emissions and its impact on air qual-

ity. However, given that demand is likely to increase as China potentially enters a cold winter, and with India struggling with small reserves, coal could have its last renaissance this year or over a series of years to come. Coal is making a comeback even in Europe, while President Aleksandar Vučić is rejoicing because of Serbia's ability to make electricity from coal. Pollution takes a back seat when compared to potentially having cold buildings and power outages or even planned restrictions which we have not had for the past twenty years. Oil reserves are only 94% of the usual level, European gas storage facilities are at 86%, while Indian and Chinese coal reserves are below 50%.

High prices will remain in force because there are no investments in coal, crude oil and the like in many countries, due to carbon taxes. Until a very strong green fuel industry emerges, prices will be high and supply uncertain.

And when will eco-fuels emerge that will suppress the use of fossil fuels? The question is difficult

to answer. The COP26 summit will have to tackle difficult problems this year, namely, figure out how to step up the transition to eco-fuels. The situation is very difficult.

There are 3 obstacles to the green transition: first, investments in renewable energy are half the level needed to have zero emissions by 2050, secondly, the consumption of renewable energy sources must increase and thirdly, the supply and demand of dirty fossil fuels must be reduced at the same time, without creating dangerous discrepancies between them.

Fossil fuels meet 83% of the demand for primary energy and, according to the plans of the brain trust, it should fall to zero. At the same time, electricity production must be switched from coal and oil to gas that produces less than half of the emissions of harmful gases from coal. However, legal threats, investor pressure and fears of regulations have led to a 40% reduction in investment in fossil fuels since 2015. So, gas is a life-saving fuel for the next two or three decades, which brings us to the West's paranoid fear of Putin and Russian gas, which paradoxically, is the only one that can satisfy these needs. At the same time, many countries swear to reduce emissions but are unwilling to increase taxes and investment and hence incur the wrath of their citizens.

And the Catch 22 continues...

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CORPORATE

Blinking Focuses on Innovation Digital transformation is the key to the development and success of agile companies MILOŠ MILOVANOVIĆ

used to online interaction. We can help any company that needs to work with clients in a digital way to get to know their clients better and build a lasting relationship from which they can develop many different products and services in the digital sphere. Blinking has an enviable base of very satisfied customers and that is our driving force. We are oriented towards innovation, as evidenced by the numerous awards and patents we have. We have just been granted patent rights in the United States for an innovative technology that is truly pioneering.

Our patent opens up the opportunity to create a digital identity in a distributed or blockchain environment. The most important aspect of this is protecting sensitive data.

COO and co-founder of the Blinking Company

person's identity speaks about the person in question - from the basic information we are assigned at birth (name, surname, etc.), through education, work history and a set of activities we perform every day.

We are talking to Miloš Milovanović, COO and co-founder of the Blinking Company, about digital identity.

"When it comes to digital identity, personal identity is transferred to the digital sphere, while overcoming the challenges that arise from that - various kinds of misuse of user privacy and data protection - but also ensuring the reliability for entities that cooperate with a person in terms of their data matching the stated one. Within the set of these limitations, we create software and hardware solutions that transfer our identity to the digital world and enable the subjects of business cooperation to be reliable and protected, and the whole process transparent.”

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How did you come up with the idea to start a company that deals with this business activity?

— We came to a conclusion that we, as citizens, do not have adequate solutions in this area, therefore our company was created out of sheer necessity. The technological process of transformation in the direction of digital is in full swing, so this idea proved to be valid and necessary on the market.

Do our companies recognize the need for digital transformation?

— No matter what segment you operate in, you always have regulatory restrictions that force you to get to know the client adequately. This often requires physical interaction, a large number of points of sale, processing costs, and a lot of paperwork. It is easier to standardize everything through the appropriate support systems that we as a company have developed. Business is undergoing a transformation, but not only internally, since clients are the ba-

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WE HAVE NO COMPETITION BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH COMPLEX TECHNOLOGY, HAVE TOP-NOTCH STAFF AND POSSESS SIGNIFICANT KNOW-HOW IN VERY SPECIFIC AREAS sic driver of income and growth, and that is the first point that we need to deal with in terms of digital transformation.

To what extent did Blinking's client base grow since the company’s inception and what is the standard profile of your clients?

— We are growing very fast, we are gaining new clients, and we

are present in a large number of sectors - telecommunications, banking and finance, e-commerce, brokers, but also games of chance and entertainment. We provided access to new markets for them, i.e. to people who might not usually consider doing business with them. These are, first and foremost, younger generations who are digitally literate and

BIG GAME We had to learn how to be a player in a big game with small resources, which resulted in our team forging a strong character, and nurturing a sense of togetherness and strong cohesion. The Balkan ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking have helped us do things that are more technologically advanced than in the West.

Has the number of your foreign clients increased?

— We have a significant client base in the region and our clients come from Switzerland, Great Britain and Canada. We are expanding globally and our focus is to be an important factor first on the European market.

It is also important for us to use the technology to foster the development of both Serbia and the region so that companies can experience rapid growth and break into new markets. Our goal is to dominate in these areas where, for now, we have no competition because we are dealing with complex technology, have top-notch staff and possess significant know-how in very specific areas. We want to be synonymous with quality in digital identity.

How has the pandemic affected your company's business?

— The pandemic has alienated people and largely directed them towards online interaction, which has resulted in a stronger interest in the services and opportunities provided by our company. On the other hand, the pandemic is not good for the economy as a whole, and in order to provide services to large sectors, they need to grow too. We would rather operate in stable conditions and traditional economic flows.

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EVENT

Preventive Medicine and Science are Key Color Media Communications organized the conference titled "The importance of science in making decisions that concern people in the 21st century", which aim was to discuss the importance of people making decisions based on scientific and proven facts, recognizing what is healthy and what is not and finding out what is less harmful for them t the opening of the conference, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Professor Predrag Sazdanović, MD, said that we must be guided by scientific evidence and facts to overcome fear.

"We are facing a global epidemic that causes huge stress for everyone, and it is only natural that our subconscious reacts to this stress with fear. People who have managed to rationalize fear and understand how to eliminate fear, have been vaccinated. This second group is trying to obtain data in various ways that will justify their irrational status and fear related to vaccination", said Professor Sazdanović, who also pointed out that preventive action was the essence of medicine in all its forms.

Director of the Vinča Institute, Professor Snežana B. Pajović, PhD, pointed out that science never stops and that there is ongoing activity on developing preventive medicine. "Science has always been part of Europe. We have always been publishing papers internationally which are widely recognized and based on which we are evaluated," Professor Pajović added. Speaking about the concept of reducing harm in solving the problem of risky behaviour, she said that quality of life was a basic prerequisite to prevent the occurrence of various diseases and that the emergence and development of preventive medicine should constitute a special programme, defined in our country.

The director of the National Science Fund, Dr Milica Đurić-Jovićić, said that we must cultivate an environment where read about scientific research as much as reading about popular topics will be appealing. “In the trinity of media, science and individual people, everyone must actively work on the popularization of scientific topics. A lot was expected from science

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DECISIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON SCIENTIFIC FACTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES SUCH AS VACCINATION, THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE, AND WHETHER ALTERNATIVES TO CIGARETTES ARE REALLY LESS HARMFUL this year, and science gave a lot in return. We have top-notch scientific institutions in the country, and this is something that Serbia is recognized for worldwide," she added.

The virologist, assistant professor Ana Banko, MD, pointed out that scientists cannot simply explain vaccination, PCR testing, or immunity, but that does not mean that they are inaccurate or harmful. Emphasizing that vaccination is crucial for prevention, Professor Banko also said that scientists today face the paradox of the time when science was expected to come to a solution, and when a concrete solution is offered, resistance appears. "When you have a patient with cancer who is fighting for their life, as well as patients in COVID clinics, they have

no other solution. Prevention of disease is the core of medicine,” said Professor Banko.

David Sweanor, PhD, Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, also an expert in harm reduction, talked about good practices in this field which are based on pragmatism.

“People will move to big cities and eat unsanitary food but the issue is how are we going to reduce the risks associated with eating such food? People are going to use pharmaceuticals – how do we use more science-based pharmaceuticals?” By using the example of smoking cigarettes as risky behaviour, Professor Sweanor said that that is the leading global cause of death, resulting in about 8 million deaths a year, adding that “peo-

ple are dying because of the inhalation of smoke, not from the nicotine”. “We have the ability to change the market and to use differential taxation and differential regulation to stimulate those people who are still going to engage in a dangerous activity (using nicotine) to get that nicotine in a way that it doesn’t require combustion and inhalation into the lungs. We can do this by cooperating with those people at risk rather than simply telling them how to live their lives,” he pointed out.

Sanja Knežević, programme director of the DCI, said that “94% of young people use social networks as the only source of information. What social networks have given us is an opportunity for everyone to become someone. That is why we now have fake profiles and can say would not be said otherwise, because there is no courage in hiding behind those profiles. On the other hand, the positive influences of social networks are great and if we use them in the right way, the information we place can reach a large number of people".

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BUSINESS NEWS

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EGINNING OF THE RECONSTRUCTION B OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY ARCHANGEL GABRIEL IN ZEMUN

The Managing Board of the Hellenic Business Association of Serbia met with His Holiness the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Mr Porfirije in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. The meeting was held in the Patriarchate's building in Belgrade, on October 26, 2021.

The topic of conversation was the beginning of the reconstruction of the Church of the Holy Archangel Gabriel in Zemun, in which the members of the Greek Orthodox Church in Belgrade have regular worship services. On this occasion, the Patriarch gave his consent for the commencement of the reconstruction, which the exact date will be set in the following period.

During the meeting, the Managing Board also presented the initiative launched by the Hellenic Business Association of Serbia and the Hellenic Culture Fund to award scholarships for learning the Greek language to students of the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade. The Patriarch expressed his satisfaction with the initiative which is supposed to be realized in March 2022.

Apart from the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch, Mr Porfirije, the meeting was also attended by the head of the Cabinet of the Serbian Patriarch, Archimandrite Sava (Bundalo), elected Bishop of Marcana, Chairman of the HBA's Managing Board, Stylianos Zakof, Vice Chairman of the HBA's Managing Board, Nikos Sliousaregko, and a member of the HBA's Managing Board, Vuk Dapčević.

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UROBANK’S SUPPORT E TO ENTREPRENEURS AND MICRO-ENTERPRISES

Eurobank and the European Fund for Southeast Europe inked a bilateral agreement on a credit line in the amount of 2.3 billion dinars for support to entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises. The first tranche, worth a half of the new credit line amount, will be issued as early as this month, whereas the

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IB’S SUPPORT FOR E GREEN AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

EIB President Werner Hoyer underlines support for green and digital transformation in line with EU’s Economic and Investment Plan at the EU Western Balkans Summit. The EIB reaffirmed its role as a leading financier of sustainable projects. It will contribute to the rollout of the Economic and Investment Plan with financial and technical support and reinforce its local presence. The EIB as the EU bank fully supports the EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans with a tailor made approach including promoting convergence with EU norms and standards. At the EU Western Balkans Summit held in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Werner Hoyer, accompanied by EIB Vice-Pres-

AWYER NIKOLA KOVAČEVIĆ L PRESENTED WITH THE NANSEN REFUGEE AWARD

At the ceremony held in the premises of Royal Norwegian Embassy this evening, human rights lawyer Nikola Kovačević was solemnly awarded with the Nansen Refugee Award. This young expert has recently been named the regional winner of this award for Europe and thus became the first person from Serbia and Western Balkans to receive this recognition. The award-handling ceremony was attended by Ana Brnabić, Serbian Prime Minister, Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR Representative in Serbia, H.E. Mr. Jørn Eugene Gjelstad, ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Serbia, H.E. Urs Schmid, ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia, Vladimir Cucić, Serbian Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, as well as many other officials.

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second one is scheduled for May 2022.

‘The role of entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises in the domestic market is of exceptional significance for economic development, and access to the funds from the new credit line will enable them to additionally improve their business operations. The credit line will be allocated for financing permanent working capital and short-term investments in this segment. It is particularly important for facilitating further dinarisation of the micro loans market, thus contributing to stronger confidence in the domestic financial market,’ said Dušan Mihailović, a member of Eurobank’s Executive Board.

Since its establishment in Serbia, Eurobank has been supporting operations in the segment of entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises. In the last 10 years, Eurobank has placed more than 1.4 billion euros in this segment of Serbia’s business sector.

NICREDIT AND ELICIO U COMPLETE EUR 53 MILLION WIND FARM REFINANCING

UniCredit Bank Serbia and Elicio Ali VE, a 100% subsidiary of Elicio NV, successfully completed the refinancing transaction of the 42 MW Alibunar Wind Farm which supplies electricity to just under thirty thousand households. The green energy produced by the project is expected to reduce carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in Serbia by almost 95 000 tonnes per year.

ident Lilyana Pavlova, reiterated the EU bank’s support for EU integration in the region, sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and digitalisation of the regional market. These goals are part of the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans, which outlines an investment package worth close to €30 billion for boosting more sustainable, green, digital and people-focused growth in the region.

The strong and successful cooperation between the two companies has been underlined by this transaction, with UniCredit Bank affirming its position as market leader in the structuring and financing of wind power projects in Serbia.

UniCredit Bank Serbia is the leading structuring bank and sole lender in the EUR 53 million refinancing, whilst also taking up roles as account bank and hedging bank for the restructured interest rate swap.

Commenting on the transaction, Nikola Vuletić, Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Serbia, said: “We are proud that Elicio once again recognised our bank as a reliable partner for the first refinancing of an operational wind farm conducted in Serbia. For us, this transaction represents a very important milestone, which once again confirms our leadership in the field of financing renewables in Central and Eastern Europe. This is a clear example of how banks and the renewables sector can contribute to improving overall energy security and consumption of renewable energy in Serbia.”

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INTERVIEW

When We Find Risk, We Seek to Reduce it When we are doing good preventive medicine, we have to focus on what science tells us and respect the individuals whose lives we are trying to save. We need to find ways to empower them to make better decisions about their own health nicotine. The nicotine dosage that smokers intake is not too hazardous and it is more comparable to caffeine. So, we have the ability to change the market and to use differential taxation and differential regulation to stimulate those people who are still going to engage in a dangerous activity (using nicotine) to get that nicotine in a way that it doesn’t require combustion and inhalation into the lungs. Just to pick up on what other speakers have said…

DAVID SWEANOR Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

rofessor David Sweanor has thirty years of experience doing Canadian and global health policy work, with a particular focus on tobacco and nicotine. He participated at the conference “The importance of science in making decisions that concern citizens in the 21st century”, related to the basis that people use to make decisions today, namely how to discern what is healthy and what is not, or how to find out what is less harmful.

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Professor Sweanor, your field of expertise is harm reduction which sounds more like a medical field. Why did you choose that field?

— As a lawyer, I got involved in this issue because I had friends who were going to medical school and they were talking about all of the harms that were caused by products like cigarettes and how many hospital beds were occupied by people with diseases caused by smoking. I was looking at that and wondered how are we going to deal with that problem? The answer I got from them, which was obvious, was that finding out why people are getting sick is a medical and scientific issue, but dealing with it is a social, legal and political issue.

Often, we can know why people are getting ill but it takes political and legal action to do something about it. We have this very long history of requiring the medical knowledge to know what we can do in terms of things like pure water or sanitary food or science-based pharmaceuticals or safer automobiles. There is a very long list of things where we found risk and when we find risk, we seek to reduce it and that requires legal intervention, legislation and regulations. We have been very successful in so many things by taking that approach. Lawyers and politicians have been absolutely crucial in doing that.

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PEOPLE CAN ONLY MAKE AS A GOOD A DECISION AS THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THEM Could you tell us about good practices in the world in terms of harm reduction?

— Tobacco and nicotine were just a continuation of what we have seen from the time of the enlightenment. When we find risk, we seek to reduce it. We try to use science, reason and humanism to reduce it. Our approach is based on facts and how do we motivate certain behaviour. When we are doing good preventive medicine, we have to focus on what science tells us and respect the individuals whose lives we are trying to save.

We need to find ways to empower them to make better decisions about their own health. We need to understand why they are doing what they are doing. By simply telling them how to behave, we have a very limited impact.

But we have the ability to nudge behaviours.

We can use regulation to shape what people are more likely to do. So, we can do things that make it far less likely that young

people will start smoking – for example, we can do it through taxation of cigarettes, dealing with the advertising and promotion of cigarettes, the health warnings that are on the packages of cigarettes, where people can smoke cigarettes… We have been very effective in reducing smoking rates in many countries using those things. We can do things that can prevent people from engaging in a dangerous activity.

We can do things that are making people engaging in a dangerous activity to stop. We can protect others from a dangerous activity, such as drinking and driving.

And we can do things to reduce the risks for the people who are still going to engage in a dangerous activity. The fourth one is so important.

In terms of nicotine and tobacco, the leading global cause of death (about 8 million deaths a year) is cigarette smoking. These people are dying because of the inhalation of smoke, not from the

Speaking about science, I have one more related question.

Could you give us a few examples of misbelief that showed that science is still not properly positioned in civil awareness?

— We see moral panic being used to fight against science by creating fear in the public. This has been going on for millennia. Looking at things in moralistic terms rather than in scientific terms…

If we look at the history of vaccines, diet, exercise, sexual behaviours and even bicycle riding, and last but not least, on nicotine use, we can see a tendency to say that this is a moral issue and sin rather than saying that this is a public health issue which implies intervention. There is also a tendency to look only at the risks of the intervention, as we have seen with vaccines or alternatives to cigarettes, without looking at the risk they seek to prevent – the disease or what cigarettes will do to people instead.

There is also a lack of information for the public to make informed decisions and this has been going on for way too long.

People can only make as a good a decision as the information available to them. When they have all the misinformation we now see on social media and when they receive misinformation from the people who think this is an issue of sin or belief, we struggle to ensure that science, preventive medicine and public health can win. We have a long history of doing that, but it has always been a struggle and it continues to be a struggle.

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THE SECRET FORMULA OF COMMUNICATION 2021

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DIGITAL COMMUNICATION IS A NEW GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY The digital world is a global market, and the best ticket to enter it is digital communication or communication in a digital environment

I N T E RV I E W

he pandemic has fundamentally changed the world, people's attitudes and habits. Distance is what has prevailed in the past year and a half, and that is contrary to human nature," says Dušan Stojaković, Chairman of the Managing Board of the Public Relations Society of Serbia (DSOJ). "Many people have mistakenly equated physical distance with social distance. These two distances are by no means the same and there lies a great potential and hidden threat of the pandemic for the whole society," says Mr Stojaković in an interview for D&C magazine's special called Communications.

"T

The global pandemic has changed not only the way we communicate but also people's behaviours and habits. What has changed the most compared to how it was before the crisis?

— People are social beings and their key need is to correspond with the world around them. No matter how much we try to overcome the barriers imposed by the so-called external factors, I have the impression that our relationship will never be the same. This doesn't have to be a bad thing necessarily. Over time, thanks to this, we might undergo some kind of renaissance in human relations and communication. Maybe we will realize how important we should be to each other.

For now, whether we are on the side

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of science and vaccination or the opposite side, suspicious people and conspiracy theorists, whether we want to wear a face mask or not, we find ourselves stopping more when we want to say goodbye or meet someone, and make this movement of a hand that is going for a handshake into a light touch with clenched fists or touching elbows.

The new reality created new circumstances such as social distance and lack of physical contact. Many companies adjusted their operations to these new conditions. How has all this affected the communications segment?

— Physical distance doesn't necessarily need to be social distance too. For the most part, companies have overcome the new situation and the challenges it brought by moving communication to the digital world. Prevention of the coronavirus spread also entailed remote work and the combination of both remote and office work. I think that most employees have not yet returned to their offices. In addition to quality and verified information, agility is one of the most valuable communication currencies and nd it was exactly the agility of the transition to the digital world that dictated the greater or lesser success in communication.

