The Oldest Cities in Europe

With tragic events like wars and earthquakes in Turkey and the Middle East, we frequently talk about the oldest cities in the world. But what about Europe? Here’s a surprising Top 8 list for our continent! First of all, Chania is No 8. Founded in 1600 BC, this Cretan city was one of the most important cities in Crete and was the site of a Minoan settlement that the Greeks called Cydonia. Yes, just like in the Muse song. No 7: Mantua, Italy. It has been here since 2000 BC and is featured in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as the city to where

Romeo is banished to. No 6: Nicosia has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century AD, but the city’s history dates back to around 2500 BC. It is the only Bronze Age settlement in Cyprus that still survives. No 5: Thebes is about as old as No 4 Athens and has been inhabited since around 3000 BC. Now, they are not nearly the same size. No 3: Varna, Bulgaria, the splendid Black Sea resort, has been here since 4600 BC and at the time was called Odessos, accidentally naming the port of Odesa further north. And then, No 2: Argos was one of the first city-states or polis of Ancient Greece and has been inhabited since 5000 BC! Argos is featured in many Greek myths and was named for King Argus (or Argus), the son of Zeus and Niobe. And finally, our winner, Plovdiv, is in neighbouring Bulgaria. People have been continuously living in Plovdiv since at least 6000 BC, making Plovdiv the oldest city in Europe. Archaeological remains all over Plovdiv show that people have settled in the area for over 8,000 years. Now it is one of the most beautiful cities in the Balkans, and arguably, the prettiest in the continental Balkans!

20 December 2022

The Chamber of Italian-Serbian Businessmen celebrated 20 years of existence

On December 20, the Chamber of Italian-Serbian Businessmen celebrated 20 years of work together with the Italian-Serbian business community, representatives of the institutions of both countries, members, and friends of the Chamber. On this occasion, CCIS organized a gala dinner at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belgrade, where proceeds were donated to the Institute for the Protection of Mother and Child Health of Serbia „Dr. Vukan Čupić“, to the department of hemato-oncology”. The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Annino De Venezia, began his speech by greeting the attendees, thanking the other members of the Italian system, such as the Embassy, ICE and Confindustria for the fruitful cooperation that marked these twenty years. He also expressed his gratitude to the presidents who preceded him, the Administrative Board, the team of the

Chamber, and above all, the members who have been supporting the Chamber for years. Also, he presented the extremely positive results achieved this year and emphasized the will to continue with increasing involvement in order to enable increasing economic and business exchange between Italy and Serbia. The Ambassador of Italy, His Excellency Luca Gori, who was unable to participate in the event in person due to institutional obligations, wished to send his congratulations and greetings in a virtual way, stressing that the governments of both countries want to promote economic cooperation in the coming year. Seven companies also received awards in the category for their continued commitment to improving bilateral relations between the two countries, dedication, and valorization of association networking. The Loyalty Award went to Con- findustria Udine and the Color Media Communications company for their support to the Chamber over the years and numerous joint projects. During the dinner, representatives of the Italian and Serbian business community, representatives of the Italian Embassy, and institutions and protagonists of public life and world culture had the opportunity to enjoy a menu carefully designed with the aim of combining Serbian and Italian cuisine, made with products from both countries. They also had the opportunity to taste wines from the Deurić winery. The CCIS gala evening was supported by renowned companies and friends of the Chamber: Generali osiguranje, law firm Nikolić and Stanković, Aunde SRB, Deurić winery, National Foundation for the Artistic Game, Vibac Balcani, Banca Intesa, Fercam, DDOR osiguranje – Unipol Grupa and Jugotub.

26 January 2023

Celebration of Republic Day of India

The Embassy of India in Belgrade celebrated the 74th Republic Day of India on 26 January 2023 to commemorate the coming into force of the Constitution of India on 26 January 1950. On occasion, Ambassador of India H.E. Mr. Sanjiv Kohli hoisted the national flag of India at an event held on the morning of 26 January 2023 at the Embassy premises and read out the address of the Hon’ble President of India. Members of the Indian community and many Serbian friends of India joined the celebration. India chose 26 January as the official enactment date of the constitution’s promul- gation in recognition of the Purna Swaraj (complete self-rule) declaration of independence from British rule. With the enactment of the constitution, India was officially known as the Republic of India — a “sovereign socialist secular democratic republic” that “secures to all its citizens’ justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity,” according to its Preamble. The main event of Republic Day was celebrated today at Rajpath in Delhi with a parade by Indian armed forces showcasing India’s Defence Capability, including a display of India’s rich cultural & historical heritage.

JANUARY 2023

Celebration of Chinese New Year from January 21 to 26

The Government of Serbia, the Embassy of China in Belgrade, and the Belt and Road Institute, in cooperation with Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Bor, and Smederevo, are organizing the celebration of the Chinese New Year in the Republic of Serbia from January 21 to 26, 2023, the organizers announced. The central celebration will be held on January 21 at 5 pm in Belgrade, on the large promenade on Kalemegdan. Officials who will attend the event will revive the traditional dance of the Lion Game, which will lead the crowd through Knez Mihajlova Street to Republic Square, where the Festival of Tastes of the Belt and Road, which has a humanitarian character, will be held. The celebration in Belgrade will continue on Sun- day, January 22, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Chinese New Year will be celebrated in Bor on January 23, Novi Sad on January 24, Smederevo on January 25, and Niš on January 26. The Government of the Republic of Serbia invites all citizens to come to celebrate the Lunar New Year, have fun, learn something new, and get acquainted with Chinese tradition.

26 JANUARY 2023