Diplomacy&Commerce #84

RECIPROCALLY ATTENTIVE APPROACH TO OUR SENSITIVITIES

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5 SERBIA’S PATH TOWARDS THE EU: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES

TANJA MIŠČEVIĆ

Minister for European Integration in the Government of Serbia

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PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH APPLIED ARTS

BILJANA JOTIĆ

Director of the Museum of Applied Arts

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TRAVELOGUE: SALVADOR DE BAHIA HOW ‘DANCING IN HONOUR OF GODS’ LIBERATED SALVADOR FROM SLAVERY

DRAGAN NIKOLIĆ

DRAGAN NIKOLIĆ Editor in Chief dragan.nikolic@color.rs

ROBERT ČOBAN Director robert.coban@color.rs

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ALEKSANDRA RISTOVIĆ Advertising Manager aleksandra.ristovic@color.rs

Design and prepress ISIDORA RISTIĆ

Translation SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

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GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ

NEBOJŠA BABIĆ SHUTTERSTOCK

Contributors:

Dragan Nikolić, Robert

Čoban, Miloš Mihajilica, Duška Jovanić, Žikica

Milošević, Hidajet Biščević, Josep Borrell, Irene Khan

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BIROGRAF COMP D.O.O. Zemun, Atanasija Pulje 22

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RECIPROCALLY ATTENTIVE APPROACH TO OUR SENSITIVITIES

H.E. ASHOT HOVAKIMIAN Ambassador of Armenia to Serbia

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HARD-HITTING MATH ALEKSANDAR MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor of the Economy section in Danas daily

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SERIAL: DIPLOMACY AT THE TABLE THE POLITIC OF KNIVES, FORKS, AND PLATES

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GORISLAV PAPIĆ

RTS journalist

Goulash made with Turul Bird

It seems to me that the proposal made by the historian Predrag Marković whereby Serbia should work on boosting its economy and one day “buy” Kosovo has gone pretty much under the radar of the Serbian public. Yes, Serbia, more precisely, Serbian business people should buy land, buildings and companies in Kosovo.

If anyone does not understand what this is about, just have a look at what the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been doing. 103 years after the Treaty of Trianon, fewer Hungarians live in Vojvodina today than in 1920, just as there are fewer Serbs in Kosovo today than 100 years ago. However, with the help of its Prosperitati Foundation and in various other ways, Hungary has been buying houses, land, factories, banks and companies, as well as building stadiums and hotels and repairing churches and synagogues in areas with a majority Hungarian population. Furthermore, in most places with a majority Hungarian population in Vojvodina, sculptures of the mythical bird Turul, which, according to legend, led the Hungarians to the Pannonian Plain, are being erected. Orbán is making plans for the next 50 years and that is something we should emulate when it comes to Kosovo.

Although the loss of the “southern regions” (Délvidék in Hungarian) after the First World War was very traumatic for the Hungarians, the Hungarian population continued living in Subotica, Kanjiža, Temerin, Bečej, Bačka Topola, Senta, Ada and other towns and villages across Vojvodina. A century after the Treaty of Trianon, by issuing Hungarians in Vojvodina with Hungarian passports and investing in areas in Vojvodina where Hungarians live, Viktor Orbán exerts an influence without causing a “hostile reaction” from official Belgrade, since today’s relations between the two countries are probably the best in the past 100 years, especially in terms of personal relations between the Hungarian Prime Minister and the Serbian president.

Whatever the solution for the Kosovo and Metohija status might be, the most important thing is that the Serbs stay there. In the past 600 years, Serbia was in power in Kosovo for only 83 years. For the remaining 517 years, Kosovo was ruled by the Turks, the Italians, and since 1999, the authorities in Priština and NATO. Even during those 517 years, some people stayed there to live. From what I hear, quite a few Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija have decently-sized apartments in Belgrade or some other towns in central Serbia. If even the few Serbs who still live in Kosovo and Metohija decide to leave, then all the talk about resolutions and international law is pointless and meaningless.

That’s why, considering how much time we are spending with Orbán, it would be wise to learn about certain things from him.