Before the pandemic, online meetings were a rarity, except for those people working in multinational companies. In a year and a half, MS Teams,

D UŠA N STO JA KOV I Ć Chairman of DSOJ's Managing Board

The question is whether we are agile enough to see and understand the coming changes and to adapt accordingly

Zoom, Google Meet and other applications have become an inseparable part of our reality, whether we use them for business requirements, educational purposes or just drinking coffee online with dear people. Although I believe in the power of physical encounter and body language that completes the impression of the interlocutor's interest, I must admit that digital communications have brought many advantages in my work and that I am now better acquainted with the work of my co-workers.

Since the start of the lockdown, in the company I work for, a short team online meeting has been held every morning at 10 am. This helped us to preserve a working atmosphere, but also to support each other when morale drops because of everything that has been happening to us. Since I am one of those people who see opportunities rather than threats in everything, I would like to remind you of one extremely positive outcome of this imposed alienation – remote work is possible and is productive if we are responsible enough and able to strike balance between our private and work lives. Let this occasional remote work, along with intensive digital communication, be a small gift brought to us by the coronavirus.

Is our market ready for the changes that are happening all around us, and by the market, we mean consumers,

companies and agencies?

— Perhaps we should not ask whether the market is ready. It is always and never ready. The question is whether we are agile enough to see and understand the coming changes and to adapt accordingly, and then to incorporate them into our work, clients and people's needs. I could go on and on about the changes in the market brought about by the pandemic, but also the changes in the needs of consumers, companies and agencies.

Since all the dimensions of these changes are still not certain and final, I would like to mention another type of change that we should not ignore or skip. I call these generational changes and TikTok is a prime example of that.

This social network introduced a completely new aesthetic and communica-

tion format, which was readily accepted by young people. At first, older generations did not really understand it.

However, an increasing number of older people are beginning to understand TikTok, while companies and agencies that have recognized the potential of this social network have achieved phenomenal results in reaching the desired target groups and conversion.

How can we achieve synergy between communications, marketing activities and sales on the one hand, and new customer needs, on the other?

— Digitalization is the keyword here. It

ENCOURAGING CHANGE

is a new global opportunity. I always say that to my students, encouraging them to develop an entrepreneurial spirit. I try to inspire them to think that the whole plant is a limit for them, not just the country they come from. The digital world is a global market, and the best ticket to enter it is digital communication or communication in a digital environment. Today, everything is for sale - our performance, image, style, lifestyle… I wouldn't separate communication, marketing and sales. This is yet another new hybrid of the modern age, created from the new and increasingly complex needs of consumers and clients. Most of us are just a click away from our favourite brands. Brands are "in our pocket" (on a smartphone) so to speak, and if we, as communicators, do not put our 'hand' in that 'pocket', it

My challenge in improving communication will be to advocate for the principle that the information contained in the title of an article should be in its content

will be difficult to achieve the desired result, regardless of the type of communication we use.

What will be the biggest challenges for the communications industry in the coming period?

— Constantly reducing the budget and zipping up the business are already challenges. People from our profession, the media and companies, already feel, suffer and live this in their daily work. Although everything has become more expensive, the communications market is having to deal with even smaller budgets.

This is not good because an insufficient

As a group of professionals gathered under DSOJ, we noticed a lot of things regarding communication in the media, at all levels and on all topics, and suggest how to correct them. But before we do that, we, as a society, have the priority of fighting the greatest

budget often leads to low quality, while key messages are only partially communicated, which often results in noise in communication and various additional consequences. On the other hand, people are listening more and hearing less, both to each other and to all of us who are directing key messages to them. Their patience to consume correct and timely information is dwindling.

Simply put, life is different now. We feel more tension, have less time and more challenges. Communication is digitized. This shortens the path that leads from the message to the recipient, but also offers much more content, which is often below acceptable quality and hinders the use of common sense and the development of critical thinking.

My challenge in improving communication will be to advocate for the principle that the information contained in the title of an article should be in its content, i.e. if we start reading certain content, we should get answers to questions that made us want to read it. In other words, we can call this reasonable sensationalism, on the account of sensationalism per se, because without it, today's media cannot survive.

How did DSOJ adapt to the new environment and what were the biggest challenges for you as an organization?

— As a professional association of public relations professionals, DSOJ especially felt the consequences of this crisis, diversified interests, lack of time and reduced budgets, which delayed the implementation of some of our key formats, such as the annual conference, which we are known for. We had to find a temporary way to bridge the period until both the market and our profession are normalized, hypothetically speaking, without depriving the professional public of new findings, education and approach, mostly digital communication trends. Also, we should bear in mind that the market has been flooded with online formats that have saturated supply and stifled demand.

At one point, as the second wave of the pandemic subsided, almost everyone tried to offer some kind of online content and new formats, known as hybrid events, were created (speakers were in physical space, without an audience or with an extremely limited audience, while most audiences were online). I think hybrids are more or less the future of the conference industry.

scourge of modern times, and when the time comes, we will transform our observations into recommendations for better communication, both qualitatively and in terms of modality, discourse and content, and we will be ready to offer it to all interested parties.

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LET’S RESTORE THE REAL MEANING AND IMPORTANCE TO COMMUNICATIONS

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I can tell from my experience that we need to return to the culture of communication, the essence of the content we exchange, the accuracy of the information, relevance and reputation of participants in communication, and the facts that are communicated, thus raising the value of true information and fostering openness

I N T E RV I E W

asmina Stojanov has been in the communications business for over 30 years. A long-time radio and news agency reporter, she started her career back in the 1990s at Radio Pančevo. She worked in political marketing for eight years while being employed by the office of former Serbian President Boris Tadić.

Since she became the head of Nova Communications agency, she has been mainly involved in corporate marketing.

We talked with the owner and Managing Director of Nova Communications, about the essence and the meaning of communications, the challenges she faces daily and the current market challenges. "If you are asking me what are the secret communication formulas in our agency, the answer to that question could be summed up in four words professionalism, trust, commitment and reliability," Ms Stojanov says.

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You have vast experience in the field of communication. In your opinion, what is the most important thing in

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the communications sector today?

— We need to restore the meaning and importance of communications. We are living in an era of galloping development of digital connectivity. At the same time, this progress is accompanied by challenges related to preserving the basic communication values from how we communicate with each other to the broadest forms of professional, social and business spheres in public life. I can tell from my experience that we need to return to the culture of communication, the essence of the content we exchange, the accuracy of the information, relevance and reputation of participants in communication, and the facts that are communicated, thus raising the value of true information and fostering openness. To be clear, we are watching a game in which lies more often beat the truth, and prosiness beats the essence.

In both the public and private sector, we should work on greater structuring of communications – namely, on planning, analyzing, fostering bet-

JA S M I NA STO JA N OV Owner & Managing Director of Nova Communications

The most important thing for us is that our client has a solid trust in us and that they get the best value for their money

ter relations with the public and the media, strategic thinking and lobbying.

Response, especially in crises, should be characterized by greater openness, accessibility, and above all timeliness.

Due to haste or procedural stiffness, I often notice that subjects refute themselves in times of crisis communication.

There is also the logic of “nobody remembers what happened yesterday”.

What were the biggest challenges that your agency had to overcome during this pandemic-induced crisis period?

— The biggest challenges we faced in the year of crisis have been maintaining the stability of the company's operations, on the one hand, and supporting our clients and their campaigns, on the other.

We have tried to ensure that all our clients receive maximum support from us relating to their needs and business trends. Furthermore, and regardless of the circumstances, we continued to work on attracting new clients, who in turn, have recognized our commitment and ability to achieve the best results on the market with the best possible conditions, taking care of every cent that our clients spend on campaigns.

The media market and the communications sector have undergone significant changes. What are the most important market trends at the moment?

— New technologies have already opened the door of the future to us, which will shape both marketing and communications. The biggest challenge is the accelerated development of the digital sphere, whereby new marketing and communication trends will emerge that will follow in the footsteps of the development of artificial intelligence.

As for television, it is not "an old lady" and I think they wrote it off too soon. The entire digital and television sphere will prove to be the strongest platforms. The trend will be the personalization of content for different groups of consumers and developing a personal relationship between buyer and seller through marketing.

How to communicate with clients and run their campaigns in the so-called ‘new normal’ today?

— The client’s trust is the most important thing. The crisis is rapidly distinguishing between "professionals" and "passers-by" in the marketing business.

The first reaction of companies is to fear for their business and want to cut costs.

Budget control poses a danger that can lead to bad decisions which, in turn, can result in greater losses. And in this recklessness and haste, marketing is the first to suffer. If you reduce your advertising budget or stop advertising altogether, as Henry Ford said, “those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time”.

Good and accurate marketing is

The trend will be the personalization of content for different groups of consumers and developing a personal relationship between buyer and seller through marketing

guaranteed to be profitable and it goes against the cost-reducing decisions that companies make. It is vital for agencies to play a role in this, and that they encourage the client because they trust the agency and see it as a reliable collaborator that ensures security and confidence in the well-being. We adjusted the campaigns, content and dynamics and made projections together. We have strengthened our mutual relationship by preserving the business and a successful perspective from fear and losses.

How important is it for the client to give the agency free rein, so to speak, to create a strategy and how important is mutual trust?

— Focusing on the client, creating a re-

lationship with the client with an emphasis on quality and results, successful sales of new business opportunities with the use of new tools, market-oriented campaign management and having a good understanding of the business environment – all of the aforementioned goes into creating a strategy for the client. The most important thing for us is that our client has a solid trust in us in terms of their vision of when and how and where the advertisement should be placed, as well as that they agree to change when we, as experts with experience in monitoring of market trends, tell them where and when that will be most visible and to identify the best target groups for the campaign. My client needs to get the best value for their money.

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EVOLUTION OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

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In business communication, evolution seems to be an on-going process. It has become significantly more visible and more intense in the last two decades, especially last year, when importance and changes in communication, internal and external, became evident after the COVID-19 pandemic had caught us all off guard COM M E N T

ast year most certainly taught us to be prepared for the unexpected in the future. Our reactions will be much faster and it will be much easier and simpler for us to find balance, in communication and in other aspects of our private and professional lives.

Efficient communication, in line with strategic needs and targets of companies and brands, is the most important factor of commercial sustainability and growth. That is why all of us working in the communication sector always say that strategy is the foundation and that development of digital technologies has become a helping tool to pinpoint our target groups more easily, ways to reach them and convey our messages in new and innovative ways and achieve more valuable results.

For the most part of the 20th century, companies and brands used traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, radio and TV to communicate with consumers and general public. These communication methods were efficient in their efforts to reach wide public, but also relatively expensive and not accurately directed towards specific groups of customers.

In the 21st century, digital communication technologies have created completely new ways of communication with target audiences. In the new era of the Internet, smartphones and social networks, the brands and companies, as well as individuals can very easily interact with their target public.

Technologies and channels of commu-

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M I L E NA AV RA M OV I Ć BJELICA Executive Director & Cofounder, Chapter 4 Communication Consulting

The chatbot technology which relies on artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the technologically most advanced trends in business communication

nication I have previously mentioned alone will not be enough to preserve their customers and we have to go back to where we started, relying on strategically adjusted communication, responding to specific needs of your target public.

One of the key factors to evaluate business efforts, including the success of communication which supports it, is the user experience. The user experience is a single element of key importance to differentiate brands. Poor communication greatly contributes to poor user experience. Loyalty that customers used to have for a company or a brand, today can disappear with a single poor user experience.

In order for a company to provide the best user experience, it has to, first of all, rely on a satisfying professional communication, with both – its own employees and its customers. Internal communication has evolved owing to the pandemic and messages are no longer conveyed only from the management to employees. They have become a twoway street much more, and include messages conveyed from the employees to the management as well, which helps empower the employees who act as the best ambassadors of a brand or a company they work for.

During the pandemic, many com-

panies have realized the importance of communication, both external and internal, and accelerated their digital transformation in order to respond to their current environment. Mobile phone has become the main tool of communication with both internal and external publics. Communication adjusted to mobile phones is the main tool to establish ties with customers. I believe that in 2022, there will be an increased number of companies using mobile phone technology to distribute their messages to consumers.

The chatbot technology which relies on artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the technologically most advanced trends in business communication to be expected to gain even more and wider impact in 2022. The chatbot technology gives an opportunity to companies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their communication with consumers exponentially. Among other things, chatbots can respond to many inquires in real time, and even take over entries before they are even filed.

Relevant business communication trends depend on the market, the industry and the strategic position. But the fact is that the evolution of communication is heading towards artificial intelligence with an impact in almost every industry.

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CHANGED FOR GOOD OR FOR THE BETTER?

Communication is experiencing a paradigm shift, with increased levels of engagement, connectivity, activism and a higher valuation on transparency when building reputations I N T E RV I E W

TA M A RA B E KČ I Ć Managing Director & Cofounder, Chapter 4 Communication Consulting

esponsible communication and partnerships for greather good must be established to increase business and stakeholder value and meet society’s new demands once it emerges from this crisis.

R

What has happened to us and what will change in 2022?

— If there was one key learning from the previous years marked by Covid-19, it is that we need to create stability through ongoing change, all the time. Quite a paradox, right? And a tough one.

It is not news that crises often trigger major changes - economic, political and social. And when global changes happen, it is both - the people and businesses that are hit. In view of our current situation, nothing will ever be the same, literally nothing. We have changed personally and professionally, and so did our thoughts, habits and preferences. That affects everything, from individuals, families, teams, to brands, organizations and industries, and redefines them as the consequence of crisis or difficulty.

That is why communication is experiencing a paradigm shift, with increased levels of engagement, connec-

tivity, activism and, above all, a higher valuation on transparency when building reputations.

As a communicator, what would you say is most important now?

— We are likely to see that in 2022, too. And the need that all sectors and people have in common is the need for communication, all the time. Changes brought in the way that people consume and interact with brands require tracking, analysis and proactive planning for the future - for greater efficiency and stronger support to our goals in highly dynamic circumstances. Strategic planning has always been a part of the realm of communications, but the last part is the key – we have to be able to monitor and plan in view of constant changes. We have to make the communication timely, well suited content-wise, creative or attractive and impactful in a far from certain and highly changing world.

How come some brands and organizations adapted more quickly?

— It was not easy for anyone. In nature, resilience and adaptability are key traits for survival. It is similar in busi-

Covid-19 crisis showcases how we can help move people and guide positive behaviors by adequately informing individuals about the roles they can play

ness. The most resilient and adaptable teams succeed more often than those who are reluctant to change. Management and communication play a prominent role in it. The most successful and resilient companies during the pandemic are those who managed to establish good communications based on a deep understanding and appreciation of their stakeholders.

We know that resilience and adaptability are needed for success in business today. They are closely related and the good thing is that it is something we can work on and grow, through strategic efforts.

What is responsible corporate communication for you today?

— For communicators, the Covid-19 crisis showcases how we can help move people and guide positive behaviors by adequately informing individuals about the roles they can play in maintaining shared goals and engaging with them in a purposeful manner. It refers to internal and external communication. And it also greatly increases the need for responsible, transparent, and well-crafted communications, conscious of a hyper-connected world.

We have all been changed for good.

And some of us have been changed for the better. With more solidarity and sensitivity to societal needs, as well as finding ways to support those in need.

Sense of purpose and purpose driven business and communication are more important than ever, across the planet and all industries, and especially so for the young generations who have it in their DNA and tend to assess job opportunities, relationships and efforts through the lense of sense of purpose.

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MECHANISMS OF INTEGRATION AND FURTHER EXPANSION OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES The digital economy gives us a choice, saves time and greatly simplifies various processes. We can freely say it improves the operational level of our life and business COM M E N T

t’s November 2021. How to start any communication topic without it being related to the Covid-19 pandemic and all causeand-effect topics such as its effect on markets, people's lives, their habits, education, business and communications? It’s almost impossible!

The pandemic spun our lives 360 degrees. We can deny it but it is there. We can focus on it and we will not see beyond it. The pandemic indeed affected everyone, but let's see in what way and what it brought to all of us.

In terms of the economy, the pandemic has affected the whole world in a way to push even harder in the direction of digitalization, e-commerce, new digital services, but also the establishment of new business mechanisms, such as remote work. Some industries almost came to a grinding halt, primarily tourism and catering, and some, like retail, have transformed. I believe that many will still be expanding, especially when it comes to education, communications and entertainment. We found out that a very large segment of our needs can actually be regulated through online platforms and that the whole process can function quite well and efficiently.

This is certainly the direction in which market economies, but also our lives, will further develop. However, we should be reserved about one thing.

The digital economy gives us a choice, saves time and greatly simplifies various processes. We can freely say it improves the operational level of our life and business. For it to have its further course of development, ideas and a new approach to creativity are needed, for which we also need a per-

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N E V E NA M A RT I N OV I Ć

Digital is a much wider field than marketing and even communications

son and a social context. This should actually be our focus today, namely to find new ways and modules that will create a link between the digital and physical worlds. Exclusivity is no longer an option. What does this mean in the context of communications? It implies a conceptual turn that shifts its centre from a person to the mechanism itself.

The main question is no longer what the digital world will bring us, but how and in what way we can integrate it into our lives. I believe that many people will disagree with this statement, but the current process of which we are all a part is exactly that - to find a successful mechanism that integrates these two ecosystems into one.

For some time now, I have been debating with colleagues from marketing and communications about what constitutes brand strategy today and whether the development of the digital ecosystem has changed its traditionally established postulates. Many still advocate the position that "it is just another channel of communication" and that the basis and principles of defining a strategy are the same. Well, it's not like that! The rules of the game are now changed.

Digital is a much wider field than marketing and even communications.

Digital is both a channel and a product and service and analytics and education and sales. It takes time for all of us to adopt these changes so that we can continue to actively monitor their development. For example - everything that used to take us months to analyse

like brand setting and value definition, today, thanks to digital channels, we can test in a few steps and quickly get feedback on what is the right direction for us and what is not. Also, we can reach a person in any position anywhere in the world faster and with less effort than ever before.

Networking takes on a whole new dimension thanks to digital. All this opens up a wide field of possibilities that we can only use through the development of creativity and continuous testing, which brings us back to the thesis that the focus should be on finding a good mechanism that integrates our digital and physical presences, before finding the answer to what needs are we fulfilling in either of those two worlds. This is very important for all those industries that have direct communication with consumers, and for brands to be even more open in terms of improving their products, services and communications. This, also, further attracts the development of creative industries that need to devise new mechanisms. In terms of the market, this will affect the development of smaller creative consultancies/agencies/startups that will be more project-oriented towards clients, and less focused on strategic communications that are slowly being forgotten, because in practice they are important only at the level of operational functioning. I see this as a trend that will have its application not only in marketing, PR or digital agencies but also in media outlets and even educational systems.

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BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE WHEN PRESENTING YOURSELF TO THE PUBLIC If your communication suits your core, you will never have to pretend in front of your audience.

By doing so, you will be natural and convincing

I N T E RV I E W

or this year's special edition dedicated to the communications sector, we spoke with Tanja Vasojević, Communications Director of the Corporate Communications Department of Delta Holding, about market leadership and what effective market communication looks like in terms of the community, clients and employees, as well as about changes that are happening on the market and adapting to them.

"I believe that our company’s challenges coincide with the challenges that everyone in our environment has been experiencing. The focus is on change, which is now faster than ever. These changes include, and perhaps more than ever imply understanding new generations and employers adjusting,” says Ms Vasojević.

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Delta Holding is a large corporation and a market leader. What does leadership look like in a crisis in terms of effectively communicating with clients, employees and the community?

— What is leadership if not leading people in times of crisis? In a crisis,

companies that are true leaders make quick and courageous decisions, taking into account, above all, the health of their employees, partners and the society which we live in. Communication in such periods must be even faster and more precise, and above all human and empathetic.

How ready is the market for the changes that are taking place now and how can we adapt to new circumstances?

— They say that change is the only constant in human history, and yet, in a way, it disturbs and frightens us because it’s new.

Meaningful and purposeful adjustment of the qualities is the best way to go, and as we all know throughout the history, it is those people who adapt the best that survive, not the strongest ones. So, we have no choice whether to change or not. There is only a choice whether we want to survive (on the market) or not.