Serbia’s Path Towards the EU: Challenges and Perspectives

What are the main challenges and milestones

Serbia needs to overcome on its path to the full-fledged membership?

People are under impression that Serbia is stuck on its EU accession path. Is that true and why are we under such an impression?

Perception is a matter of subjective judgment, and as such is often not based on factual information. In fact, since the beginning of the negotiation process, Serbia has made progress in all reform areas. Our progress should not be solely weighted by the number of open chapters, but rather by the transformation of society

that occurs as a result of the reform process – the reform of the economy, energy, environment, agriculture, and especially the rule of law. All these reforms are also prerequisites for progress in the accession

reform dimension, which could be subsumed under the technical part of the process, the political dimension of negotiations has always been present and often dominant. It is this dimension, which is sometimes

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS, SERBIA HAS MADE PROGRESS IN ALL REFORM AREAS

negotiations but are primarily conducted in the best interest of citizens, their living standards, and legal security.

However, the negotiation process cannot be viewed one-dimensionally. In addition to the

less and sometimes more obvious, that gives the impression of “stuckness” on the EU path. Since the start of our accession negotiations with the EU, we have accepted that any progress made or the possibility of opening new accession chapters is

viewed on the back of previously achieved progress in the rule of law and in the dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. Additionally, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, there is also a request to fully comply with the EU’s foreign and security policy at a faster pace. The complexity of this issue and our position is very clear, but the impression is that the reform part of the process, especially in the area of the rule of law, is overshadowed.

How realistic is the threat that Serbia’s integration into the EU will be suspended if Serbia does not accept the agreement with Pristina?

TANJA MIŠČEVIĆ

Minister for European Integration in the Government of the Republic of Serbia

From the very beginning of the dialogue on the normalization of relations (with Pristina), Serbia was truly committed to this process and was often the only constructive party. Looking back, we fulfilled almost all the obligations that arose from the dialogue with Pristina in good faith, and all for the sake of normalizing the relations, that is, to create conditions for people to have a normal life. On the other hand, Pristina has continually failed to comply with its obligations.

Back then, and recently in Ohrid, our officials clearly highlighted our so-called red lines. The EU intends to integrate the content of this political agreement into transitional measures, more specifically in the negotiation chapter 35. Let me remind you that since 2014 it has been defined that this chapter, specific to Serbia, through which progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is monitored, is important for the overall evaluation of the progress Serbia makes in the accession negotiations, i.e. that what is evaluated here are the accomplished milestones related to previous agreements. According to their announcements, the new agreements will most likely be incorporated into those transitional measures, which will, of course, be done by the EU by early May. They will inform us about the changes they made because that is exactly the procedure in the negotiation process. These changes can help to a significant extent because they will determine the limits of the responsibility for the progress of both sides and restate that progress has not been made for a long time precisely because Pristina has been avoiding the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities for ten years.

What is the current mood in Serbian society regarding the European integration process? Do you believe that most people would vote “yes” for the EU accession if a referendum were to be held today?

A week ago, I was in Skopje and I talked with my colleague, the Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Mister Bojan

Maričić, about the declining support for the European integration process in our societies. This is not a trend only in Serbia, but in the entire Western Balkans as well, because the process takes a long time and citizens very often do not see the exact benefits of it. It is quite clear that the support for membership is not that high, but most people in Serbia still hold the idea of our country joining the EU quite close. I would like to remind you that the biggest support for membership was when the EU abolished visas for Serbian citizens to enter the

the direct benefits for them personally and for the state in the process of European accession, which is very important before the accession takes place.

Of course, the attitude towards this topic today is very much affected by the global events caused by the war in Ukraine, as well as our attitude towards imposing sanctions against Russia. The fact that, up to the beginning of this crisis, the enlargement policy was on the back burner, with the EU intending first to reform itself and only then to consider taking in

sion process, which is still very high. Of the total number of poll respondents, two-thirds believe that the reforms necessary for our country’s entry into the EU should be implemented regardless of the accession, for the benefit of the citizens and the creation of a better and more orderly Serbia. And it is this reservoir of support that we count on in the accession process.

What are the current activities in the accession process? How many chapters have been opened and what has been done so far?

Schengen area. Then the citizens felt not only the direct benefit of Serbia’s approach to the EU but also that they belong to a community of European citizens with whom they share the same values. And that is exactly the way we communicate with citizens today, i.e. by presenting

new member states, also plays a role. In public opinion polls, all these issues are clearly reflected in the views of citizens. What, I think, is perhaps more important at this moment than the support for the membership itself, is the citizens’ support for reforms during the acces-

So far, we have opened 22 chapters, and we temporarily closed those related to education, culture and youth, and science and research. This means that in those areas we have reached the required progress in reforms to embark on the negotiations at all. We are working very hard on all chapters which include transitional measures, that is, those that lead us deeper into the process of amending regulations and their implementation per European standards. Judicial reform, for example, entered the phase of implementation of new laws, passed after the Constitution was amended. This ensures a high degree of independence for judges and prosecutors in the way they are selected and allows for faster and more efficient proceedings. Amendments to media laws are also being drafted to expedite the implementation of the Media Strategy. The goal of these regulations is to additionally ensure the professional operations of the media and the safety of journalists, but also that the citizens are truthfully and timely informed.

A new Anti-Corruption Strategy is being developed, which is based on the belief of zero tolerance for corruption, and will focus on prevention, on the one hand, and more effective punishment for criminal acts related to corruption, on the other. The strategic segment of reforms in the energy sector, aimed at diversifying the supply of energy, including those from renewable sources, is particularly important to us. An accompanying, important, and extensive area is the policy of environmental protection

WE FULFILLED ALMOST ALL THE OBLIGATIONS THAT AROSE FROM THE DIALOGUE WITH PRISTINA IN GOOD FAITH

and the fight against climate change, but also boosting our agriculture, all with the help of substantial EU funds. I always point out that, apart from financial aid, the transfer of knowhow and experience in various segments, which we also receive from European partners, is of crucial importance.

What’s next for us?

Our further formal progress in the negotiations depends, of course, on the member states’ assessment of the extent to which Serbia ensures the rule of law. This is where the half-yearly report with the European Commission’s assessment, which we expect to be revealed in May, is crucial. As I already stated, our alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy is one of the burning questions at the time, but I have to outline that it is not measured only by the percentage of EU decisions that Serbia has complied with, but also, in our opinion, by everything that Serbia is doing to help Ukraine restore its destroyed energy system through the EU Mechanism for Civil Protection. We are the only country in the region that has given this kind of aid so far. We have also done a lot to align with the European visa policy towards third countries, which contributed to reducing the pressure of illegal migration on EU Member States. We should not count out Serbia’s participation in EU peacekeeping missions, which exceeds the contribution of all other candidate countries in terms of the number and scope of participation. I don’t know if that will be enough to open the next cluster of accession chapters in June, but I know that Serbia’s unequivocal commitment to treating EU membership as our strategic priority, along with the coordination of all our policies, leads to that direction.

Why is it important for Serbia to be part of the European family and is there an alternative in the form of a different association with the EU?

In the first two months of this year alone, trade with the EU accounted for almost 60 percent of our total external trade.

In 2022, trade with EU Member States accounted for 58.7% of total trade. Therefore, the EU is not only the biggest donor of development aid to Serbia, but

countries is one of our main principles and obligations. It is important to underline that regional cooperation is not only our obligation stemming from

cy in the Union has become a great burden, as well as that countries are losing their sovereignty. What are your views on this matter?

above all, it is our biggest trade partner. The largest foreign investments in Serbia were made by EU Member States. Serbia’s economic interest here is clear and this is coupled with the fact that we share the same value system and understanding of our society’s development with the EU.

The key framework for our accession and inclusion in the EU internal market is primarily the Stabilization and Association Agreement, which Serbia concluded 15 years ago, thanks to which the trade with the EU has been fully liberalized in early 2014. Also, this agreement is the legal basis for the strengthening of cooperation between Serbia and the EU and it establishes the obligation for Serbia to harmonize its national legislation with the Union’s legal acquis until the agreed deadlines. It also defines that bilateral cooperation with neighboring

that document but also one of the priorities of Serbia’s official policy. This shows that we are committed to regional peace, boosting neighborly relations, and cooperating under the auspices of the CEFTA.