You are known for your quote “We are what we communicate”. What communication principles are considered

TA N JA VA S O J E V I Ć Communications Director, Corporate Communications Department, Delta Holding

Developing corporate culture and working on employer branding are publicly displayed on our office walls

important?

— You have just highlighted the most important principle - be who you really are when presenting yourself to the public. If your communication suits your core, you will never have to pretend in front of your audience. By doing so, you will be natural and convincing.

What will be the biggest challenges next year for your company and for the sector you lead, as well as the entire communications industry?

— I believe that our company’s challenges coincide with the challenges that everyone in our environment has been experiencing. The focus is on change, which is now faster than ever. These changes include, and perhaps more than ever imply understanding new generations and employers adjusting to those generations who are born in the late 20th and early 21st century. Developing corporate culture and working on employer branding are publicly displayed on our office walls to remind all team members of our strategic, tactical and operational obligations on a daily basis.

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A CONSORTIUM OF EMOTION AND TECHNOLOGY

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We’ve developed a variety of advanced tools intended to make communication easier than ever and it has never been easier to connect or find someone

I N T E RV I E W

N E V E NA KU RTOV I Ć Managing Director of Fusion Communications

e interviewed Nevena Kurtović, Managing Director of Fusion Communications, for The Secret Formula of Communications special issue, about changes in the communications sector, consumer behaviour and what awaits us in the future.

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How will brands develop in the future in the so-called new normal circumstances?

— The ‘new normal’ was one of the key phrases used last year and yes - the pandemic has generated many changes, some of which we were already waiting in the background to happen and were fast-forwarded, others that happened unexpectedly, leaving many unprepared. Be it one or the other, the fact remains that brands must evolve regardless of ‘new’ or ‘old’ normal. The shift happened in the needs of both consumers and the public. We live in a world of content overload, so what must a brand do to differentiate. Now more than ever, having a unique approach is important.

Brand values have been more important than ever. Not just defining them but implementing and living true to them. A work-life balance, people and

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environment-oriented approach — all of these traits are coming to the forefront in various communication tools and with not just companies, but individuals.

The Covid-19-induced crisis has permanently changed consumer behaviour. What are the main principles of communications today?

— A focus on communication between brands and consumers has always been imperative. It’s only through clear, regular and two-way communication that a brand can make an impression and effectively communicate to its audience about how the brand itself is adapting.

A world that is still feeling the effects of a global pandemic does not want to buy from a brand that is loudly centred on the material. The emotion needs to be triggered, the unity and mutual recognition.

Letting customers know how much brands care is important — and so is letting customers know what the brand is doing about a certain problem or issue.

When there is any kind of turmoil, we now turn to our favourite brands/companies/individuals to check if they are taking a stand. In some cases, it helps define our attitude and opinion, and in others, it defines our opinion of the brand.

The relationship between agencies and clients should always be a partnership, together they create success which leads to long-term collaboration

How do brands survive and adapt in a given situation and what will be the role of the agencies in that process of adaptation?

— Ultimately, brands must always be ready to adapt. They must be light on their feet, observant, responsive and sensitive to the needs of their audiences. They need strategies that encompass what we never thought possible pre-pandemic.

The relationship between agencies and clients should always be a partnership, in which together on a goal-driven path each side navigates through its role and together they create success which leads to long term collaboration.

What awaits us in the future? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel in 2021?

— Communication should always strive to lead to progress. And it should ultimately result in a more productive understanding. Effective communication is what helps you gain agreement, share your ideas, sell things and generally achieve your objectives. Most importantly, it strengthens and maintains key relationships.

We’ve developed a variety of advanced tools intended to make communication easier than ever and it has never been easier to connect or find someone as we have so many options to communicate. Having that in mind, the misunderstandings have grown, leading often to glitches in communication.

We need to focus on how we say things and we need to reconnect in real life.

The future needs to be a consortium of emotion and technology.

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LESAFFRE - BAKING THAT FOLLOWS COMMUNICATION TRENDS

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E-baker is the recipient of the Digital Award, in the Digital Image category, given by Lesaffre globally and it is also the winner of the Disrupt Award, in the Industry and Production category, as a successful innovator in 2020

I N T E RV I E W

e are witnesses to rather peculiar circumstances in the business world that have been lasting for almost two years now.

Milena Obradović, Regional Marketing Manager of Lesaffre, which is a global leader in the production of yeast and yeast extracts, tells us how the company is adapting to new conditions every day and how they communicate in challenging times.

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How much has the communication and operations in Lesaffre changed in the past period and in what way?

— The changes that have taken place have further expedited the digitalization process, which has already entered all business segments. This gave us the additional impetus to launch the E-baker (E-pekar) platform, a new communication medium, in December last year, after we had realized that we needed to be close to our clients and work on disseminating their knowledge and skills.

Today, this learning platform has about 250 registered users, including bakers and people who are yet to become one, as well as students of bakery technology. Our platform has an interactive approach and we upload the content in video format and have live webinars. We also have a motivational programme, where we reward bakers with gifts once they collect a certain number of points that they can use in our virtual e-shop.

E-baker is the recipient of the Digital Award, in the Digital Image category, given by Lesaffre globally and it is also

the winner of the Disrupt Award, in the Industry and Production category, as a successful innovator in 2020.

What makes the E-baker platform so unique and who is it intended for?

— Lesaffre has created this innovative portal as a platform for educating everybody who wants to learn something new and improve their existing skills through webinars for university and high school students, and video content for bakeries. The lectures cover topics like bread-making and different types of pastries, and the lecturers are renowned figures from the world of baking and production.

So far, twelve video lessons for professional bakers and four webinars for university and high school students have been uploaded to the platform. We are planning to start recording new video lessons and hold more webinars. Thanks to having technology experts and other lecturers from the industry, course participants are given the opportunity to improve their knowledge and receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

To what extent has communication and attitudes towards customers and associates changed?

— Maintaining and developing business relationships implies constant contact and support in the entire system and we are very focused on that. During the lockdown, we had regular telephone contacts with customers, helping them

M I L E NA O B RA D OV I Ć Regional Marketing Manager OCEA

In Serbia, we plan to organize several events and seminars on the topic of portfolio development and business improvement

"remotely" as much as we could. When the market opened, we continued our regular field trips and strategically directed our plans towards our customers and their activities. In Lesaffre Serbia, we have successfully launched two new revolutionary products based on sourdough, which we believe will completely meet the expectations of the modern consumer – they are healthy, contain no E-additives, and have extended freshness and intense aroma and taste.

What are your company's plans?

— We think that 2022 will be quite similar to 2021. We hope that the conditions will normalize, so we can continue with more intensive activities. We plan in Serbia to organize several events and seminars on the topic of assortment development and business improvement.

In the Q4 of next year, we will start collecting applications for the 4th Pekarijada competition. We will organize more online gatherings with representatives of the digital community of end consumers. Lesaffre’s ‘Let’s Bake Together’ (‘Mesimo Zajedno’) community on Facebook has almost 100,000 followers and close to 20,000 followers on Instagram. As time passes, digital gatherings have become the primary channel of communication and socializing, and we will continue to use them a lot.

Although baking is considered a traditional activity, Lesaffre has shown that even in our industry we have to follow trends, that we do it successfully and will continue doing so in the future.

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COMMUNICATION GIVES MEANING TO BOTH BRANDS AND PEOPLE

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ormalcy couldn’t care less about time. It is the result of adequate readiness at a given moment. Under the watchful eye and using a quality source of information, we are constantly learning how to be flexible and benefit the business goals of our clients.”

though the limits for some other everyday challenges are not respected in our industry anyway. Certain new solutions were rapidly imposed, which we adopted even faster, only to later become the creators of these solutions ourselves with the view of having more efficient formats.

How ready is the market for all the new situations and circumstances we are currently facing, and how ready are all of us who work in that market?

— Depending on the industry and the stability of the organization at the time, Covid-19 has had mild symptoms for some market stakeholders, while in others, it exacerbated the already nurtured systemic instability and caused more severe consequences.

Some categories simply had no choice and, due to the nature of their business, and remained on the defensive, without any tactics to mitigate the attack. In order to maintain positive business results, some have resorted to much more radical measures. It seems to me that the way out is on the side of those who did not have to weigh out in the short term, but in the reflection of their stability, have been looking for more efficient ways to overcome another crisis, whichever name it goes by.

The imposed distance remained only in the physical realm, but the things that had built ties of our successful partnerships were additionally fortified during this period. First and foremost, we have remained stable, responsible and proactive, and only from such a position, we can provide appropriate support for our clients and their expectations.

“N

What does managing customer expectations look like in the so-called new normal?

— By nurturing consistent performance and using our strongest weapon - strong resources and expertise, on the one hand, and years of trust we have built up, on the other - we have managed to respond to the challenge at every stage of this unplanned period and further strengthen relationships with our clients.

The crisis has put us in sixth gear, al-

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The McCann Agency has always gone beyond in terms of social events in our country. What are the biggest challenges when it comes to cooperation with various stakeholders such as NGOs, associations and the like?

— We closely monitor and use every opportunity to boldly react to social novelties. It is courage that hides the biggest challenge.

As someone who deals with communications, we have never limited ourselves to the mere execution of project tasks. We always strive for brands to reconcile some other needs that are of wider social significance concerning their primary goals. At the end of the day, this kind of communication gives meaning to both brands and people.

In that field, by provoking important social topics, we have implemented a lot of successful campaigns that have managed not only to raise awareness but also to change things. It sometimes takes a long time to achieve the desired changes in society, but these are only obstacles that additionally moti-

RA D O J KA B O Š KOV I Ć Client Service Director, McCann Belgrade

The strategic commitment of our teams will certainly provide an answer to that, so some new services will primarily be reflected through the Digital and BTL service

vate perseverance.

Our successful cooperation with Društvo Ponosa (The Pride Society), regarding gender equality and samesex relationships, is now in its fourth consecutive year. We were the first on the market to appear publicly and cover this topic. We provided support and by devising campaigns and nurturing continuous communication, we raised some important issues, while, at the same time, inspiring and empowering members of the LGBT+ community to be what they truly are. Then, there is a partnership with the organization LICE ULICE, which supports people who live on the margins of our society and find it very difficult to get a job. Our support for culture and social activism is reflected in long partnerships with Bitef, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, the Exit Foundation and many others.

What will be the biggest challenges next year, and is McCann preparing to launch new services?

— Next year could be a year of additional capacity reviews and (re)positioning or consolidation of positions. Faced with digitalization in all its glory and technological innovations, the biggest challenge could also lie in reconciling them with solutions that are traditionally rooted. The strategic commitment of our teams will certainly provide an answer to that, so some new services will primarily be reflected through the Digital and BTL service.

The challenge of perseverance in relation to this one-of-a-kind period in our lives continues. I hope that we will close that chapter as soon as possible and encourage communication next year in the direction of some other, more relevant but also positive topics.

McCann Beograd - www.mccann.rs

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WITH 2021 IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR, CAN WE KNOW WHAT 2022 IS BRINGING?

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As someone who has been "infected" with corporate and all other types of business communications for two decades now, I can still clearly see how they are evolving each day

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COM M E N T

ne can no longer even follow communication trends if one is not fully immersed in the digital universe. Whether you want to learn something new or to share some news, you need to be part of the online space to stand out.

Even though we are already highly accustomed to rapid changes in our everyday life, 2021 showed us that, whether we like it or not, sometimes we have to step on the ball and stop for a moment to really focus on the world around us. In 2020 we were all shocked, challenged and somewhat united by the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2021 it felt like we were a bit confused about whether to look back or ahead, so we have very carefully started to feel the pulse of everything – from our employees to our business partners, feeling the need to show even more understanding, solidarity and patience than before. That for me was about the only upside of the whole global healthcare crisis – we have learned how important good and emphatic communication is, especially in the business sphere. With a focus on the internal public, accessibility, providing safe options for remote or home office work, and yet with the desire and need to be surrounded by people – communication concentrated on underlying the importance of togetherness was the key element in overcoming the obstacles of the pandemic.

For Mlekara Šabac, 2021 was a year when we marked our 90th anniversary. We didn’t feel like some grandiose celebrations were the way to go, but we wanted to make sure that what we do this year and how we communicate it – will make an impact and send strong and positive messages.

So, with that in mind, we set out to define and implement a couple of big, overarching corporate projects that demanded equally encompassing and firmly integrated communication. This, along with the fact that corporate communications were introduced in our

O

M A JA BA D J I N G EO RG I J E V I Ć Corporate Communications Manager, Mlekara Šabac (The Šabac Dairy)

We have completely redesigned our corporate visual identity

company just a year prior – contributed to the fast evolution of Mlekara Šabac’s communication approach and gave it a decidedly new image.

The focus of our corporate communications in 2021 was to further develop what was established as our main goal – connect all of the pillars of our business strategy, create synergy with key messages to both the internal and external public, and present one, comprehensive, image of the company that has been a staple of the domestic dairy industry for almost a century.

Throughout the year we have been creating and implementing projects and campaigns that were designed to highlight our core strength – most popular brands and products, like Sirko, A la Kajmak and Šabačka. Communication aimed to simply state and remind of the importance of knowing facts when it comes to choosing good food – that these are authentic and high-quality dairy products, made exclusively from the domestically-sourced raw milk and natural ingredients, without additives and preservatives.

It might seem simple enough, but with today’s abundance of information, I strongly believe that by speaking the facts, as plain and simple as possible, one will ultimately have an upper hand in every communication.

Parallel with communicating our core business principles and values we have decided that with words we

also need to implement visual representation worthy of Mlekara Šabac and its tradition and longevity. This meant several really big changes that have started with our new corporate visual identity and logo. From there we have gone into the redesign of our most popular brands, to make them both more visually appealing, but also, equally important – more practically and sustainably oriented. And finally, we have completely re-designed our website that will be our central communication hub in the future. This was all done in close cooperation with Futro Design Studio, which we saw as the creative partner who understood our business and communication vision, mission and values.

I, as a communication expert, also look expectantly at 2022 and business communication trends that are, according to International Business Times, going to be quite diverse and will offer something interesting for every type of business and customer. These trends can be summed up as follows: direct engagement with consumers through B2B social media; further growth of social media advertising; advance of ‘mobile first’ or ‘mobile friendly’ business communication; spread of AI-powered chatbot technology; and rediscovering of traditional communication methods like classic neon signage, that can now be more custom-designed to suit specific customer wishes and needs.

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IT IS NECESSARY TO INVEST IN INNOVATION Technology has created more choices and opportunities in communicating with clients.

Changes in consumer behaviour and desires are constant, but they are always more visible and faster in emergency situations I N T E RV I E W

e have been taught that crises often cause lasting changes and accelerate the course of history. Today, we are witnessing how the pandemic affects the changing economic, social, political and cultural spheres, and thus communication at all levels.

We can't be too relaxed anymore, while changes, trends and projections of current and future habits, needs and expectations of clients must be monitored on a daily basis.“

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How do you handle your clients today as opposed to the pre-COVID period?

— Expectations are higher, so starting from crisis communication, external and internal, every company, if it does not want to be average and wants something more than just surviving on the market, must invest more in innovations in all areas, especially in communication.

Communicating properly, sending out a clear message to both employees and clients, and coping with a sea of (dis)information is today more than ever, crucial. Calmly and rationally, but quickly enough, we need to make certain decisions, based exclusively on verified information, which should be viewed from several angles. Only in this way, while adhering to all the pre-planned steps, we can achieve positive results.

Thanks to this approach, our Novaston platform has managed to annul the initial blow to its clients, and we welcome the New Year with new projects, not only in Serbia but also in the region.

How much has consumer behaviour, customer requirements and media consumption changed?

— We are now getting more information through online media and every company, especially in the retail sector, has to adjust its business accordingly. In terms of marketing communication, the situation is getting increas-

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SPECIAL EDITION

A L E K SA N D RA KOŽ U L Communication Director, External, Internal and Digital, Novaston Marketing Consultancy, NOVASTON

Timeliness and responsibility in providing accurate information remain important, but there is also a growing need to add to this transparent and well-designed communication

ingly complicated because customers have more and more choices, and the competition has never been stronger, at all levels. It is no longer important just to have a good and diverse offer or to provide a good atmosphere, but consumers want to have the simplest possible shopping experience. That is why more money is being invested in research and campaigns. The pandemic has changed where and when people shop - now, they visit stores less often, shop locally and plan outings more carefully than before. The digitalization of services has changed shopping, but still, the ability to see and touch items that you buy is still an important factor for consumers. Practicality, care and speed have become the most important trends, as is the combination of physical and digital tools for a better, stressfree, consumer experience. Stores must be crowd-free, easily accessible, with ample parking, food and beverage outlets, special offers, offer the possibility of buying bus and train tickets, etc.

Consumers want information on when to plan the best time to shop (discounts, promotions, avoiding crowds), but also personalized help and advice in choosing items they want to buy.

What will happen to the communications industry in the coming period?

— Although many experts believe that the pandemic will not last long enough to completely change human communication, we are witnessing changes at all levels that will certainly remain in some form or even spread in the coming period. We have been read a lot about adapting to virtual communication and how working hours have become un-

defined. Communication through computer programmes and mobile applications is so efficient, that it will surely become even stronger. Online classes and conferences have become a reality and will probably, in some way, spill over into other areas that involve physical presence and personal contact. Negative consequences, which will be a great challenge, still relate to preventive hygiene measures (employees require more personal space), job uncertainty and earnings as a result of the global crisis, as well as lack of quality communication and alienation. Employees now rely more on informal communication.

In which way did we adapt to the socalled 'new normal'?

— In the past period, and for the first time ever, most companies have clearly put their employees, their safety and health at the forefront. They also reorganized their work so there has been no stagnation as such and 'production' was smooth. Today, we are witnessing that some aspects of social life are likely to return as close as possible to the pre-pandemic period, and the transitional period will be less intense. Timeliness and responsibility in providing accurate information remain important, but there is also a growing need to add to this transparent and well-designed communication without which it is impossible to make business decisions.

Interestingly, having adequate internal technology is one of the main challenges for internal communication. Today, according to global research, about half of companies believe that they need to invest more in improving digital channels in internal communication.

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WE ARE ONE CONTACT POINT FOR THE CLIENTS Our biggest advantage right now is the fact that our clients can find all the communication services they need in one place I N T E RV I E W

TA M A RA J O KA N OV I Ć

here is only talk about what this crisis has brought us. Let’s also talk about what this transition has taken away from us, because that is a very important starting point that has changed everything, including the way we manage clients and the way we communicate”, said Tamara Jokanović, MD at Represent Communications

“T

What does client relation/management look like today, given that both consumer habits and the way of consuming media have changed? What has the Covid crisis brought?

— How we manage clients today in this Covid environment and how we did it a year and a half ago when Covid first hit are two entirely different stories and completely different challenges in management and communications. Eighteen months ago, all we talked about was surviving – literally and figuratively. Today, with everything we know and all the skills we acquired, we are talking about adapting to the market, customers’ and thus clients’ needs. The agency has not been a mere executor of work for a long time, but a consultant in the areas for which it has been employed, and that is exactly what the client wants and expects from it. But we are also not budging when it comes to high standards in executive roles. So, it is safe to say that today’s client-relation requires a multidimensional view of internal and external situations, things, problems and possibilities of a company, circumstances in which we do business and the cli-

ent we are working with, but also the possibility of a multichannel performance from one place (reduced number of contacts).

How important is it for a client to give the agency total freedom when creating a strategy?

— The client will never give the agency free range, because a strategy, especially a communication strategy, largely depends on the set-up of the business strategy and the company’s development. On the other hand, agencies do not know all the details of the business that certain sectors within the company deal with to be able to create the strategy on their own. It is cooperation and creativity between parties gathered around the same goal. Also, multinational companies have a business strategy that they send out from their headquarters and all that needs to be done is localization. So, the key link in the client-agency relation is trust. If there is trust, the client will not hold back or withhold information believing that by that the agency, as its trusted partner, consultant and professional in the area for which it is hired to cover, will suggest what’s best for the situation company is in. But, if the agency doesn’t have the right information, it is the same situation you would have with a doctor or a lawyer…you will not get the right treatment and/or the opposing party will have better evidence which it will use to its advantage. So, I believe that if there is trust and belief in “the real thing” the end result cannot be anything but the best one.