In short, Serbia has its own strategic goal, which is equal membership in the European Union. And the most efficient fulfillment of all obligations stemming from the Stabilization and Association Agreement is the way to achieve that goal.

Are we required to join NATO to become an EU member?

There is no such condition - not all EU members are also NATO members, and some are only now in the process of joining, while some are not even considering that possibility.

Both Serbia and the EU countries think that the bureaucra-

Brexit has shown how much this topic has influenced public opinion and how difficult it is even for the EU itself to cope with the fact that the public impression of the success of this, the largest successful peace project in modern history, fits real results. How the EU institutions, following their competencies, manage to develop public policies in the EU and thereby contribute to a high standard of living and civil rights is certainly in disproportion with the public perception of the “Brussels bureaucracy”. Often, this image is more negative even in the member states themselves, than in the countries outside the EU. After all, the Union’s institutions rely on the member states in both making and implementing their policies, and the most important decisions are made by consensus of all member states. The key role that member states have is one of the most important arguments for why full-fledged membership in that community is important. At the same time, it proves that the members, not the bureaucracy, are the owners of the European integration process.

SERBIA HAS ITS OWN STRATEGIC GOAL, WHICH IS EQUAL MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Reciprocally Attentive Approach to Our Sensitivities

Armenia plans to establish its first resident diplomatic presence in Belgrade in the near future as a Chancellery of the Embassy of Armenia in Prague, so that’s why we spoke with H.E. Ashot Hovakimian, ambassador of Armenia to Serbia with residence in Czechia.

How would you describe the current state of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Serbia?

Armenia and Serbia are friendly countries and nations with a common past and strong spiritual and cultural interconnections. The current state of relations has to be improved after COVID-19 and to find its previous dynamics and activity: some postponed high-level visits should take place, and more attention should be given to economic relations and cultural and educational exchanges.

Could you tell us more about the Armenian community in Serbia and their role in promoting cultural and economic ties between the two countries?

The Armenian community in Serbia nowadays is rather small, with about a thousand people. It’s quite mixed in the sense of the time when the ancestors of these Armenians came to Serbia. The core of them settled in Serbia from Ottoman Empire at the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century, but the biggest resettlement happened after 1915-1922 due to the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire, where almost 1.5 million Armenians were massacred.

In the Spring of 1922, several Armenian families sheltered in the Mediterranean coastal community of Dört Yol, which survived the Armenian Genocide, appealed to King Alexander I to resettle in Vrnjačka Banja This exceptional case of organized

Every year in the last decade of April, in Belgrade, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the wreath-laying ceremony in memoriam to the victims of the Armenian Genocide takes place at the Armenian Khach-

between our countries. There were and are efforts to create new organisations, also in the regions, and to revive the community’s activity, inspired by the younger generations of Serbian Armenians.

What advice would you give to Serbian businesses and investors who are interested in exploring opportunities in Armenia, and how can they best navigate the local business environment?

In 2022 the country’s economy grew by 12.6%. Armenia has achieved respectable rankings on global indices measuring the country’s business climate. Armenia’s investment and trade policy is relatively open; foreign companies are entitled by law to the same treatment as Armenian companies. Armenia’s economic freedom score is 65.1, making its economy the 50th freest in the 2023 Index. Armenia is ranked 28th freest among the 44 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is above the world average. In 2022, Armenia ranked 63rd out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Armenian migration to Serbia was followed by the existence of a successful, vibrant, closely interconnected Armenian community in the city for 100 years.

On April 19, under the auspices of myself and Mayor Boban Đuroviċ, the solemn opening of the exhibition “100 Years of Armenians in Vrnjačka Banja” took place, organized by the newly established Union of Armenians of Vrnjačka Banja and Museum of Culture.

kar (cross-stone) in Zemun Park, in front of the Church of Saint Archangels Michael and Gabriel. This event unites the descendants of the Genocide survivors with the hundreds of Armenians from Armenia who settled in Serbia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

In 90-ies of the last century, a Serbian-Armenian society, which unfortunately ceased to exist, actively promoted the cultural and public relations

The three main drivers in the Armenian economy are the IT sector, manufacturing, and internal demand. Indeed, the Government program aims to improve the manufacturing sectors (metallurgy, chemical industry, mining and jewelry, textile, solar panels, and system), attract foreign direct investments (FDIs), and construction. Of course, it also focuses much on agriculture to guarantee food security.