Managing Director at Represent Communications

I believe that if there is trust and belief in “the real thing” the end result cannot be anything but the best one

Where are the ethical boundaries of PR and how far-reaching can good PR be for clients?

— Ethical boundaries in PR exist, just like in any other profession, but the current communication arena looks like a platform "everything is fair in love and war", because everyone, and I will return now to my first answer, goes through survival and adaptation. Little is said about the far-reaching nature of good PR. Its true value is seen only when a client is hit with a crisis.

Then it becomes clear just how much has the company invested in its image, stakeholders, partners…and even more clearly if it hasn’t.

What are your plans when it comes to expansion and acquisition of new clients? What services would you highlight?

— If we take a look at the current portfolio of our clients, I would say, without trying to sound pretentious, that it holds almost half of the companies from the Serbian market that deal with communication in some way. If we take into account that because of some exclusive contracts we are not able to work with the competition, I will say that there is not much room to expand. That is why we started the transformation process last year, of our services and Represent itself, but also of all the units which operate within the System, and why we introduced new services and products in order to additionally upsell our existing clients and project target those who are not our regular clients. Our biggest advantage right now is the fact that our clients can find all the communication services they need in one place, or what we said at the beginning – one contact point, and thus a better understanding of the client and solving their problems.

SPECIAL EDITION

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PR UNDER MASKS

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How has the pandemic changed public relations?

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A L E K SA N D RA M I H A J L OV I Ć Director of RIGHT PR agency

ommunication is the basis of interpersonal relationships. There is no situation or circumstance in which we do not communicate in a certain way. Various phenomena and events such as wars and natural disasters did not stop communication. And the same goes for the coronavirus. COVID-19 certainly influenced the way the message was shaped and the type of channel for transmitting information, but in the end, it always reached its end destination.

PR experts have an extremely important role in every crisis, and the coronavirus pandemic is no exception. It is in such circumstances that have a big responsibility and we are expected to be the first to help our clients, various companies and organizations, for them to see all the risks and to arm themselves with the best possible strategies and tools to ensure optimal and transparent communication with their partners and the public, and more importantly, with their employees.

Companies have realized the importance of investing in their employees.

They realized how important is for their employees to be motivated and happy, even though they are locked in a house away from the team and colleagues all the time. Internal communications have become the backbone of PR strategies.

We have to get to know each individual and colleague in the team, explore their interests, habits and in accordance with that, create a message and a way

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to say "thank you" and "you are an extremely important part of the team".

Although COVID-19 has greatly affected the operations of most industries as the success and growth of PR agencies depend on the success and growth of these companies even though their PR budgets have been drastically reduced, and in some cases, emptied out. Now more than ever, PR has demonstrated its strength and necessity. It is not without reason that some have called this period „a golden age for public relations experts."

It no longer mattered where our agency was based, whether we are in the city or across the river. Will the briefing meeting be with us or the client... We all worked from the same place, that is from home. Zoom meetings replaced real encounters but the quality was not compromised. We worked harder than ever, devised countless strategies, made the biggest number of phone calls, and "saw" our clients more often than usual.

The coronavirus pandemic encouraged us to think better and further, to be courageous in our ideas and suggestions, to look for opportunities and space for communication, even where there are none at first glance, and for our message to be, at the same time, appropriate, sophisticated and reach the right audience. That was not easy to accomplish, especially when all eyes are on the media, lurking at the first opportunity, ready for criticism and condemnation.

Most companies and clients have tak-

Even though PR budgets have been drastically reduced, and in some cases, emptied out, now more than ever, PR has demonstrated its strength and necessity

en advantage of this moment to do CSR projects, aware that the local community needs support more than ever. The key role of PR agencies was to quickly identify needs, communicate even faster with institutions and enable efficient use of donations despite all the prohibitions and restrictions imposed by the epidemiological situation.

Above all, we should not forget that our task was to inform our clients and partners about the situation regarding the virus all the time. We sent out daily summaries with information and changes in the rules for entering our country because some of our clients are foreigners who still had to travel.

What happened to events? At first, it was unthinkable to organize them. They were usually postponed and ultimately cancelled. But again, thanks to PR experts who reacted in an agile and creative manner and were open to new options and solutions, an alternative was quickly found without compromising on quality. For clients who needed to organize large offline events during the time of strict measures, with the technical support of our long-term associates, we suggested a very useful solution organizing online events by choosing a good and stable event streaming platform. Online events was one click of a mouse away and the occasions to hold them were different - workshops, conferences, panel discussions, New Year's Eve's in-house parties, etc.

Although some people still choose not to see it, it is obvious from all the aforementioned that spending money on PR is not a cost but an investment.

This profession has proven its necessity because a company's reputation that is built over the years can collapse in an instant without PR experts. Furthermore, the fact is that some practices, such as online events that we had to organize in digital space, have become desirable and will most likely continue to evolve and improve. Certainly, "live" events will continue to be held and the PR profession will always exist, hidden behind masks or without them.

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WE ALWAYS KEEP UP WITH THE INDUSTRY’S DEVELOPMENT

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We are moving on to our next campaigns while keeping up with digital marketing trends since they literally make the industry go round these days, and can be extremely essential to any business success

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J E L E NA Z V E K I Ć & DA N I E L A B U C A L O Owners of Smart Agency

e plan to maintain the logic of a “boutique agency” that allows us to focus on client’s industry and niche and centre our work on higher quality of strategic and creative projects. Besides that, as business owners, we like to personally dedicate ourselves to each client. We think their brands deserve it. At the same time, we plan to strengthen the creative part of our team and to continue cooperating with our networking partners,” said Jelena Zvekić and Daniela Bucalo, owners of Smart Agency.

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How much have bloggers and influencers changed marketing trends locally and globally?

— Jelena: Influencers and bloggers have long been a staple in the communication mix because, in addition to achieving the goal of each campaign, which is having direct access to a narrowly defined target group that is in line with brand goals, their engagement is usually more favourable than other forms of the communication mix. Therefore, we have a double effect here and for a smaller budget, we can communicate more directly with the audience. There is always the question of the depth of communication and the effect because such content is often consumed superficially, where the followers attention is focused on the influencer itself, more than on the brand.

Improvisation has no place here and therefore often, in this type of campaign, we have a situation where the client corrects the content to mutual satisfaction, i.e. to the satisfaction of the influencer, the agency and the client.

What is crucial to achieving good marketing effects - quality service/product or rather a well-devised campaign?

— Jelena: I would say that the client's commitment to "push" the prepared campaign through to the end and to dedicate an appropriate budget for it is crucial, as well as to link it with other elements of the marketing and sales mix because one without the other makes no sense. Some-

times it happens in practice that the client gives us a brief and we develop and launch a good campaign, but it lasts for a short time and it does not result in good sales. In that case, the effects are absent. But if a well-designed campaign, properly implemented by the agency and lasts long enough thanks to the use of the right communication mix and connects with the entire business, the effect is simply inevitable.

Client's commitment to "push" the prepared marketing campaign towards market through all channels and to dedicate an appropriate budget and time for it, is crucial in succeeding of any campaign What are the challenges in devising a good, effective campaign for a company?

— Daniela: The biggest challenges are the two "i's" - the idea and the inspiration. If there is inspiration, and before that good motivation, the right idea will happen. After we come up with the campaign’s idea, we must have a real, innovative design that will accompany it. This is where the third "i" – innovation – comes in. It sometimes takes some time to find that "line" that connects the client's expectations with the campaign’s idea and the way the agency’s creative and design teams will realize it. But when that happens, all that we need to do to create a good campaign is to have a dedicated team that continues to work and organize things in the right way.

How much can marketing help increase sales?

— Jelena: Previously, the only problem with this was the metrics themselves – namely, how to measure the effect of marketing on sales growth.

As online advertising and online sales became dominant, and as we got precise tools for measuring the results of online campaigns, this metric is no longer questionable. In terms of classic

offline retail, we still rely on indirect techniques to measure this contribution.

How did the pandemic period affect the operations of your agency and to what extent?

— Daniela: We have been committed from the very beginning to forming a network organization with great partner companies, rather than creating an independent, large organization. This time we were allowed to be flexible, and the pandemic did not jeopardize our work. In the first moments of uncertainty, the clients paused their investments in media campaigns, but they reverted to their earlier plans with the next campaigns.

The circumstances were such that we got a lot of completely new, creative tasks, so the agency has been functioning rather smoothly.

What new skills have you developed and applied as an agency since the onset of the pandemic?

— Jelena: At the onset of the pandemic, we happened to be at the epicentre of projects that focused on software development. We were creating online trade fairs and appearances on a global level in the fashion, clothing and footwear industry, which spontaneously introduced us to the developer world. We have developed great things with one partner organization and client.

By doing so, we entered a completely new world of software development and implementation.

What are the agency’s plans and goals for the next period?

— Daniela: We plan to maintain the logic of a “boutique agency” that allows us to focus on client’s industry and niche and centre our work on higher quality of strategic and creative projects. Besides that, as business owners, we like to personally dedicate ourselves to each client. We think their brands deserve it. At the same time, we plan to strengthen the creative part of our team and to continue cooperating with our networking partners. We are moving on to our next campaigns while keeping up with digital marketing trends since they literally make the industry go round these days, and can be extremely essential to any business success.

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

06 OCT

GALA EVENING OF THE FRENCHSERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (CCIFS) hosted its 11th Gala Evening at the Hyatt Hotel, for the nearly 200 members and partners, representatives of the French-Serbian business community. Before the opening ceremony, the guests enjoyed a cocktail party and champagne after which an exhibition of the Spectrum Center for the Promotion of Science was opened. The exhibition’s main topic was “Light” like the Gala Evening’s. The newly elected President of the Chamber, Dragan Stokić, ad-

dressed the guests and thanked them for coming. He also reminded the guests of the Chamber's priorities, which are, above all, providing comprehensive support to its members, but also giving operational support to all companies that want to work on the Serbian market. During this solemn event, two Grand Prix Awards were given out, and the General Director of CCIFS, Sanja Ivanić, praised the active participation of members in the voting, as 1,700 of them voted for eight candidates this year.

Dragan Stokić, President of French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

06 OCT

HE PROMETHEUS OF T THE NEW CENTURY EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM OF YUGOSLAVIA

Color Media Communications and the Museum of Yugoslavia held a cocktail reception and a tour for representatives of the diplomatic corps on the occasion of the presentation of the Prometheus of the New Century exhibition at the Museum of Yugoslavia. The exhibition will be open until 14th November 2021. The director of the Museum of Yugoslavia, Neda Knežević, spoke at the opening of the cocktail reception, saying that the 60th anniversary of the First Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade was a

Neda Knežević,director of the Museum of Yugoslavia

08 OCT

THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT IN BELGRADE

Belgrade hosted a two-day Non-Aligned Movement Summit, which was held on the 60th anniversary of the movement's inception. Over 105 countries, nine delegations from international organizations and 40 foreign ministers took part in the summit. This is the largest diplomatic gathering in Europe during the pandemic, which was jointly organized by Serbia and Azerbaijan. The Movement’s first conference took place on September 1, 1961, in Belgrade, and with the Move-

great opportunity to remind of and highlight the importance and value of the Non-Aligned Movement, one of the most important phenomena related to Yugoslavia, a country which legacy we represent. The artwork of the contemporary artist, Vladimir Nikolić, titled “Communist painting in the century of digital reproduction", is also on show at the exhibition.

Ana Panić and Jovana Nedeljković are the authors of the exhibition are the curators at the Museum of Yugoslavia

Khairul Tazril Tarmizi, Charge d'Affaires Embassy of Malaysia and H.E. Tomáš Kuchta, Czech Ambassador

ment’s founders – the presidents of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Josip Broz Tito, the president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and the prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru – in attendance. The Movement was founded with the idea that the member countries distance themselves from both the Western bloc, which was represented by the United States and NATO and the Eastern bloc, which was represented by the then USSR.

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

08 OCT

NATIONAL FOUNDATION DAY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

H.E. Hyoung-chan Choe

19 OCT

SPEED BUSINESS MEETING

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Serbia hosted a choir concert commemorating the National Foundation Day of the Republic of Korea on Friday, October 8th, at the Kolarac Concert Hall. A choir of Korean professional male singers called ‘I Maestri’ performed with a special guest Ms. Jasmina Trumbetaš, Principal Singer of the National Theatre in Belgrade. The Ko-

rean Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Hyoung-chan Choe said that the choir concert helped the two countries to become closer and to find some moments of comfort and joy in these difficult times under the pandemic. The concert took place on a beautiful and dynamic stage with classic opera arias and Korean songs, which excited and amazed the audience.

Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and H.E. Hioung-chan Choe with his wife

In cooperation with the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) and Canadian-Serbian Business Association (CANSEE), the Slovenian Business Club (SBC) held an eight consecutive Speed Business Meeting - Fall Edition, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Belgrade, which was also the event's partner. The Cargo-partner Company was the event's sponsor. In order to network foreign and domestic businesspeople, this

year's Speed Business Meeting brought together 59 companies from different business sectors which had the opportunity to present their companies, services and products in eight-minute-long one-on-one meetings. It was a great opportunity for connecting and expanding the contact base.

After the meeting, the event participants continued networking at the cocktail party in a more informal atmosphere.

Mirjana Dončić Beaton (CANSEE), Jelena Bulatović (SAM) and Danijela Fišakov (SBC)

26 OCT

UN DAY

On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the United Nations, the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the United Nations Team in Serbia jointly marked this day at a ceremony dedicated to the diverse cultural and natural abundance of Serbia. The meeting participants talked about the need for urgent action for the benefit of people and the planet, considered the solutions required to promote diversity, inclusiveness and solidarity, as well as overcoming the triple crisis facing the

planet - climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – as highlighted in the recently published report called “Our Common Agenda”, written by the UN Secretary-General. In 2020, twenty UN agencies, funds and programmes, in partnership with the Government and civil society, provided goods and services to the people of Serbia worth 70 million euros, including 23 million dollars set aside to mitigate the consequences of COVID-19.

Françoise Jacob,UN Resident Coordinator In Serbia, Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mari Darija Kisić Tepavčević and Tatjana Matić, ministers Yamashita, Representative of the Secretary-General in the Government of Serbia with H.E. Anthony Godfrey, US Ambassador and Head of UN Office in Belgrade

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

07 OCT

OFFICIAL PROMOTION OF HELLO! TRAVEL: CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SERBIA

In the beautiful building that houses the Princess Ljubica Residence in cooperation with the Tourist Organization of Serbia, Color Media Communications presented a special issue of Hello! magazine dedicated to the cultural heritage of Serbia titled Hello!

Travel: Serbia Cultural Heritage. 204 pages of this luxury bilingual magazine feature the magnificent cultural treasures and sights in Central Serbia, Vojvodina, Kosovo and Metohija, churches, monasteries, mosques, synagogues, castles, palaces, fortresses, towns, villages and our abundant tradition. The promotion’s host, the director of the Museum of the City of Belgrade, Jelena Medaković, said that it was very important for the museum to connect heritage and tourism in every way possible. The director of the Tourist Organization of Serbia, Marija Labović, underlined that culture and tourism were only successful in pairs and could not do without each other. The Ethno-Network Association made sure that the guests got acquainted with traditional handicrafts, as well as carpets from Pirot, Stapar and Novi Pazar.

Jelena Medaković

Marija Labović

15 OCT

Dubravka Vučić

Robert Čoban(CPG), Dubravka Vučić, Slavko Spasić and H.E.Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko

H.E.Jørn Eugen Erling Gjelstad, Norwegian Ambassador

DIPLOMATIC CORPS VISIT THE CAVIAR EXHIBITION AT THE GALLERY OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Over 30 representatives of the diplomatic corps in Serbia attended the opening of the exhibition titled "Caviar", authored by Dubravka Vučić, senior ichthyologist and curator at the Gallery of the Museum of Natural History in Belgrade.

Although “elegance” and “luxury” are the words we usually associate with caviar, this exhibition brings caviar closer to people through its various aspects - from cultural and historical to biological and economic. The exhibition also showcases one of the last specimens of cod caught in the Danube, as well as Adriatic sturgeons from the Bojana River, which are almost extinct in rivers today. One part of the exhibition is also dedicated to the world-famous Kladovo caviar from Serbia.

At the exhibition opening, Slavko Spasić, acting Director of the Museum of Natural History, said that this year, the Museum celebrated its 125th anniversary and added: “Only one story about nature was presented at this exhibition, which is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for us.

We hope that our museum collections, which number over 1.6 million exhibits, will get a better space for permanent exhibition in the future. " In his address, the Russian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, reminded that although Russia was not the first country that started to consume caviar, its mass production began by order of Empress Catherine the Great in the 18th century.

The Caviar exhibition was made possible with the help of the Republic of Serbia’s Ministry of Culture and Information.

The exhibition will be open until December 2, 2021, at the Gallery of the Museum of Natural History in Belgrade, 5, Mali Kalemegdan.

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CORPORATE

A Place Where Ordinary Ingredients are Transformed Into Special Dishes While exploring the rich gastronomic scene of the Serbian capital, you must visit one place that is worth a detour ALEKSANDAR MILOVANOVIĆ

the covers of an exciting book or guide for a trip around the world because all our dishes have special and unusual names that tell a story. Since November, we have had a new, expanded menu, the fourth in a row since the restaurant opened. Although the dishes change every season, we have evergreen favourites that we always use. The principle here remains unchanged - our methods are different and even ‘ordinary’ ingredients are prepared in a special way.

Head chef of the 369 Restaurant

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his is how the head chef Aleksandar Milovanović describes the 369 restaurant. A food lover who has been all around the world, driven by his passion for cooking, now uses his abundant experience accumulated during almost two decades of working worldwide to create the menu of this lovely restaurant in Novi Beograd where even ‘ordinary’ dishes have unusual names and tell their own authentic stories.

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How did restaurant 369 get its name? Where does the idea come from and what symbolism does its name carry?

— The restaurant’s name is derived from the symbolism behind the numbers 3, 6 and 9, which the genius Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla believed to be the basis of everything and represent the key to the universe. Following the example of the famous inventor who sought harmony and balance in everything, we also constantly strive for balance - between foods that complement each other perfectly and create a unique symphony of flavours in one dish and between nutrients that contribute to a flawlessly balanced nutritional value of a meal, in addition to all other details, which feed not only our guests’ bellies but also their soul and all the senses.

Our goal is for our guests to enjoy not only the food but also to have a complete experience - the way food is served and presented, the scents and colours on the plate, as well as the pleasant ambience in which everyone feels welcome. The principles we are guided by in our work, inspired

by Tesla's vision and courage, are also the postulates on which the business of the corporation behind the restaurant is based. I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to be part of a renowned group that is successful in various segments of busi-

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THE RESTAURANT’S NAME IS DERIVED FROM THE SYMBOLISM BEHIND THE NUMBERS 3, 6 AND 9, WHICH THE GENIUS SERBIAN SCIENTIST NIKOLA TESLA BELIEVED TO BE THE BASIS OF EVERYTHING ness and work under the auspices of a business philosophy that I respect and adhere to. The idea for the restaurant’s name came about the Group’s corporate vision and mission.

The restaurant’s menu is inspired by dishes from all over the world. Where do you get the ingredients that are not from this part of the world? What made you decide to include such dishes in the menu?

— I am lucky to work in a restau-

rant that is part of a large and successful corporation, whose president and top management are very understanding of my ideas and innovations. Thanks to that, my team and I are given space for unlimited creativity and we always have everything we need at our disposal, including the ingredients from all over the world.

Regardless of the origin, our absolute imperative is to have topnotch individual ingredients.

Every time you open the menu, you will feel like you are opening

Who is your target group? Who are the typical guests of the 369 restaurant?

— Although our guests are mostly business people, members of the diplomatic corps and the business community, cosmopolitan people and world travellers who can compare our specialities with those they ate in the most exotic parts of the planet, the menu always leaves room for guests of all generations, tastes and abilities. Our goal is to provide the best possible service at all times and to remain a favourite place for socializing and enjoying food to as many people as possible. From dishes common to our part of the world, all the way to the most challenging culinary exhibitions, we want to educate visitors, apply global standards and always go a step further.

Tell us a bit more about your journey to becoming the head chef of the 369 restaurant. When did you decide that this profession was the one for you?

— My journey to this point was complex and eclectic - just like my approach to food. I deserve to have a place on the gastronomic map because I worked hard and sacrificed a lot, but I don't regret any of it because I enjoyed every moment and I would do it all over again. At the initial stages of my journey, I washed the dishes in the basement of a Parisian bar and this is where my ascent started.

From the very beginning, I had a clear vision, and I was driven by

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Saint Jacques

a huge love and passion for cooking. That remains the same to this day.

I still dream and live food. Each plate is my ID card, my way of communicating with people without uttering a single word. After France and Spain, I worked on a ship for five years, touring the world's most important destinations, getting to know different cultures and absorbing their energy and vibrations. I believe that a part of all those gastro adventures can still be felt on every plate that comes out of my kitchen.

Which dishes are the most popular and which ones are your personal favourite?

— It is not easy to pick the most popular dishes, bearing in mind that various kinds of guests come to 369 and that we are constantly, fortunately, and very successfully, trying to satisfy their sometimes diametrically different tastes.

However, I would like to single out steak tartare 369 as one of the dishes that our visitors order most often. My favourite would be turnedo alla acke, a wonderful piece of aged beef fillet, served with spinach puree, potato pave, chanterelle and duck liver. Of the "simpler" dishes, I would recommend our famous popara - the

Pork Belly

perfect proof that, with the right approach to preparing and serving food, even ordinary, everyday dishes of our grandmothers can be enjoyed as the most exotic delicacies of 21st-century cuisine.

A day you miss out on never comes back so let’s make sure that we live our best days. Hence my next question. What sets you apart from other restaurants?

What are you best at?

REGARDLESS OF THE ORIGIN, OUR ABSOLUTE IMPERATIVE IS TO HAVE TOPNOTCH INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS AND THERE IS NO COMPROMISE IN THAT

Turnedo Alla Acke

— What sets us apart is our approach towards ingredients we use - from careful selection, through the preparation method, all the way to serving. If you order pizza in our restaurant, a dish that is everywhere and available in every restaurant and fast food joint, you can be sure that it contains the highest quality ham. You can enjoy our food without feeling guilty because every ingredient is chosen with style. Bread and pasta are homemade, from the best ingredients.

We strive to maintain an ideal balance when it comes to guests, prices and ingredients in order to reconcile different tastes, possibilities and expectations. We never deviate from one thing the top-notch standards. We believe that we are the best in creating that balance and that we have patented a formula thanks to which enjoying a meal goes beyond the sense of taste and rises to the level of visual and conceptual art. 369 has this unique atmosphere that turns food consumption into a comprehensive experience. We are also unique in that everything is possible with us. The only thing that is impossible for our guests to hear is the word “impossible” or “we can’t do it, it does not exist”.

OFFER FOR BUSINESSPEOPLE Food brings people together and that is more important today than ever before, especially in the business community. Do you have special offers for corporate events?

— No matter how much modern technologies, as well as current circumstances, have displaced a huge segment of our lives and everyday life into the online sphere, certain rituals will never die out. Zoom platforms and similar applications will never replace business meetings

at restaurants where the best contacts are established in an informal and relaxed atmosphere, the most successful partnerships are nurtured and the most lucrative contracts are concluded. Restaurant 369 can organize all kinds of corporate events, celebrations and team building events. We are open to all the ideas, plans and needs of our guests because, to go back to the beginning of this story, we want everyone to feel welcome here.

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FOOD PLANET

by Vanja Kovačev

Mexican Cuisine is One of the Richest and Most Diverse in the World The important aspect of Mexican food is that it's always evolving

MRS. EUNHAI KIM The wife of the Mexican ambassador to Serbia

ays in Belgrade are shorter and darker, temperatures are lower and the “košava” wind “crawls” in to every corner of our homes and souls.

But thanks to DC and all its remarkable expat friends we continue our food journey around the world and we “travel” to Mexico.

Our November Food planet guest is Mrs. Eunhai Kim the spouse of H.E. Ambassador of Mexico Carlos Félix Corona.

D

What are the main characteristics of Mexican cuisine?

— The first native main ingredients were corn and beans from ancient sophisticated and highly developed pre-Columbian indigenous civilizations, such as Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs, among many others, and new ingredients and spices were introduced from western cuisines during the Spanish colonial period and others until today. The Mexican cuisine has contributed to other cuisines in the world with products originated from Mexico, such as corn, to-

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mato, avocado, chocolate, beans, turkey and wide variety of chili peppers. The words chili, tomato and chocolate come from the Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. In 2010, UNESCO recognized the traditional Mexican cuisine as Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity. UNESCO cited Mexican food is beyond the taste buds.

What was at play to be included in the list was the protection of an ancestral way of life as comprehensive cultural model, comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques

lamb. Mexican cuisine varies from every region of Mexico, a country of 32 states with a territory of 2.2 million square meters and 126 million people. So, if you travel across the different regions of Mexico, you will enjoy completely different flavors and aromas of local food.

What are the three most known Mexican meals and sweets?

— I am originally from South Korea but I am a nationalized Mexican. I lived with my family in Mexico City, where fortunately

ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED DISHES IN MEXICO IS MOLE- "IT HAS SUCH A UNIQUE FLAVOR! and ancestral community customs and manners. The Mexican cuisine reflects the multicultural and multi-ethnic background of Mexico. The basic elements of the Mexican cuisine are: corn, chili peppers, beans, vegetables, sea food, and different meats, many of them brought during the Spanish colony such as beef, pork and

you can find Mexican food from all regions.

One of the most sophisticated dishes in Mexico is Mole. Mole had its origin in pre-Hispanic Mexico and it was served in Aztec rituals and other festive occasions. The arrival of Europeans brought many new spices and ingredients that have been incor-

porated into the dish. This is why Mole is considered a true melding of New- World and Old-World flavors. Making mole is a time-consuming labor of love. It is generally mix of ingredients from different chili peppers, tomatoes, dried fruits and spices including chocolate. Both Aztecs and Mayans considered chocolate sacred.

Therefore, it was reserved for the highest-level priest and royalty.

Almost 30 individual ingredients need to be prepared individually which creates a layering of complex flavors. When it is served, the sauce doesn’t taste like chocolate, or chili or cinnamon. It tastes like Mole, unique flavor. It is a thick cream sauce but without cream.

Mole is served during the most important festivity occasions like weddings, baptisms, special anniversaries or celebrations.

Another traditional special dish from Mexico City is salted Cod “Bacalao”. It is a staple dish for Christmas family dinner. Chiles en Nogada, roasted and stuffed Poblano peppers is very patriotic seasonal dish during September and October celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day, Sep. 16th.

Personally, I believe one of the most unique sweets in Mexico is the Day of the Dead bread. The Day of the Dead is one of the most important holidays in Mexico. During this celebration, all Mexican families bake or buy the special type of bread, Pan de muerto, the Day of the dead bread. This is a sweet soft wheat round bread. It is decorated to look like a cross of four bones on the top symbolizing the four courses of universe. This bread is one of the important elements used in the altar for Day of the Dead. It is soft and so delicious and you forget that you are eating bones and fleshes made with wheat.

What are the Mexican meals you or your chef prepare in Serbia? Can you find the ingredients here?

— It is challenging to cook original Mexican dishes in Serbia due to lack of proper ingredients.

Corn is the main ingredient in

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many traditional Mexican dishes. For example, corn tortillas are served almost every dish similarly to bread here. Unfortunately, we can only find flour tortillas, which is consumed in the northern part of Mexico.

Another important ingredient are chili peppers. Mexico has more than 60 species of chili peppers and usually chili peppers are combined to prepare many different kinds of sauces. I found a few different kinds of local chili peppers that I roast or dry them to bring out the favor. Here in Serbia, we prepare Mexican food using local ingredients. One traditional Mexican dish you can make is Chile Relleno with Serbian paprika. In Mexico it is made with roasted green Poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, dipped in a fluffy egg batter and fried until golden brown. It can be served with simple tomato sauce. I have luckily found roasted red paprika in stores. So now we make delicious red chile relleno, (Stuffed Chili) at home. It is fun way to create a Mexican/Serbian dish!

What is your favorite Serbian dish and why?

— This is our second posting in Belgrade. We were here from 1991 to 1994. So, we are very familiar with the flavors of Serbian cuisine. We love Serbian fresh cheeses especially kajmak. Also, we love ćevapi and šopska salad. My favorite dish is Sarma. The pickled Cabbage is very similar to fermen-

Mexican Chilaquiles

tation process of Korean kimchi and is bursting with delicious flavors when you eat. In addition, I think it is a very healthy dish with full of nutrients. My husband’s favorite dish is Karadorđeva šnicla. In general food is no problem in Serbia as there are always high-quality meal in many restaurants. Any place you can have delicious meal weather expensive or a small humble yet delicious pljeskavica place. However, the main issue becomes keeping the same weight on the scale!

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?

— During our previous stay 19911994 we could not travel around the country nor in the region.

Now we are very excited to discover many beautiful places in Serbia.

We have been in Novi Sad and Golubac area and recently we were in Kovačica, the cradle of the magnificent and famous Serbian naïve painting. We were privileged to meet Martin Jonas, Zuzana Chalupova and Pataki at their homes during 90’s. I’m very pleased to see those great artists are highly regarded in the country and their work. I treasure my Serbian naïve art collection in which I feel very authentic, honest and yet interesting story behind. I would recommend Kovačica because it is a magical place where all fantastic stories were told with colors.

INGREDIENTS RED SAUCE: • 1 medium size onion cut into thick slices • 1 spoon of diced onion • 3 medium size tomatoes • 2 garlic cloves • 1-2 fresh chili peppers, red or green • ½ cup of “tomatello”

MY FAVORITE DISH IS SARMA AND MY HUSBAND’S FAVORITE DISH IS KARADORĐEVA ŠNICLA

• 1 cup of chicken broth or water

CHILAQUILES: • 1 bag of corn tortilla chip original flavour • ½ cup of cream (sour cream) • ½ crumbled fresh cheese (feta or any fresh cheese, hard consistency) • 2 slices onion rings separated to garnish • 1 egg • 1 can of pinto beans • Cooking oil • Salt and pepper to season

RED SAUCE RECIPE Place thick sliced onions, two cloves of garlic, three tomatoes and chili pepper in a skillet. Roast until the edges are blackened and softened.

Blend all roasted vegetables with ½ cups of “tomatello” and tea spoon of salt. Once all the ingredients are mixed well, add a cup of chicken stock or water. Blend again until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion cook until they become transparent and start to brown. Pour the sauce and cook stirring occasionally.

Once the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer in low heat about 5-10 minutes until all the ingredients are cooked. The sauce should be smooth and light but not runny. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

CHILAQUILES Place tortilla chips in the serving plate and mix with generous amount of hot red sauce and mix carefully to coat the chips. Top with cream or Sour Cream, crumbled fresh cheese and garnish with onion rings on the top.

Serve immediately. Chilaquiles could be served with fried eggs, bean paste. Also, avocado is also a good addition to the Chilaquiles.

Optional: YYou can add shredded chicken to the Chilaquiles.

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INTERVIEW

by Jelena Lagator

Creating the Art With the Photographs It is not only a painted paper in my hand, but a multidimensional phenomenon: tactile-cognitivehistorical-documentary-emotionally colorful and always and again - unique SRDJAN DOROŠKI

for professional purposes, nor knowledge of photography, nor the art of making photographs.

The future that came unexpectedly brought me that.

Than, once again, coincidence took matters into its own hands.

Namely, one evening I found myself at a concert of classical music in the company of my sister Mia Doroški Antonić, who had a brilliant idea that on one occasion I, with my camera, record the concert. Thus, in 2007, I became an associate of the Music Youth of Novi Sad, accepting the invitation of Mr. Milan Radulović, the Secretary of the Organization. Thanks to that, I got a job to photograph a theatrical play that took place in 2010 as part of the activities organized

by MYNS. I was completely unprepared for what awaited me ...

Longtime theater and concert photographer, photographer of the Serbian National Theater

or November issue of the Diplomacy&Commerce magazine, we spoke with Srdjan Doroški, longtime theater and concert photographer, photographer of the Serbian National Theater, about his first step into photography, his work and approach. “I always approach photography with a dose of fear that sometimes discourages me at the beginning”, he pointed out.

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When did you realize you were passionate about photography?

— Coincidence and playing, I would say, guided me either together or separately. The beginning of my exploring the photography takes us back to 1995.

At that time, I was often spending time with my friend Fedja Kiselički, talking about photography. At some point, without thinking too much, as if it was a game, I accepted an unexpected offer from my cousin, who saw my interest in photography, to open a photo studio together. He invested in a photo-making machine, and Fedja and I invested our work. At that moment, I was guided only by my love for photography. I did not have a camera that could be used

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THE PLAY OF LIGHTS, THE STATE OF THE AMBIENCE, THE EXPRESSION OF THE FACES, THE MOVEMENTS AND THE STATICS IN THE FRAME SPEAK OF THE CAPTURED MOMENT

Theater and concert photography are not only artistic. They document the development of a certain institution, they record a period in the history of society caught in the individual expression, cramp, look…

— Just as an institution grows and learns, and then shares the knowledge (because the only two things that grow through sharing are love and knowledge), I grew up with concerts and theaters as well. A new door opened for learning, acquiring, but also

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for teaching what the experience brought me. Coincidence also led me to the Faculty of Management in Novi Sad, where I started working as an assistant on Theory and Technology of Photography. The position of assistant gave me opportunity to show students what photography brings, what "feeds" the photography, to show how photography possesses its soul, its inner name, its existence, the depth.

The play of lights, the state of the ambience, the expression of the faces, the movements and the statics in the frame speak of the captured moment. I knew that the story that each photo carries can be interpreted in many ways.

And again, there are many conditions for that, from the current mood of the observer, through the sensibility and emotions that are captured in the moment in the photo... It is not only a painted paper in my hand, but a multidimensional phenomenon: tactile-cognitive-historical-documentary-emotionally colorful and always and again - unique.

I always approach photography with a dose of fear that sometimes discourages me at the beginning.

Sometimes you appear on the stage, without prior announcement to the artists, because that also happens, and again, regardless of that, the artists feel safe in your presence.

— It's like a game to appear unannounced, isn't it? But, I appear with deep respect and understanding of the work that the artists are doing. Professionalism, philanthropy and culture have always led me, so before publishing the photo I first check and choose, avoiding to turn the reality into banality. Therefore, there are no accidentally distorted faces or wrong movements in my photo.

All genres, drama, opera, ballet, require complete dedication and identification with the moment.

Individually, drama requires speed, more than other genres.

The opera requires a special color and patience to find a frame of emotion carried by the voice. Ballet is looking for a moment, because every jump carries a lot of invisible parts: from the beginning to the end.

Rehearsal or performance, is there a difference in work and approach?

— No, It's the same for me. The presence or absence of complete make-up, costume, scenography, light is for me only a "detail" that changes the final experience. However, the photograph of the play bears one very important fact, that the work consists not only of the writer, compos-

THROUGH CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY, I LEARNED THE BASIC POSTULATES OF BEHAVIOR AND PARTICIPATION IN A TEAM

NICKNAME PABLO Where did the nickname Pabllo come from?

— Again quite by accident. A colleague with whom I worked as a photographer in a company left me a message: "Pablo, your products are ready for photography." And that message was repeated from day to day and one day I asked him: "Why Pablo?" He answered me simply and from the heart: “Well, Picasso! Picasso was an artist and you are an artist too, because you create such photographs…!” I was speechless and with gratitude for this wonderful description of my work, I decided to add six letters “Pabllo” to my name.

er, actors, performers, but also of all those who participate in the creation of lights and scenes and make-up, costumes, as well as all those who spread the word about the play through advertising.

I surrender to the actors of the play, I don't wait for them to approach me, for them to turn to me.

I need to position myself in relation to the actors - I am there because of them.

Festivals - preparations, experience, difference, challenge…?

— A big challenge. Each festival is something new and something unexperienced. No matter how big or small it is, the festival carries a dose of festivity. It is not a regular show or concert, but something that only happens that day. The festival is a space where in a relatively short time I have the opportunity to meet a lot of people. I come into contact with different emotions, expressions, but also desires and needs. I am present as someone who "obeys" and not the one who "leads". However, when the festival is over, my story remains, which only then begins to develop.

How specific is concert photography and is it more demanding than theater?

— Concert photography is my debut that gave birth to art in me.

Through concert photography, I learned the basic postulates of behavior and participation in a team - to be there, to be accurate, to be invisible, to get as close as possible, but not to disturb the silence that adorns the concert, to observe as the audience, but so that the audience doesn’t see me.

In a word, to capture every subtle emotion, to see everything, but for no one to notice me. Only after the concert, I introduce myself with my photos.

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EMBASSIES AND RESIDENCES BUILDINGS

Turkish Embassy The building is an example of Neo-Classicism that dominated Europe and America in late 19th and early 2Oth centuries, and was also known as Academicism due to its origins in the French Académie des Beaux-Arts

ositioned in a prominent site facing Pionirski Park in a prestigious Central Belgrade district near the Presidential Palace and Parliament, Turkish Embassy’s Chancellery stands out with its striking neoclassical architecture and statuary. Designed by Zivojin Nikolic, it was constructed in 1924 and initially served as the Vracarska Zadruga Bank. The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey moved here in 1932; the building is now Turkish state property following the purchase in 1967.

Educated in Munich between 1908 and 1912, Nikolic became one of the greatest Serbian architects of all times; the Royal Compound in Dedinje (Turkish for 'grandfather's place') is a joint Nikolic-Krasnov project. Built between 1924 and 1929, it later served Tito, the President of Yugoslavia. The Dedinje Palace served as a blue-

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THE FAMOUS SERBIAN POET JOVAN JOVANOVIC ZMAJ IS ANOTHER ARTIST THAT DESERVES A MENTION: A PLAQUE OUTSIDE THE CHANCELLERY STATES HE LIVED ON THIS SITE IN AN OLDER BUILDING

print for the Yugoslav Chancellery built in Ankara around the same time; and indeed, the latter repeats numerous stylistic elements of the Palace. The nationalistic approach favoured by Nikolic resulted in the creation of a Serbian-Byzantine style that uses Serbian motifs.

The building is an example of Neo-Classicism that dominated Europe and America in late 19th and early 2Oth centuries, and was also known as Academicism due to its origins in the French Académie des BeauxArts. Entrance is through a rounded corner. The exterior of the ground floor is rusticated, whilst the first and second stores are adorned with giant engaged ionic pillars. A more formal entrance reached by a few steps is situated in the courtyard elevation that has a symmetrical arrangement around a portico. Zivojin Lukic's (1889-1934) statues on the exteri-

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or and on the roof were intended to symbolize good fortune wishes for the bank. The renowned sculptor, whose golden years came in the 192Os and 1930s, created many pieces that are now on display in the Belgrade National Museum; his work also decorates several buildings in the historic Dorçol district. The famous Serbian poet Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj is another artist that deserves a mention: a plaque outside the chancellery states he lived on this site in an older building.

The three-store chancellery (including the basement) has a footprint of 600 sqm on a plot measuring 1,180 sqm. An annex constructed between 2014 and

SEVERAL OTTOMAN STRUCTURES SUCH AS TOMBS, FOUNTAINS AND MOSQUES STILL SURVIVE IN AND AROUND BELGRADE CASTLE KNOWN AS KALEMEGDAN (FROM TURKISH FOR CASTLE PLAZA, KALE MEYDANI) 2016 is in perfect in harmony with the historic building in mass and materials; rising at the rear, it turns the garden into a shared courtyard.