What steps is Armenia taking to promote its economic interests in Serbia and the wider Balkan region?

Inspired by the younger generations of Serbian Armenians, we want to revive the activities of the Armenian community in Serbia

ASHOT HOVAKIMIAN

H.E. Ambassador of Armenia to Serbia

ARMENIA HAS ACHIEVED RESPECTABLE RANKINGS ON GLOBAL INDICES MEASURING THE COUNTRY’S BUSINESS CLIMATE

Armenia is a country where education and scientific output remain the main asset of the economy, whilst technological advancement and innovation have been set as the main guarantees for sustainable development. We registered rapid success in the developing global tech world. Tech is now the largest foreign investment in Armenia, and many of the world’s most powerful technology companies, including Intel, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Synopsys, and Cisco, all have a physical presence there.

In 2022, for the first time in the history of Armenia, a turnover of more than 1 billion USD was recorded in the field of the high-tech industry. The number of employees in the sector exceeded 40k.

Armenia has already gained successful experience in establishing technological centers like the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, where young people of all ages can take up innovative and free extracurricular educational programs in

the field, and the “Armath” engineering laboratories, which are established in schools and Vocational Training Institutions to promote the development of engineering and robotics skills among students. These two initiatives have become Armenian brands that are now being exported abroad, with international TUMO Centers having been

The situation around Ukraine clearly shows the deterioration of the security architecture in Europe. First, it became clear back in 2020, when many remained indifferent to the fact that Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale war against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, attempting to solve the conflict by using force. The absence of

opened in several cities - Paris, Beirut, Moscow, Berlin, Kiev, Zurich, etc. One of the TUMO centers is operating in the Balkan region – in Tirana, the negotiations on the establishment of the centre in Podgorica are going on. TUMO also expressed interest in being present in Serbia and Croatia.

How has the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh impacted Armenia’s relations with Serbia and the wider international community?

an equivocal condemnation by the international community of the use of force brought us to the situation the whole world is facing now.

Moreover, since February 2022, as the whole attention was concentrated on the developments around Ukraine, Azerbaijan has been using force frequently. The most blatant example of that was in September last year, when the Azerbaijani armed forces conducted unprovoked aggression against the Republic of Armenia, violating the territorial integrity and occupying around 150 sq km of the sovereign territory of my country. Azerbaijan targeted the eastern and south-eastern regions of Armenia, causing more than 200 deaths, including the civilian population. Killings, extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war, including the torture and humiliating treatment of the bodies of female servicemen, and other barbaric acts were committed and posted on social media by Azerbaijanis.

Another proof of systematic violence and policy of ethnic cleansing masterminded by the Azerbaijani authorities is the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which left the 120,000 population of Nagorno-Karabakh under siege for 4 months.

What is Armenia’s stance on the ongoing dispute over Kosovo’s status, and how do you think this issue impacts Armenia’s relationship with Serbia?

Armenia is among those countries that have not recognized Kosovo as an independent

country. Although the right to self-determination has a special meaning for Armenia, we have always supported Serbia on the Kosovo issue due to the traditional historic relations between our countries and nations. Indeed, the reciprocally attentive approach to our sensitivities regarding the aggression by Azerbaijan against sovereign Armenian territory and the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh would be appreciated, which was not always the case. Armenia also contributed to the KFOR mission with 40 soldiers, among them 2 women.

At the same time, Armenia strongly supports the universality of human rights protection, advocating that the Council of Europe’s mechanism shall be available in every corner of our Continent regardless of its status.

What message would you like to convey to the people of Serbia about Armenia and its people?