Several Ottoman structures such as tombs, fountains and mosques still survive in and around Belgrade Castle known as Kalemegdan (from Turkish for Castle Plaza, Kale Meydanı). An-

other park, this one closer to the chancellery, was converted from an ancient quarry: Tasmajdan, from Taş (rock) Meydanı. Three roads allude to Turkey in Belgrade: Angorska, Antiohijska and Jedrenska - Ankara, Antioch and Edirne. Belgrade is also rich with districts and neighborhoods that preserve their Ottoman names,

such as Dorçol (Crossroads, Dörtyol), Topçider (Artillery Stream, Topçu Deresi), Karaburma and Bulbulder (Nightingale Stream, Bülbül Deresi).

Alongside these cultural marks, the Embassy also bears the traces of a tragic event from the Yugoslav period: Ambassador Galip Balkar was assassinated in 1983 by Armenian terrorists.

An oil portrait of him and some of his personal effects are on display together with newspapers of the day at the ground floor. A memorial plaque was also placed in 2019 at the corner of Resavska Street and Boulevard Kralja Alexandra, where the terrorist attack was taken place.

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WEEKEND MEDIA FESTIVAL, ROVINJ

by Robert Čoban

Lots of Nice Things...

How did a town in Istria become "Belgrade on the Sea" in the 1950s and what did Miša Jovanović write about it in his book "Goodbye, Old Rovinj”? Who came to the 14th Weekend Media Festival? What did people talk about in the panel discussions and what happened on the Festival’s margins? Why are we going to drink Malvasia and eat cod again next September while lamenting about people who pitted us against each other?

id you come to Weekend Media too?” a shop assistant asks me, staring at my black festival armband as I buy a local daily newspaper, in order to show my colleagues from Belgrade the fantastic review of the film "Toma" written by Jurica Pavičić. "Even if you are not interested in (Toma) Zdravković's music, even if you are not familiar with him from the cultural point of view, the film “Toma" will entertain you”, says Pavičić, a journalist from the Jutarnji List, in his review.

“I would give everything to see Bajaga live in concert,” the shop assistant adds. I tell her to sit on the stone fence near the waterfront in front of Tvornica, in which courtyard Bajaga will be holding a concert, so she can listen and enjoy the music of this Belgrade rock musician, whose popularity in Croatia has not waned at all.

Bajaga's performance at this year's Weekend Media Festival was sponsored by Una TV, a

“D

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PEOPLE FROM BELGRADE NURTURE A SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE FOR ROVINJ, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME ANOTHER EMOTIONAL TOPONYM OF THE SERBIAN CAPITAL, ALONG WITH DORĆOL AND VRAČAR still-mysterious regional project backed by Dejan Jocić, former head of Belgrade's Prva TV (Prva/ Una?) and later almost director of Nova TV, which despite being promised by certain top officials that it would be given a national broadcasting frequency in 2013, was not assigned one. Jocić participated in the Festival’s panel discussion "Future TV - Next Level".

However, there was no mention of Una TV on his name tag, but rather the name of the German investment fund called Foundcenter Investment Berlin. While sipping on my coffee, sitting on the concrete terrace of the Maestral Hotel, right next to the waterfront, I

heard that Una TV would open offices in Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Belgrade and Zagreb and would focus mainly on entertainment content (a couple of weeks ago, it was announced that the Croatian singer Severina will be one of the celebrities working for this TV station).

Conspiracy theorists and self-proclaimed experts swear that Igor Dodik, Milorad Dodik's son, and the Republic of Srpska’s Telekom, are behind all of this and that the whole endeavour is another soft power project which aims at unifying all Serbs. There will be time to think about it when the festival visitors cure their hangover from the

last evening of the festival, during which Bajaga's songs echoed long into Rovinj’s night: "Moji su drugovi žestoki momci velikog srca i kad se pije i kad se ljubi i kad se puca…" and people, as always, forming the conga line and dancing around the courtyard of the former tobacco factory.

We arrived in Rovinj on Friday at dawn after a six-hour drive from Novi Sad which started after midnight. We enter the Grand Park Hotel which has a lovely view of Rovinj's Old Town, perhaps one of the most beautiful on the Adriatic. The panel I moderate is the first on the schedule on the first festival day and after having a strong coffee, I slowly head towards the Tobacco Factory, a ten-minute walk. As I am walking, I am thinking about the first festival, which was held in mid-September 2008, just a few days before the outbreak of the global economic crisis. Back then, I took part in a panel talking about celebrity magazines and one of the guests was a Facebook represent-

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ative for Europe. We talked about the experiences of that social network that was just "breaking through" on our regional market.

Exactly 10 years ago, I was one of the panellists in 'The Food that Feeds Media' panel. I talked about the success of our magazine "Pošalji Recept" which was based on housewives over the age of 50, who don’t use the Internet, sharing their best culinary experiences. I called the magazine back then “Facebook for baby boomers”.

The panel I moderate this year is called “To aim at a target or to shoot from a shotgun: special interest print vs mainstream print.”

A panellist from Serbia, Josip Ašik, took part in the panel’s first segment. Ašik and a group of his friends from Zemun make and print the magazine called American Chess Magazine. The printed version of the magazine is sent to the United States, where it is distributed to chess fans. When Tomo Ricov, the director of the Weekend Media Festival, read an article about Josip on my Facebook profile a few months ago, he immediately wanted him to take part in this year’s festival.

The other two panel participants helm Croatian mainstream dailies - 24 Sata and Večernji List.

While I was talking about the differences between the Croatian and Serbian media scene today, the title of a panel from the 2011 festival - "There are so a lot of nice things that I cannot say" – popped into my mind. Back then, the talk was about restrictions on tobacco and alcohol advertising. During this panel, the famous line uttered by the actor Boris Dvornik in the Velo Misto TV series was running through my head because,

in principle, I do not like to speak badly about the country I come from when I am at conferences abroad. Inevitably, the impression is that the current situation in the news media (daily newspapers, web portals and television) in Serbia has never been so far removed from the European and even regional standards. Ivan Buča, the editor-in-chief of 24 Sata, says that he receives notifications from the online versions of all Serbian daily newspapers and that sometimes it seems to him that the identical spin news is published with a few seconds difference in each of these newspapers, like in Orwell’s dystopian novel.

Dr Manfred Spitzer, the au-

health and our society. Both investors and entrepreneurs have been warning about the health consequences of excessive use of smartphones.

CEO of Apple recommends that smartphones should not be used in schools, French President Macron has completely banned them from schools while South Korea has had laws in place for years that protect young people from the worst consequences of using mobile phones, because, when used without any restrictions, they negatively affect health, education and society as a whole.

It is interesting to note that two announced festival participants, both big names, so to speak, did

JUST LIKE IN THE FORMER SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA, EVERY COUNTRY HAS SOMETHING THAT IS "BETTER THAN THE OTHER" thor of the bestsellers “Digital Dementia”, “Loneliness, the Unrecognized Disease” and “The Smartphone Epidemic”, was the international star of this year's festival, which was held under the slogan "Long Live Life”. In the last ten years, smartphones have conquered the world with great speed and changed the everyday life of four billion users like no other technical innovation before. From morning to evening, at work and in private life, nothing seems to work without a smartphone. Dr Spitzer asks what price do we pay for using smartphones? It is as if they are thought of only in a positive context, and few care about the negative consequences on our thinking, feelings and actions, our

Bicycles, waves and the shade of pine trees: One of the wild beaches near Rovinj

not appear - Jovana Joksimović, who was supposed to take part in the panel on "infotainment", and Galeb Nikačević, who was supposed to talk about podcasts.

Before the start of the panel "How festivals change destinations", I am sitting in the garden of the Maestral Hotel with two of the panellists - Jovan Marjanović from the Sarajevo Film Festival and Ivan Petrović from the Exit Foundation. Their two festivals were very successful this summer despite the pandemic-induced challenges. As we were chatting, my colleagues in Novi Sad were organizing Oktoberfest. Talking about it, I am under the impression that people who were vaccinated against the coro-

navirus are much less bothered if unvaccinated people come to a mass event than the so-called anti-vaxxers, once these festivals announce that the only people they would be letting in would be those who have of proof of vaccination, the so-called ‘green’ certificate. The introduction of COVID passes caused a torrent of protests and insults on social media, with comments like “It’s not a long way to go from green certificates to yellow armbands. This is fascism!" and the like. I am quite sure that this phenomenon (absolute confidence that anti-vaxxers have in the rightness of their attitude) will one day be the subject of serious scientific studies. By the way, the black armband from the beginning of the story was given to the vaccinated festival-goers, while the green armband was worn by the people who submitted a negative PCR test.

On the second day of the festival, as I am sitting in the courtyard of the former Tobacco Factory, an example of an excellently preserved industrial heritage, with my colleagues Dragan Močević from Banja Luka and Dejan Ljuština from Zagreb, we are talking about the regional scene. This festival, which has been taking place every September in Rovinj, for the past 13 years (except last year), reminds us that stories about regional cooperation between countries, economies and media that were once a part of one country are not just an empty phrase used by certain people to obtain EU funds. Just like in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, every country has something that is "better than the other"; there is always something to see peeking over “the neigh-

Coastline without vandals: Stone towers that have stood there for years

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bour’s fence" and learn from it.

The magnetic attraction between men from Belgrade and women from Zagreb and women from Belgrade and men from Dalmatia is not just an urban myth.

By the way, people from Belgrade nurture a special kind of love for Rovinj, which seems to have become another emotional toponym of the Serbian capital, along with Dorćol and Vračar. As the Italians moved out of Rovinj, the town, with its many empty houses and apartments, has become an "easy target" for Belgraders who have been buying real estate here since the late 1950s.

One of the first Belgraders to come to Rovinj, back in the 1950s, was the lawyer Miša Jovanović who, together with his older and more famous contemporaries (Mića Popović, Mihiz, Antonije Isaković...), became a trademark of Rovinj. Tormented by nostalgia for Rovinj, which was his second hometown for years, he wrote the book "Goodbye, Old Rovinj!” ("Vecchia Rovigno, Addio!"), which he published by himself and distributed among his friends.

At the beginning of the book, Miša Jovanović talks about arriving in Rovinj by train and mentions the town of Kanfanar, the people who had spent their summers in Rovinj, which was a mustsee destination in the 1960s and 1970s, and his feeling of nostalgia. "How did people get off the train, which was stationary only for a few minutes on its way to the final station in Pula?! Suitcases were often thrown out the window, and people jumped from the high stairs onto the gravel floor that was a staple at almost every railway station in Yugoslavia," he writes. That is how his first encounter with Rovinj began. "Then you come to a town where there is no beach and where everything

How "Belgrade on the Sea" came about: The cover of Miša Jovanović's book

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Sniper or Shotgun: Festival panel

smells like cigarettes and fish (Rovinj was known for its Mirna fish factory and TDR tobacco factory), a town that you always come back to,” Miša writes.

The love that Belgraders have for this once industrial town is everlasting and despite thousands and thousands of tourists coming to Rovinj from all over the world

the father of the famous Baroness Huetterott, whose tragic fate on Crveni Otok (the Red Island) I wrote about a month ago. Count Huetterott started preparing the forest for the opening of a climatic health resort called Cap Aureo (Golden Cape) here. This job was not finished since he committed suicide in 1910, desperate because

THE PANEL I MODERATED THIS YEAR IS CALLED “TO AIM AT A TARGET OR TO SHOOT FROM A SHOTGUN: SPECIAL INTEREST PRINT VS MAINSTREAM PRINT” every year, the town still proudly bears the epithet - "Belgrade on the Sea".

I did not miss out on my afternoon ritual of cycling along the coast to the Polari camp. As I walk along the perfectly arranged and maintained coastline, I stop next to a sign which, under the inscription "Zlatni Rt Forest Park", features a black and white photo of Count Johann Georg Huetterott,

of the debt he had accumulated while financing the construction of the Viribus Unitis ship, commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

I pass by the part of the coast where there are hundreds of "towers" made of stacked stones and I wonder again how it is possible that, all these years, not a single vandal, a drunk local or a drunk tourist has destroyed them. In

13 years of tradition: Entrance to the Weekend Media Festival

most other places I know, such ‘structures’ would hardly have survived the night.

There are a lot of swimmers on the rocks, in the sea and under the pines and the camps I passed by are also full to the brim, just like in July. It seems that, in addition to the record-breaking tourist season in August, September will also break a 2019 record when it comes to Croatian coastline tourism. Croatia caught up with Serbia in terms of the percentage of vaccinated citizens (both had 41.5% on Sunday, September 26), but the daily number of infected and dead is much lower. Masks here are worn only by shop assistants and waiters, mostly on their chins.

Direct Media hosted their traditional dinner at the Sidro restaurant on the last evening of the festival. This year, Direct Media, one of the largest regional marketing and media agencies, is also marking its 20th anniversary, so there are even more reasons to celebrate. Rovinj seems to have annulled all divisions and media hunts, so at the dinner, even those people who had often spoken badly about Direct Media in the past, are now enjoying themselves while drinking Malvasia wine and feasting on cod. But that is probably what the charm of this Istrian town does to you, where everyone who comes from Serbia behaves normally. Once they return to their offices and newsrooms tomorrow, everything will go back to old ways, until next September, the new Weekend Media Festival and the new bottle Malvasia, when, while listening to Bajaga singing about the blue sapphire, longing and sorrow, we will again wonder who pitted us against each other.

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Croatia

DI PLOM ACY

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HUM Hum, the smallest city in the world, is situated in the centre of Istria with barely 20 inhabitants.

You can see in Hum the preserved city walls and its two small streets with three rows of houses.

GOT KING'S LANDING Dubrovnik was the main filming location in Croatia for King's Landing, a fictional city in Game of Thrones, the famous TV series based on the series of fantasy novels “A Song of Ice and Fire”.

THE NECKTIE Thanks to Croats you look so good in official suite. It's unclear when exactly the necktie was invented, but Croatian soldiers wore red cravats as part of their uniform during the Thirty Years' War.

THE PULA ARENA The sixth-largest surviving Roman amphitheater—and the only one to preserve all three of the classical orders of columns—is a majestic site, even after almost 2000 years.

ZLATNI RAT BEACH Depending on the current winds, the beach slightly changes it shape particularly the top tip of the triangle that tend to move towards the east or west.

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Relations Between Croatia and Serbia are Key to the Region's Stability We have a huge job ahead of us and a huge challenge. Economic relations have been stable, even in a slight upswing in recent years, despite the pandemic. This is indisputably encouraging as it indicates that, in real life and the so-called real sector, there is a kind of energy and discovery of mutual interests that override nationalist and isolationist rhetoric

I N T E RV I E W

H.E. HIDAJET BIŠČEVIĆ Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia

e interviewed the Croatian Ambassador to Serbia for the latest edition of InFocus Croatia about current topics when it comes to relations between Serbia and Croatia - diplomatic, political, economic and joint projects that are building new bridges of friendship. H.E. Hidajet Biščević notes that there is a shift in relations and adds: "I have no claim about having a special role in this, but lately, we have put relations on a more organized track. There are differences, occasionally sparks fly, but we don't have Zagreb or Belgrade sending each other protest notes once a week. We are talk-

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ing, at various levels, and we are focused on key issues.“ At the very beginning of your term in the office, you stated that, when it comes to the relations between our two countries, it is very important to break the chains of the past.

After more than a year of being the Croatian ambassador to Serbia, what is your view of the relations between Croatia and Serbia today?

— Honestly, it would be an exaggeration to say that we have broken those chains. Old narratives are still spinning, old slogans are still echoing, old consciousness is still breaking

We still have a huge job ahead of us, a huge challenge…

through. What is worrying is something we don't notice enough - it’s been three decades since the breakup and separation, i.e. almost three decades since the war ended. Thirty years, that is! True, everything that happened in the 1990s, with the collapse of the former state, was the biggest and most shocking change in the geopolitical configuration in Europe after the fall of communism and the Berlin Wall. No region of Europe has gone through such a tunnel and such earthquakes. In addition, this is ethnically, religiously, politically, culturally the most complicated corner of Europe, with a heavy legacy of suspicion, mistrust and open hostility, especially in Croatian-Serbian relations.

Both of these aspects indisputably show that breaking the chains of the past is not easy, but nevertheless, it has been thirty years. If I may, perhaps, give a rather obscene comparison - German tourists spent their summers on the coastline of a country that they had devastated ten years before, at the end of World War II, and it took America and Vietnam thirty years to radically change their relations, not to mention the Germans and French and their history. So, we still have a huge job ahead of us, a huge challenge… But, perhaps most importantly, the challenge of not being a hostage of the

cess and, equally important, issues which resolution would relieve a significant part of the burden that Serbia has borne since the 1990s. I am talking, for example, about missing persons. This no longer has to be a matter of responsibility, punishment, tensions over the nature of the conflict and the like. This is simply a humanitarian issue - locating the remains of missing persons and handing them over to their families.

Merkel's farewell Balkan tour and the German elections have marked this autumn. Do you think that Angela Merkel's departure spells the end of the Berlin Process?

— As much as the Berlin Process, with its elaborate political and developmental components, was Chancellor Merkel's "political child", a kind of personal testimony to her commitment to the Western Balkans at a time of stagnation in the Union's relationship with the region's six countries, it has become an integral part of policies related to this part of Europe. So, I do not believe in a stalemate, much less the end of the Berlin process. Besides Germany, there are other serious interested countries involved and there are international institutions and de-

The paradox of our relations is that, in Europe, it is difficult to find two nations who share so many similar characteristics

N co ews S Se mm , an co ubs v co rbi en aly b us er crib En mm a, in tary sis, in ag e in es e no gl ish unit dipl on ter s a of w Re , d y. E om eve vie nd dip fo ire v pl liab so lom r co er atic nts w a c a cie a m tly y oc nd us tfo le a a ty cy pre to mo nd cu re efu rm nd r b in , p he n y i l g n o u t e o op io inf Se oli n ffe ffi ur hs, sin g i n o c n rb tic siv de in es rm rin ie up po al ia s, e n s r a g s da tu a t n k . te nit d f tion div info er s a ie or r nd s, t eig abo se ma r n tio u re en t i n se ds nv loc e ar , le s al t ch , m es gisl at ent . io n

T IN E. PR LIN IN N O D N A

SU N B O S W C ! RI BE

How important are Serbia and Croatia to each other, in the region, and then in the European Union, or outside it?

— I will repeat the obvious fact: Croatia and Serbia and Croatian-Serbian relations are key to the stability, peace and security of this part of Europe. We are all aware that the region is still burdened with unresolved issues, complex relations, and even frozen conflicts, but none of this can outweigh the importance of the Croatian-Serbian component in regional stability. It is also crucial from the point of view of the EU's interests because it ensures the stability of this part of Europe.

As for your question goes, which implies the possibility to consider the

character of our relations in the scenario where Serbia remains outside the EU, I will say the following – first and foremost, we, in Croatia, believe that the entire Western Balkans, by the nature of historical development, geography and political expectations of the population belongs to the European Union. Secondly, you have certainly noticed that Croatia is one of the most ardent advocates of a clear and consistent policy of EU enlargement and that in this regard, it has been advocating and still advocates the continuation of the accession negotiations with Serbia, with consistent and fair compliance with fundamental negotiating conditions and rules.

Honestly, sometimes I do not understand how and why such a political position of the Croatian side does not evoke an appropriate response from the Serbian side. We want to see Serbia in the EU because it is our best strategic and security interest. We encourage your accession negotiations and opening of new clusters, and yet, we are still not met with appropriate reciprocal moves. Sometimes, I hear claims that the Croatian side is resorting to blackmail, but it's just the opposite - it is about the so-called fundamental issues of the negotiation pro-

w PA w Y w. M di E pl N om T ac IN C ya ST Em al l nd R ai us co UC l: p or / su mm TIO Ph ret se bs e N on pla nd cr rce S e: ta us ip .r : +3 -d re tio s 81 c@ qu n 11 c es 40 ol t o 44 or n: 96 .rs 0

past today is aggravated by the fact that in our wider European and global environment, a return to the past, the past as in East vs West, is noticeable. Renewing 'the Cold War' can easily restore some historical experiences regarding shaping the security map of this region because geopolitical polarization in Europe casts a shadow on these areas as well. It is very noticeable that this also affects relations in the region, to the extent that it is not easy to predict the future political and security configuration in the region.