I would like to quote the words of great Serbian theologian bishop Nikolaj Velimirović, which were written immediately after the First World War, in 1919, when the future of Armenia was discussed at the Paris Peace Conference:

„It is a moral imperative to you and your country (appeal to „Big Four“ - A.H) as well, to as for all free Christian countries to hurry, yes, to hurry, and to give freedom to Armenians, and thereby to save mankind’s conscience from a shame and from a nightmare. Moreover, freedom ought to be given to the oldest Christian nation, not as a free gift, but as a debt, a debt of Christianity and civilization.

Again I ask: when the heavens and the earth cry out through human conscience for Armenia’s freedom, how dare you bargain about this sacred thing, you Christian powers of the world?

And again, I may say to the weeping children of the Illuminator: when the world awakens from its present moral slumber, you will be not pitied but envied”.

ARMENIA STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE UNIVERSALITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION

Countries with Most Official Languages

We lived in a country with 3 official languages until 1992: in SFRY, these were Serbo-Croatian (two versions), Slovenian and Macedonian. Now, in Vojvodina, we have 6 official languages. But are there countries with more official languages that that? And what are these countries?

With 16 official languages, Zimbabwe won the Guinness World Record in 2013 as the country with the most official languages at a national level!

Of their 16 languages, Shona, Ndebele and English are the most used ones. And although English is not the native lan-

guage for most of the population, it is used in government and official communications.

But India is not the country with the most official languages, since only 18 of them are recognized by the Constitution and deemed official at a regional level. Considering the abundance of language and dialects in their territory, this is a small percentage. Hindi and Bengali are the most spoken ones.

With 35 different native languages, South Africa only recognises 11 of them as official. Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English are the most spoken languages and most of the citizens in South Africa speak more

than one language. Although Zimbabwe is considered the country with the most official languages at a national level, Bolivia has a far higher number. Their Constitution recognises 37 different languages on a regional level! Even though Spanish is the most spoken language, Quechua and Aymara are widely popular.

Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese and Tamil. In Europe, the four national languages of Switzerland are German, French, Italian and Romansh.

Rwanda closes this list with Kinyarwanda, English, French and Swahili as official.

MAY 2023

POLAND National Day (Constitution Day)

ICRC, IFRC International Red Cross Day

EU National Day (Schuman Day)

ISRAEL Independence Day

NORWAY Constitution Day

ARGENTINA Primera Junta Day

La Paz, Bolivia / 15 November 2019

People demonstrate against the burning and removing of the Wiphala flag Photo © Radoslaw Czajkowski / Shutterstock

Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Serbia: Edward Ferguson

Mr Edward Ferguson has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia in succession to Ms Sian MacLeod OBE. Mr Ferguson will take up his appointment during July 2023. Mr Ferguson works as Minister Counsellor Defence in the United States, where together with the Defence Attaché led the British Defence Staff. Previously, he served as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2014 to 2018.

New Nestlé manager in Surčin factory

With nearly 30 years of experience in Nestlé, Jamadagni Kandige will lead the team of 530 employees. Effectively July 1, Mr. Jamadagni Kandige will take over the responsibility of Nestlé Surčin factory manager. During almost 30 years in Nestlé, Kandige held numerous managerial positions in Nestlé production worldwide: India, Philippines, Malaysia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Great Britain. Currently, he holds the position of the director of the Purina pet food plant in Wisbech, England, where he has conducted significant improvement in working methods and brilliant results based on a reduction in safety incidents and a visible reduction in consumer complaints, even during the particularly challenging times of the pandemic.

MPC Properties Appoints Pınar Yalçınkaya as the New CEO

MPC Properties, one of the most experienced real estate companies in the SEE region with its business grounded in investment, development, and management of assets, appoints Pınar Yalçınkaya as the new Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Yalçınkaya brings over 20 years of real estate business experience with extensive know-how in acquisition, disposal, (re) development, leasing, asset, and property management. During her career in multinational companies, she was responsible for numerous investment projects and

operations of real estate assets. Prior to joining MPC, she served as the CEO and Board Member for both the Multi Corporation and ECE Group’s subsidiaries in Türkiye and provided oversight and guidance to the largest retail real estate platforms in the country. “I am excited to join MPC Properties and uphold the company’s vision to build communities and enable prosperity for all, in addition to MPC’s commitment to bring the best innovative real estate project solutions on the market “, said Yalçınkaya.

28 MARCH 2023

31 MARCH 2023

Serbia – Italy Business and Science Forum held in Belgrade

On the occasion of the opening of the Serbia – Italy Business and Science Forum, a cocktail party for representatives of the Serbian and Italian political and cultural elite was held at the Residence of the Ambassador of Italy. Luca Gori, the ambassador of Italy in Serbia, hosted numerous distinguished guests in his residence. The networking cocktail was an opportunity for the participants to meet and exchange ideas in an informal environment, which contributed to additional networking and the creation of new business contacts. This event showed that business cooperation between Italy and Serbia is developing positively and that there is great potential for further growth and development.

Serbia – Italy Business and Science Forum was successfully held in Belgrade on March 21 and 22, 2023. The forum was organized by all actors of the Italia system, including the Embassy of Italy, ITA, Confindustria Serbia, the Chamber of Italian-Serbian Businessmen, and in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, emphasized the importance of the relationship between the two countries, especially in supporting the further development of economic relations. Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ambassador Lorenzo Angeloni, President of the Italian Trade Agency, Matteo Zopas, and many other distinguished guests spoke at the forum. After the welcoming remarks, three round tables were held on the topic of infrastructure, agriculture, and energy. In the afternoon, the Forum took shape through several hundred bilateral meetings between Italian and Serbian companies. Over 150 Italian and about 250 Serbian companies participated. The participation of a large number of companies at this event indicates the importance and potential of cooperation between Italy and Serbia, and the organized B2B meetings are certainly an added value of the Forum, which will contribute to the further development of business cooperation and the creation of new business opportunities. Serbia – Italy Business and Science Forum represents an opportunity to establish new contacts, create business connections between Italian and Serbian companies, and exchange knowledge and experiences between government representatives, the academic community, and the business sector. The organizers expressed their gratitude to everyone who participated in the organization of the Forum and contributed to its success and is convinced that this initiative will contribute to the improvement of private cooperation between Italy and Serbia, as well as enable the development of new business opportunities and projects.

Greek Independence Day celebrated in Belgrade

On the occasion of the Independence Day of Greece, a celebration was held at the embassy of this country in Belgrade. On this occasion, H.E. Maria Levanti, the ambassador of Greece in Serbia, hosted numerous representatives of the Serbian political and cultural elite, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps. Greece’s Independence Day is celebrated on March 25, and it is the day when Greeks mark the anniversary of the beginning of the revolution for liberation from the Ottoman Empire – March 25, 1821.

Challenges of International Security: The Case of Mexico

Lecture by the Ambassador of Mexico in Serbia, H. E. Carlos Issaur Félix Corona, on the topic “Challenges of international security: the case of Mexico” was held at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade. The opening speech was given by the head of the Center for Latin American Studies, prof. Dr. Zoran Krstić. He emphasized the importance of the position that Mexico has in the Latin American region and underlined the fact that such lectures by diplomats are extremely important for political science students in order to better understand global relations. H.E. Carlos Isauro Félix Corona explained the current political, economic, and social situation in Mexico and the factors affecting regional and global security. The ambassador stated that one of Mexico’s biggest problems is the migration of people and that this problem represents a great task and challenge for the country. “When it comes to migration, we are talking about people who are in illegal situations. / Source and photo: Faculty of Political Sciences

28 MARCH 2023

Direct flights from Belgrade to Tel Aviv again from April 6

The Embassy of Israel and Air Serbia organised a reception on the occasion of establishing a new direct air link between Belgrade and Tel Aviv. The direct Air Serbia flight that connects Belgrade and Tel Aviv will be re-established on April 6, on the great Jewish holiday, said Israel’s Ambassador to Serbia Yahel Vilan. „I am overjoyed that direct flights between our two countries will start again, in less than three hours, passengers will be able to get from Belgrade to Tel Aviv and vice versa“, said the ambassador and added that the first Air Serbia plane would take off on one of the most important Jewish holidays Pesach, that is celebrated as a spring holiday and is a sign of a new beginning, new achievements and connections between Serbs and Jews, Serbia and Israel.