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velopment plans in place. Speaking of the previously mentioned geopolitical trends related to the Balkans, it will be important to see how the relationship, dynamics and energy of German and EU commitment to the region in the context of the visible agenda of Russia, the United States and other global stakeholders will play out.

Economic relations are stable and progressing year on year. The Croatian Business Club is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Can political relations follow the success of economic relations?

— In the political atmosphere, I tried to describe earlier, which is not ideal but is gradually moving towards calm and stabilization, even despite various "mines" that we need to navigate such as the position of a language committee that denies the existence of Croatian language, the games surrounding the so-called Bunjevac language and many unnecessary hardships faced by the Croatian minority and in contrast, the opposite position of the Serb community in Croatia, economic relations are stable, and even experiencing an upward trend in recent years, despite the pandemic. This is indisputably encouraging as it indicates that, in real life and the socalled real sector, there is a kind of energy and discovery of mutual interests that override nationalist and isolationist rhetoric.

When Croatia was stricken by earthquakes, people gathered in front of your office and wanted to convey their support for the victims. Only four months later, the Croatian flag was removed from your residence.

What messages do such contradictions send out?

— Honestly, as a diplomat, I should not answer that question, as whatever I say could be understood as "interference in internal affairs", and that is something that diplomats, in principle, want to avoid. But I'll take a chance. First, I was immensely grateful to the people who gathered in front of the Embassy, the day after the earthquake, and expressed their emotional solidarity. This is what shows that we are and want to be human, first and foremost, that our national jerseys must not be more important than human solidarity. You saw how many initiatives were launched after that and how much the Serbian business community, artists and the Government of Serbia helped with providing assistance.

As for the second part of your question, my answer might surprise you somewhat - you know, when the po-

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Let’s learn to live next to each other, as decent neighbours, who will appreciate similarities and differences.

Nothing more, nothing less

lice rang at the Embassy's door at six o'clock in the morning to tell me how they found the torn flag in the container, I was, for the first half a minute, horrified and angry, but then I looked at their faces and I could see that these police officers were uncomfortable, they blushed and apologized. These are the two faces of Serbia - the face of solidarity and the face behind the torn flag. This is the controversy you are talking about and which I should not talk about, because only Serbia can resolve it, for its own good, for the good of its future.

At the end of your interview last year's edition of InFocus Croatia, you said that "we are not so different". Can that similarity be an advantage in our relations?

— The paradox of our relations is that, in Europe, it is difficult to find two nations who share so many similar characteristics, and yet so many mutual gaps, doubts, mistrust and repulsion. We use two languages, but we understand each other, we are culturally close, not to mention, our respective national cuisines and so on.

Of course, political history has done its

thing, leaving consequences that still focus on differences. A long time ago, in a similar conversation, I said: “Well, we didn't break up just to continue arguing. Let’s learn to live next to each other, as decent neighbours, who will appreciate similarities and differences. Nothing more, nothing less.“ You have been living in Belgrade for a year and a half now. What do you like the most here?

— I have always liked the same things in Belgrade, even back when I came here as a young journalist and now a little bit older diplomat and they are openness and joviality. I love it when everyone in my local cafe knows my name and when we spend time together. I like to go to Nišava in Dedinje and split a round of drinks. I love to watch the mist hovering over the river at Joca's 'Mala Kolubara' inn on the Sava River while sipping on good Serbian wine.

I love Petrovaradin. But I think that love and appreciate the most the energy and strength of people who surround me, and who, despite their troubles, still believe in being open to other people, decent, mutually respectful and friendly.

We sent out strong messages Our magazine also wanted to help Croatia affected by the earthquakes, so we organized a charity auction together with you and collected a significant amount of money. How important are campaigns like this?

— I am immensely grateful to your magazine and Mr Robert Čoban for this initiative. I am amazed at how quickly, in the matter of a couple of days, we thought out the whole project, gathered over thirty Serbian artists, organized a charity auction and got a fair amount of media coverage for it. I think we sent out very strong messages during the campaign, which were related to the earthquake, but they also had a much broader and deeper meaning.

Growing Economic Cooperation During the first six months of 2021, the value of trade between Serbia and Croatia amounted to 594.3 million euros, which is an increase of 88.4 million euros, or 17.4%, compared to the same period last year C O O P E R AT I O N

erbia exported goods worth 315.5 million euros to Croatia, which is an increase of 43 million euros (15.8%), and imported goods worth 278.8 million euros from Croatia, which is 45.41 million euros more (19.45%), compared to the first half of 2020. These trends contributed to the decline in the surplus in the observed period, which in the first six months of 2020, amounted to 39.1 million euros, and in the first six months of this year, stood at 36.7 million euros, a 2.4 million euro or 6.1% decline.

In the observed period, companies whose majority owners are legal and/or natural persons from the Republic of Croatia generate a turnover in the amount of EUR 79.18 million, of which goods worth EUR 25.76 million were imported from Croatia and goods worth EUR 24.4 million were exported to CroatiaThese data indicate that the aforementioned companies’s share in the total recorded exports to Croatia, in the first six months of the current year, stood at 7.7%.

The value of the total trade between Serbia and Croatia in 2020 amounted to 1.07 billion euros, which was a decrease of 16.7 million euros, compared to the data from 2019. This 1.5% decline in trade is the result of an increase in exports to Croatia and a decrease in imports from Croatia, thus in 2020, there was a higher trade surplus relative to 2019. Exports from Serbia to Croatia increased by 6.4 million euros (by about 1.1%), and imports decreased by 23.1 million euros (by about

S

4.5%), which resulted in Serbia generating a surplus in the amount of 78.9 million euros, which is 29.5 million euros or almost 60% more compared to the previous year.

• Serbia mostly exported the following products to Croatia (the CT12 customs classification) in 2020 - copper cathodes and cathode sections; raw sunflower oil; tights; sunflower oil for other purposes; resin cements and other sealants; other pasta; petrol engines; iron and steel structures and parts; mineral or chemical fertilizers with P and K; seats with wooden skeletons.

• Serbia mostly imported the following products from Croatia (the CT12 customs classification) in 2020 – unclassified goods according to the customs tariff, Portland cement, electricity; urea with >45% by weight of nitrogen; corrugated cardboard paper; other retail medicines; fertilizer, ammonium nitrate; food products, others; meat products, edible offal; washing and cleaning preparations.

External trade between Serbia and Croatia in 2020 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the implementation of various restrictive measures in business, trade and movement of people in many countries around the world, including Croatia, in which the epidemic began in early March 2020. A state of emergency was declared in Serbia on March 15, 2020, and it lasted until mid-May of the same year.

As the Serbian and Croatian economies are very interconnected, the ex-

The total trade between Serbia and Croatia in 2019 amounted to 1.086 billion euros, a 1.5% increase compared to 2018

ternal trade during 2020 was difficult, in some periods of the year extremely slow and affected by frequent restrictions regarding the flow of people, including workers. The trade results, as well as its structure (import, export), show that even the difficult business conditions, caused by the pandemic, could not permanently jeopardize the established business relations between Serbian and Croatian business partners.

The total trade between Serbia and Croatia in 2019 amounted to 1.086 billion euros, a 1.5% increase compared to 2018. Exports to Croatia amounted to 567.8 million euros, which is 0.6% less than in 2018. Imports from Croatia were 4% higher than in 2018 and amounted to 518.4 million euros. The trade surplus amounted to 49.4 million euros.

• Serbia mostly exported the following products to Croatia in 2019: copper and copper products; plastics and products; boilers, machines and devices; furniture, mattresses, bedding; oils; mineral fuels: iron and steel products • Serbia mostly imported the following products from Croatia in 2019: unclassified goods according to the customs tariff; fertilizers; paper and cardboard; sulfur, so; mineral fuels; electrical machines; meat products, fish.

On the list of countries that Serbia exported the most to in 2019, Croatia ranked 12th with a 3.2% share in total Serbian exports, and in regard to the list of countries that Serbia imported the most from in the same year, Croatia ranked 14th, with a 2.2% share in Serbia's total import. Croatia's rankings did not change in 2020.

In 2019, 4,975 of Serbian companies traded with the Republic of Croatia, and in 2020, that number was 4,886.

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100 Years of Successful Business Performance

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It was an entire century of hard work and commitment of our scientists, engineers, experts and all other employees, who have been improving and developing our world-renowned brand for many generations C O R P O R AT E

believe KONČAR will stand out in the future and will increase its presence in the market to the satisfaction of both clients and citizens in Serbia. We also hope to make a more significant contribution to the development of the local economy, recognising our competencies and local partners as much as possible.

I

This year, KONČAR celebrated 100 years of successful business performance. As the company developed, what would you like to highlight about such a significant anniversary?

— Yes, KONČAR Group celebrated its centenary at the beginning of this year. Our history has been marked by numerous achievements worldwide, where we now operate based on the principle of a unique approach to each client, while continuously investing in research, development and human resources. Today we can proudly say that we are the regional leader in electrical industry and rail solutions. Over the last century, KONČAR has always strived for excellence, innovativeness and competitiveness, which is reflected in the development and manufacture of high-technology products exported to 130 countries.

What is power engineering like today? How has KONČAR been adapting to new trends?

— The last decade has been one of the most dynamic periods of development, primarily in terms of technology. We are currently living in a new power engineering reality, an era of power grid digitalisation, in which KONČAR is actively involved. This is supported by the fact that KONČAR has managed to respond to these changes timely and successfully.

The company has focused on further development of technologies and

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IVAN TOMŠIĆ Member of Management Board of KONČAR – Power Plant and Electric Traction Engineering, Director of Representative Office in Belgrade

KONČAR has participated in the construction of almost all major infrastructure facilities in Serbia, including the majority of hydro power plants

products that will combine green and smart solutions, enabling our partners to stay up to date with European trends, but also with the global initiative and the overall direction in which power engineering is heading.

Regarding digitalisation, we have stepped up the implementation of comprehensive digital transformation, not only of our products, but also of our processes, in order to use all the potential and the capacities we have available.

What is KONČAR’s biggest strength in terms of its contribution to the countries in the region, including Serbia?

— The region represents our most important market. In Bosnia and Herzegovina our presence is continuous. We are constructing a new 400 kV substation Ohrid in North Macedonia, which is also very important for Albania, where we achieved great results in electricity transmission in the last 15 years. We have increased our activities in Montenegro as well.

In terms of references, but also its size and potential, Serbian market is particularly noteworthy. KONČAR has participated in the construction of almost all major infrastructure facilities in Serbia, including the majority of hydro power plants. However, considering the size and strength of the Serbian market, I have to point out that our results have not been significant in the last 30 years or so, particularly if we consider our comparative advantages, such as proximity – which certainly allows for a quick, high-quality response, identical standards, a common history of the electric power system, language, etc. In the upcoming period, we see the greatest potential in revitalising the existing hydroelectric power plants and in constructing new power engineering infrastructure facilities and railway infrastructure.

How has the company performed this year? Has the pandemic affected the realisation of transactions or the number of new contracts?

— Despite the coronavirus crisis, KONČAR Group’s business has continued growing steadily throughout 2021, which can be seen in all key performance indicators. Compared to 2020, consolidated operating income increased by 18.5% in Q1-Q3 2021. Export sales are still growing and have increased by EUR 20 million (11.1%) compared to Q1-Q3 2020. Order intake shows a year-on-year increase by 51%.

At the end of September, the backlog reached the highest amount ever – EUR 693 million, representing a 22.4% increase compared to the balance at the beginning of the year. This year we have concluded a contract with Rimac Automobili for constructing a 110/20 kV substation, which will be used to power the future Rimac research and production facility.

For the first time ever, we have won a contract in the demanding Japanese market. In the context of that project, KONČAR is to provide services to the Japanese client which include design, manufacture and supervision of assembly of three generators for two different small hydropower plants. This is the first time that Japanese investors have opted for a European generator supplier. As a result of a yearslong systematic approach and sales activities in the Swedish market, we concluded a contract with a Swedish distribution system operator, Vattenfall Eldistribution. We also signed a contract with a Swedish transmission system operator, Svenska kraftnät. The contracts relate to a very complex reconstruction of a 130 kV facility at the substation Finnslätten in Västerås and replacement of the protection system on four 400 kV substations.

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We Can Boost Each Other Even Better

Good cooperation is present at every step and in every sector, but there are still areas where we can boost each other and progress together

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n the past 18 months, we have witnessed business successes in higher value-added sectors on a global scale. Our IT companies have achieved great success and are breaking into new markets. The demand for the workforce is so great in this sector that we have no problems with preserving jobs, but the problem is how to create and provide enough new workforce, which is a prerequisite for further growth and development of IT companies.“

„I

The COVID-19-induced crisis has hit every single country. How is the Croatian economy coping with the consequences of this crisis?

— We can say that, despite the pandemic, the Croatian economy is doing well, better than expected, considering the first much more pessimistic projections. A large proportion of the companies had limited operations, especially in tourism, food and beverage services sector, the event industry and transport. However, compared to most other countries in Europe, we had a less strict lockdown, so it was still easier to do business in Croatia than elsewhere. This approach also enabled a faster return to normal business operations.

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Companies have also adapted by implementing new ways of work organization, i.e. those companies that were able to facilitate remote work.

Great progress has been made in the digitalization of business. This was already a necessity even before the coronavirus, but the pandemic has accelerated the process.

We can conclude that, for now, we are coping well with the consequences of the crisis, thanks to joint activities of institutions and the system and the strength of our companies. The funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the 2021-2027 budget framework and the EU funds that will be available to us in that period are crucial for the economy to get back on its feet and be even stronger than before.

Is the economic recovery moving at the expected pace, given that the tourism sector has achieved very good results compared to last year?

— The pace of recovery is certainly satisfactory, and even better than announced and expected, especially in the context of the tourist season. A good balance between the lockdown and the liberalization of measures, along with the smart and targeted promotion of Croatia as a safe tourist desti-

MARKO JURČIĆ Advisor to the President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy

Serbia has competitive workforce costs and resources that can easily boost and expand the production or development capacity of companies

nation, have yielded outstanding results. Our tourism companies have done a great job.

However, we are still chasing the best past results when it comes to tourism, so we cannot expect the latest tourist results to match those from the best years of tourism and return to the pre-pandemic level. We are trying to control the damage so that the decline is as small as possible, compared to the best periods. Tourism has an important overall share in our economy, but we must now pay more attention to sectors that have proven resilient even during the crisis, which have excellent business results and a steady increase in the number of employees.

I would like to mention another very important piece of data and that is the growth of export of goods, which in the first eight months of this year, went up by 25.5% compared to the same period last year. Imports grew more slowly, at only 19.8%. This figure is all the more significant when we know that export of goods in 2020 fell by only 0.7%, while imports declined by about 17%. This just validates the robustness of our export-oriented industry.

Of course, we need to work on the recovery, resilience and strength of tourism on the one hand, but we also

need to make sure that higher value-added industries and exporters make up the bulk of our GDP. This combination will ensure that we have much stronger and economically sustainable economic growth.

The trade between Croatia and Serbia is growing year on year. How can we further improve economic cooperation?

— Good cooperation is present at every step and in every sector, but there are still areas where we can boost each other and progress together. Our cooperation should not only be based on trade.

In a global context, both of our markets are small and often we cannot cope on our own with global competition in foreign markets. Therefore, I am also in favour of business partnerships and the pooling of common resources, especially human resources that are extremely valuable today in the developed sectors, where joint market presence is possible. Our companies do not have to only trade with each other, but can also become real business partners.

I see opportunities in the EU int e g ra t i o n p ro ce s s . O u r ex p e r ience, cross-border cooperation and cross-border projects are an impetus for the development of joint business

infrastructure or implementation of commercial projects.

The leaders of the Croatian and Serbian chambers of commerce have been continuously highlighting the good cooperation between the two.

What are current relations between the two respective chambers like and to what extent are the driving force behind economic cooperation between our countries?

— The Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia have traditionally had excellent relations. We were the first to stimulate economic coop-

eration long before we, as societies, were ready to open up in the political realm. So far, we have been the forerunners of new positive relations. We will continue to be the driving force and encourage stronger cooperation between our economies and companies in the same way.

Furthermore, and besides our basic job of helping our companies, we also work on the exchange of best practices, as we are continuously learning from each other how as chambers to be even better at doing our job.

The Croatian Business Club marks the 15th anniversary of its inception in Serbia, while Croatia is one of the

The biggest future challenges are not local, but rather global these are global inflation and challenges in supply chains, logistics and distribution

largest investors in Serbia. What do you think are the advantages of investing in Serbia?

— The biggest advantage for Croatian companies is proximity and good knowledge of language and culture, as well as tradition and good business cooperation. For these reasons, it is easy to enter the market and achieve recognition and trust.

In terms of investments, proximity also facilitates ease of market entry, management and achieving the desired efficiency. Serbia has competitive workforce costs and resources that can easily boost and expand the production or development capacity of companies. Also, the similarity between our companies and the regulatory framework create an environment where our companies can easily find their way around and can start a business very quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand, there are very few Serbian investments in Croatia. How to create a more favourable economic environment that will facilitate more Serbian investments in Croatia?

— I think that a template for this process can be seen in the example of Croatia and Slovenia, whereby Croatia became an investor in Slovenia only when stronger growth was achieved which, in turn, led to our companies developing sufficiently for such an appearance on the Slovenian market. In the case you mentioned, we are faced with the practice where, as a rule, investments flow from those centres that have a higher degree of development to locations with a lower degree of development, for the sake of cost efficiency and efficiently achieving a higher degree of competitiveness. So, today we have a similar situation like that from 15 years ago when Austria, Italy and even Slovenia made investments in Croatia, while Croatia did not invest much in those countries. This is a natural process that will level off in the foreseeable future. I think that is the only reason (why there aren't more Serbian investments in Croatia) and that it has nothing to do with operational or political obstacles.

Challenges in 2022 What do you think will be the biggest challenges for the Croatian and regional economy next year?

— The biggest future challenges are not local, but rather global - these are global inflation and challenges in supply chains, logistics and distribution.

Global economic measures implemented after the last crisis, which resulted in large amounts of available money and low cost of money, combined with huge budget costs at the global level spent on fighting against the pandemic, have led to a situation where there is a threat of inflation that could be higher

than the desired one and the one that facilitates healthy economic growth.

I am confident that, as a society and economy, we will be able to deal with this, but in order to be effective, we must monitor and predict possible scenarios in the coming years so that we can react on time and adjust our systems to withstand possible shocks and changes. As small economies, which should be more flexible and faster in their reactions, we must look for areas where we will make gains and progress that we would not be able to do in standard business and activities.

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15 Years of Support in Serbia

Since its inception, the role of the Croatian Business Club has been to provide companies coming here with information about the market and help them start a business in Serbia I N T E RV I E W

a business association, we have been here for 15 years, supporting our members, monitoring the situation, and providing adequate and timely information. Also in times of crisis, we try to provide all the necessary information and contacts to overcome this critical period as easily as possible," says Marija Radulović, President of the Croatian Business Club (CBC), in her interview for InFocus Croatia.

“A

This year, the Croatian Business Club is celebrating its jubilee, 15 years since its inception in Serbia. What has changed over the years in terms of business?

It’s quite a success that all these years we have not only survived, but also significantly increased the number of members. Currently, we have about 40 renowned companies as members, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises are interested in exchanging experiences and know-how at our gatherings, but also beyond. Of course, the business and economic environment has changed in the past fifteen years, and since then a large number of Croatian companies have come or returned to this area. Back then, some Croatian companies came to Serbia again with their products and services, while many came later, expanding their business to the region, and were welcomed again here.

Since its inception, the role of the Croatian Business Club has been to provide companies coming here with information about the market, conditions for doing business, customs regulations, as well as help them with finding adequate business premises and establishing business contacts.

Today, the CBC supports small and medium-sized companies, both Cro-

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atian that are opening in Serbia, and local ones that want to cooperate with them in any way, be it on the Serbian or Croatian market.

What do you think about economic cooperation between the two countries and are you satisfied with the Croatian investments in Serbia?

— During the previous period, we witnessed various political disagreements, but economic cooperation has been going well, which is good for both sides.

There are a lot of big investments in Serbia that are not that known. They have been made since the year 2000 and even earlier. For example, the Rasco Company, which was founded 30 years ago and does business in five continents, has made a very successful acquisition in Senta, where it operates under the name Rasco Tump.

Here, the company produces utility equipment and fittings. A very successful investment is the Rotografika printing company in Subotica, while one of the most successful investments in the region was made by Atlantic Group. These are just some of the examples that business and money know no borders and do not agree to political barriers.

Which industries would you single out as the biggest investors and which business segments could do with more investments?

— At the moment, we can single out the Nexe Group as one of the largest investors. Of course, there is still a lot of room for cooperation, be it new technologies or having joint production in smaller companies, especially when it comes to cross-border cooperation in Vojvodina and Slavonia which is something that our Club’s members have shown interest in. There is also a

MARIJA RADULOVIĆ President of the Croatian Business Club

need regarding the implementation of joint projects in energy, environmental protection, and waste disposal and processing. A number of other possibilities can stem from this, especially when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises.

What problems do your members here usually face and how do you help them so they can invest without problems?

— There are no special aggravating circumstances for companies coming from Croatia, compared to investors from other countries. Thanks to the good cooperation between the CBC and the representative office of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, we have very quickly and efficiently managed to dispel any doubts and problems regarding breaking into the Republic of Serbia’s market.

We always plan our activities for the coming period so that we are always up to date with new trends and that we can inform our members about our findings

Do you expect to see new challenges in the coming period and how do you plan your activities?

— We are always up to date with new trends and that we can inform our members about our findings. New technologies as a rapidly evolving trend bring with them considerable dangers to business, so we, as a business club, have joined the Initiative for Development of Information Security, which brings together companies and business associations that can contribute to raising awareness of business risks in the digital environment. Our goal is to keep abreast of the dangers, but also the ways of prevention and the possibilities of financial compensation when it comes to damages from cyber attacks and social engineering, as well as to contribute to general security by disseminating information.

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The Goal Was to Boost Economic Cooperation

The founders of the CBC branch in Serbia talk about the reasons for the establishment of the CBC office in Serbia 15 years ago I N T E RV I E W

e talked with Tonči Staničić, the person who initiated the inception of the Croatian Business Club's (CBC) branch in Serbia, and Krunoslav Bešvir, the first president of the CBC in Serbia and Director of the Culinary Business Programme at PODRAVKA d.d., about what it is like to be one of the founders and the first president of CBC, as well as economic relations between the two countries.

bia to do what we all live off, and that is business. I rate our economic relations as good. However, by assessing the situation from a distance, I have noticed that diplomats, businesspeople, chamber leaders and others have been repeating the same phrase for years - "the relations are good, but can be better". Ambassador Biščević used a good term – „stable stagnation“. I would say they have to be better because good is not enough since the economic relations between Croatia and Serbia have great potential.

The fact remains that there are problems in political relations, as well as that some problems are created on purpose. Some people are still in the civil war and Second World War in their heads. Perhaps the solution is for the economy to move forward and force politics to follow suit.

W

TONČI STANIČIĆ,

The initiator of establishing CBC's branch in Serbia and former Croatian Ambassador to Serbia

KRUNOSLAV BEŠVIR,

the first president of the CBC in Serbia and Director of the Culinary Business Programme at PODRAVKA d.d.

As co-founders, the Croatian Embassy and the Croatian Chamber of Economy in Belgrade decided to establish the Club because we had invested a lot of effort into improving economic relations between the two countries.

Our partners in Serbia, businesspeople and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia had the same ambition, so the result of the joint effort was excellent – we have been recording a significant increase in bilateral trade and investments year on year. The then new, well-structured Free Trade Agreement also contributed to this.

I am happy that CBC is not only alive and healthy after 15 years, but that it also continues to significantly help the business partners of Croatia and Ser-

Today's economic relations between Serbia and Croatia are good, but, without a doubt, they can be even better and more dynamic

The basic idea of establishing CBC was to improve economic relations and boost economic cooperation between the two countries. The focus was primarily on commerce and investments, but also beyond. It is clear that, as a Club, we have invested a lot of effort into improving the business conditions for Croatian companies that have opened branches

in Serbia. At the same time, new investors in the Seian economy were accepted by the Serbian authorities in a very befitting way, because, these are Serbian companies founded with Croatian capital, which employ domicile people and create new value in Serbia. Precisely for these reasons and the desire to normalize relations between the two countries, we have received great support from the Government of the Republic of Serbia, whose deputy PMs and ministers were often guests at professional meetings we organized.

Back then, we also saw the first major investments and takeovers of domestic companies by Croatian investors taking place, which, in turn, were excellent examples of how the business operations of companies in the new ownership structure can be improved. I can vouch for the same even today when it comes to the development that these companies have experienced in the last 15 years.

Because of all of the aforementioned, I think that the establishment of the Croatian Business Club was an excellent initiative by the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, headed by Ambassador Tonči Staničić, and a group of businesspeople who recognized the need and opportunity to improve working conditions through such an association. The fact that we were contacted and our meetings were attended by Serbian businesspeople, who wanted to start a business in Croatia, confirms that we did well.

Today's economic relations between Serbia and Croatia are good. Without a doubt, they can be even better and more dynamic, especially in the IT industry where both countries are strong, but also in traditional industries such as food, metal processing or construction.

In the years to come, I believe that Croatia will be Serbia's partner on its road to EU membership, which will further accelerate economic cooperation and facilitate the flow of goods, and which positive effects will also lead to reducing brain drain in both countries, particularly among young people.

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Activities of CBC in 2021 AC T I V I T I E S

roatian business club organizes every year a several business events with aim to gather the members and give them useful infromatoons as well as the opportunity to meer each other and to exchange opinions, experiences and contacts.

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FEBRUAR 2021.

CBC ASSEMBLY MEETING This year's Croatian Business Club (CBC) Assembly meeting was held at the Amsterdam Hotel, a new member of the CBC, in the presence of almost thirty representatives of companies, all members of the Club. The report about the CBC’s work in 2020 was adopted, when the CBC had to adapt a number of its activities to the extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic. At the same time, the CBC adopted an activity plant for the current year. The novelty of this plan is that the CBC will hold a set of online workshops for employees which members of other chambers and business clubs can participate in too. The workshops will cover topics like cyber security, customs regulations and sales models adapted to the work operations during the pandemic.

MARCH 2021 DIGITAL BREAKFAST "Business environment of Serbia why invest in Serbia" was the topic of the digital breakfast which was organized in March. Guest lecturers were Radoš Gazdić, acting Director of the Development Agency of Serbia, who spoke on the topic "Why invest in Serbia?", Djordje Andrić, head of the Centerefor Investment Support and Public Private Partnership, who talked on the topic “The work done by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia related to investments in Serbia "(special reference

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to public-private partnership) and Alexander Samonig from ECOVIS SEE doo, WestBalkan Partner, who covered the topic “Tax aspects of investing in Serbia (from the Slovenia – Croatia stance).

MARCH 2021 MEMBER 2 MEMBER This year's publication was launched with the aim of providing support to member companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The publication offers a unique combination of promoting companies and their products and services, promoting collaboration between members, increasing member sales, and increasing member visibility for marketing to the wider business community in the country. The publication has a wide range of special offers and discounts that apply to all member companies of the five participating business associations that will be valid from May 2021 to November 2021.

MAY 2021 DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE STATE AND BUSINESS Online working meeting of member companies of five bilateral business associations in Serbia was held with representatives of the Ministry

of Finance and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. During the meeting “Macroeconomic developments in Serbia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Ognjen Popović, Acting Assistant Minister – Financial System Department, and Mihailo Vesović, Director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization at the CCIS, presented the current and the expected trends in the Serbian economy.

SEPTEMBER 2021 INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING COCKTAIL RECEPTION Over 200 representatives of companies and enterprises that are members of as many as 13 bilateral chambers of commerce in Serbia, gathered on Thursday, September 16, at the Metropol Hotel, for the International Networking Cocktail. The guests were greeted by the chamber presidents, and the event, which takes place once a year, lived up to the expectations. The guests had the opportunity to exchange experiences related to business, but also to exchange business contacts and continue their communication through business cooperation.

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Photo: Trabantos / Shutterstock

Museums From Classical to Innovative Something that Zagreb may be globally compared or regionally envied is, above all, its continuous museological evolution and the present museum internal competitiveness C U LT U R E

Museum of Arts and Crafts

MIMARA MUSEUM

Age of Pericles for the Zagreb Museums began in the mid-80s of the last century through the transformation of the high school building on the Roosevelt Square at the time, to become the seat of the future collection of the private assemblage of collector Ante Topić Mimara (1898-1987), which he donated to the state as his permanent legacy. Mimara was a painter, restorer and a significant collector on a European scale, where he lived throughout the continent until returning to Zagreb, to donate 3500 items of classical archaeology, paintings, and sculptures as well as applied art works ending with oriental and Chinese art heritage.

GLYPTOTHEQUE HAZU

For the Glyptotheque of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, we can freely say that it is early anticipation, what is today the global museological trend, transformation of industrial constructions heritage into spaces dedicated to museums and creative industries. Founded in 1937 as Gipsoteka (gypsumtheque), it is actually the foundation of the Croatian sculpture of the 19th and 20th century, with 11,000 exhibits, since 1940, housed in the building of the former leather factory of Kožara.

ART PAVILION

The building was erected in 1898, at the initiative of the most noteworthy not only the Croatian, but also the most beloved South Slavic painter Vlaho Bukovac, and as the premier space of future representative exhibitions, by ingenious relocating of the cast-iron structure of the Croatian Pavilion from the Millennium Exposition in Budapest to the Zrinjevac Park, that is King Tomislav Square. For decades in continuity it is a privileged space for promoting retrospective exhibitions and art cycles

HOME OF HDLU The home of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists, known as

in 1982 converted into a Museum that holds the highest exhibition and program standards and therefore having the highest number of visitors to this day.

USEUM OF M CONTEMPORARY ART

Meštrović, has been initially in recent past used as a modernist gallery space, then during World War II served as a mosque, and finally as a Museum of Revolution. Architecturally structured in the shape of a rotunda, in our time and literally has come full circle, returning to its original purpose through the monumental and multimedial exhibition dedicated to Nikola Tesla as the so-called "Mind from the future" his life presented in an interactive installation of films and animations having been an exhibition of the year 2017-18.

LOVIĆEVI DVORI K GALLERY Klovićevi dvori is the largest gallery - museological institution in Croatia. It is located within four floors of the former monastery from the 17th century, which was

MSU Zagreb, the largest new implemented museum project of the previous decade in SEE region, is founded in 1954. The present building, just like the institution itself in the Vjećeslava Holjevac Avenue on 15,000 m2 having 3,500 m2 of exhibition space in the past, it held some of the biggest events such as the retrospective of Kožarić, Richter, Srnec and Picelj.

USEUM OF ARTS AND M CRAFTS MUO is not only the oldest but by content most important museum in Zagreb today. Through the generations of the following different and significant managers came to the position of the last year's "60s in Croatia" exhibition as the largest - most significant anthropological museological event, making it a probable museum of the year, unavoidable in realization of this year's similar program ambitions, too.

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Cavtat

TOURISM

The Best Small Towns in Croatia Tiny Croatia villages and towns you have to see

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roatia is no longer a wellkept secret. Throngs of visitors hit the Adriatic coast every year to enjoy the food, nightlife and beauty of this bountiful little country. But you can escape the growing crowds for a more enriching and authentic Croatian experience by heading straight for the best small towns in Croatia.

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CAVTAT Sitting nine miles from Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea is Cavtat. Founded by the Greeks in 6th Century BC, ruled by the Romans in 228 BC, and then the Avars and Slavs in the 7th century, Cavtat has had a turbulent history. But when multiple cultures rule a city through time, they all leave an indelible stamp on the area. You can see architecture and ruins from each period of this city’s violent history.

Cavtat is a great escape from the bus-

ier Dubrovnik, is situated on a harbor with beautiful beaches and crowned by a series of lush hills. Come here to escape the tourist crowds.

SKRADIN This beautiful riverside town’s biggest attraction is the nearby Krka National Park. This stunning park features a valley full of travertine rock formations that make for stunning waterfalls. The crystal clear water of the river that feeds the waterfalls invites sum-

VELI LOŠINJ

mer travelers to cool off. Admission to the park includes a boat ride to the park’s seventh, largest and final travertine formation and its most brilliant waterfall — Skradinski Buk. After enjoying the park, return to town to explore a ruined fortress and to refuel on some local cuisine.

PUČIŠĆA

py to help you with river and waterfall adventures. For the daring, there are class-three rapids. For the sporty, there is the single kayak. And you can even link rafts for a family expedition.

One hotel with about 100 rooms awaits those who stop here on their way to the Plitvice Lakes.

MOŠČENICE

Slow down in Veli Lošinj. This tiny little community on the island of Lošinj in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia is a collection of authentic houses, restaurants, hotels, shops and bars on a scenic harbor. Rovenska, another beautiful bay, is just a 10-minute walk from here. The biggest attractions in Veli Losinj are the old sea captain’s houses that were adorned with exotic plants collected as prizes from long voyages. The houses line the main road to the bay. Be sure to look for dolphins playing in the harbor in April and May.

Less than 2,000 residents call Pučišća on the island of Brač home. This little village, with its stunning bay and beautiful white limestone buildings, is often listed as one of the prettiest towns in Europe. The island of Brač itself is pretty surreal. You’ll travel through fields of boulders to get to Pučišća due to decades of backbreaking work by the women of Brač to clear land for vineyards, figs and olives. It was once a privilege of aristocrats and artists to live here, and you can see why. The island rises quickly from the sheltering bay to make the town look as though it sits in an amphitheater.

MOTOVUN

Moscenice is a typical hilltop medieval town sitting high above the Istrian Peninsula. The outer walls of the outer ring of houses serve as fortified walls for the enclosed town. This doesn’t leave a whole lot of space inside creating a tight-knit community, literally. The narrow streets and enclosed walkways on the inside of the castle provide the small town with charm.

Get a peak above the walls as Moscenice stands 170 meters (570 feet) above sea level to give you a beautiful view of the sea and nearby islands.

JELSA

PRIMOŠTEN

Just off the coast, in the Adriatic Sea, sits beautiful little Primošten.

The Turks threatened the city back in the 16th century so the citizens of Primošten made this little inlet and island connected to the mainland with a drawbridge. Fortified walls went up and the small city survived. The island was returned to being an inlet with a causeway but the walls remained. Unfortunately, you’ll have to visit this little tourist gem during the high season in the summer months as the place hibernates in winter. The cobblestone streets come alive during warm weather with music, festivities and local vendors.

The smaller places offer a different view on life in Croatia, and visitors can experience a more authentic lifestyle often undisturbed by tourism

White buildings with salmon-color roofs seem to spiral up a hill to a double-walled castle in the town of Motovun. Sitting inland in Istria, this medieval town may remind you of scenes from Game of Thrones. Modern homes and shops lead you up to the gates of the old town. Fortified in the 14th century by the Venetians, the old town has now been turned into a cloister of artist studios, restaurants and shops. This is a popular destination where tour buses routinely drop off throngs of visitors at the base of the 275-meter (900-foot) hill.

RASTOKE Rastoke looks like it came to life off the pages of a fairytale book. Old wooden bridges traverse rivers alive with waterfalls that are ripe for kayaking and rafting. About 100 permanent residents maintain over 22 mills on the thatch of rivers that criss-cross the landscape. Locals are all too hap-

While Hvar Island may be one of the most-visited islands in Dalmatia, you can still escape the crowds. This tiny town is located in the middle of the island’s north coast, neighbored by the two highest mountains on the island—Hum and St. Nikola. Surrounded entirely by hills and pine forests, this sheltered—almost hidden—coastal town features a welcoming atmosphere and oozes historic charm.

Although there may not be any impressive Renaissance architecture like in the town of Hvar, it makes up for that with its cozy squares, lush parks, and narrow alleyways. Nearby, a number of sweet swimming spots offer refuge from the hot summer sun.

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19 NOV

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation, 20.00

KOLARAC

Programme November

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Musician: Annika Treutler, piano J. Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 P. Liebermann Furioso R. Strauss Death and Transfiguration

Annika Treutler

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NOV

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation, 20.00

Conductor: Howard Griffiths Musician: Ziyu He, violin F. Mendelssohn Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage A. Berg Violin concerto E. Elgar Enigma variations

Monday, 1st at 20.00 Concert Hall 53TH BEMUS /GALA OPENING Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Marco Parisotto Khatia Buniatishvili, piano-brises nju,a stavljas Nemanja Radulović, violinist Programme: Glinka, TchaikovskyRachmaninoff

Wednesday, 3rd at 20.00 Concert Hall ALL STARS

Howard Griffiths

Khatia Buniatishvili, piano Khachatur Almazian, violin Hrachya Avanesyan, violin Adrien Boisseau, viola Narek Hakhnazaryan, violoncello P. I. Tchaikovsky, D. Shostakovich, C. Franck

Thursday, 4th at 20.00 Concert Hall BEMUS

Sunday, 14th at 20.00 Concert Hall BEMUS Aleksandar Madžar, piano Production: CEBEF & Kolarac Endowment

Wednesday, 17th at 20.00 Concert Hall SLAVKO MITROVIĆ CALE, ACCORDION & BELGRADE YOUTH FOLK ORCHESTRA Thursday, 18th at 20.00 Concert Hall SERBIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS Saturday, 20th at 20.00 Concert Hall DARE TO CHANGE Nataša Tasić Knežević, sopran Zorka Milivojević, piano Guests: Maša Babić, piano Miloš Miketić, flute

RTS Symphony Orchestra Bojan Sudjić, Conductor, Thomas Hampson, Baritone, Guests: Dragana Radaković, soprano, Aleksandra Jovanović, soprano, Choir RTS, W. A. Mozart, G. Verdi

Monday, 22nd at 20.00 Concert Hall KOLARAC/ YOUR MUSIC WORLD

Friday, 5th at 20.00 Concert Hall CHAMBER ENSAMBLE “13 STRINGS“

Thursday, 24th at 20.00 Concert Hall KOLARAC/ YOUR MUSIC WORLD

Denis Shapovalov, Violoncello A. Vivaldi, D. Shapovalov

Saturday, 6th at 20.00 Concert Hall BARRY DOUGLAS, PIANO

Programme: Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Schubert, Mussogrsky

Sunday, 7th at 20.00 Concert Hall BEMUS YOUNG SOLOISTS – PETAR PEJČIĆ, CELLO Sunday, 14th at 11.00 Concert Hall 143TH ANNIVERSARY OF KOLARAC FOUNDATION Ceremony and Annual Awards The best young artist in 2020, in collaboration with UMUS Ana Torbica, viola, harpsichord

Aleksandar Madžar, piano

Aleksandar Madžar, piano Production: Music Centre

Friday, 26th at 20.00 Concert Hall BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conductor: Howard Griffiths Ziyu He, violin, Programme: F. Mendelssohn, A. Berg, E. Elgar

Saturday, 27th at 11.00 Concert Hall HOW TO LISTEN TO THE CONCERT/SMALL SCHOOL OF BONTON School for Music Talents ĆuprijaHost: Miloš Milovanović

Sunday, 28th at 11.00 Concert Hall BELGRADE PROM`S BUNT

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