We Care – We Are Better Together

“We care about Europe, we care about Serbia and its citizens – We are better together”, is the main message of the campaign in which the ambassador of the European Union in Serbia and the ambassadors of the member states participate. On the launch of the campaign, Ambassador Giaufret and his colleagues hosted media representatives at the residence of the European Union in Belgrade. With this campaign, the ambassadors say, they want to emphasize that they care about the citizens of Serbia and about the same things as them – about successful agriculture, empowering companies, the environment, ensuring better air quality, road infrastructure, and connectivity, energy efficiency and support in overcoming the energy crisis, cultural heritage, the rule of law, education and many other topics. Ambassador Giaufret explained the motivation for launching the campaign. “Why do we have this campaign? You often see us in the media talking about political issues – such as the Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina or alignment with foreign policy. These are important topics, but sometimes we don’t explain why we invest so much energy and resources. The answer is in the slogan of the campaign – We care about Serbia and its citizens – we are better together”, said Ambassador Giaufret. Minister for European Integration Tanja Miščević considers the campaign a great and important promotion of the partnership between Serbia and the EU. “A partnership in which Serbia receives not only financial, economic, and development aid but also adopts European values and European standards. This campaign is an indicator of how everything looks positive in the end, through realized projects, which are the result of such a partnership.”, said Minister Miščević. At the event, the chargé d’affaires of the embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden, the country that currently holds the presidency of the European Union, Alexandre Peyre Dutrey, said that during the current presidency of the EU, that country’s priorities are – Green transition, circular economy and an attempt to correct the mistakes of the past. This campaign is based on the idea of partnership, commitment, and solidarity between the European Union and Serbia. Through a series of spots, billboards, and digital formats, the ambassadors present successful projects through people throughout Serbia that the European Union and its citizens have financially supported. That we are better together is presented through numerous examples of support filmed in authentic locations. The mission of the EU Delegation in Serbia is to ensure adequate representation of the EU in Serbia, to promote and protect the values and interests of the EU and its member states, as well as to monitor and support the process of Serbia’s accession to the EU, among other things, by successfully implementing EU aid programs. The European Union is recognized as a political and economic union, but what we often forget is that the European Union is one big family of citizens of 27 member states. The European Union cares about its citizens, but also about the citizens of Serbia, which this campaign conveys. Because we all belong to the same European family, the European Union will continue to support the citizens of Serbia because – WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER!

Ethno Network organised an Easter bazaar in the Canadian residence

The Ethno Network organized a special Easter sale at the Canadian Residence. Ethno Mreža is a non-profit organization that supports women who create authentic Serbian handicrafts using traditional techniques. Visitors to the residence had the opportunity to meet some of these talented artisans and see their work.

Public History –concepts and empirical research

THE EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA

The Austrian Cultural Forum, the Embassy of Austria, and the Institute for Political Studies organized a lecture and discussion on “Public History – concepts and empirical research” in Belgrade. The participants of the lectures and discussions held at the Embassy of Austria were guest lecturers from the University of Vienna. Dr. Marko Demantovski spoke on the topic entitled: “Conceptualization of public history – theory, systematics, and practical consequences”, as well as Dr. Barbara Pavlek Lobl spoke on the topic “Empirical research of public history: Places of memory in Austria”. The moderator was Dr. Aleksandra Kolaković from the Belgrade Institute for Political Studies.

Opening of the exhibition

“Warsaw – Mariupol –cities of Ruins, cities of Struggle, cities of Hope”

The exhibition “Warsaw – Mariupol – cities of Ruins, cities of Struggle, cities of Hope” was opened in the KROKODIL Center. During the evening, Tetjana Pyankova and Marina Mihajlyuk, residents of KROKODIL’s residency program for literary creators from Ukraine, presented themselves. On this occasion, the documentary film “Erase the Nation” was shown, which shows the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage by the Russian army after the beginning of the aggression. The exhibition presents photographs of cities destroyed by two totalitarianism: Warsaw – razed to the ground in 1944, and Mariupol – destroyed in 2022 due to Russian aggression. This international exhibition shows the cruelty of war, which – regardless of the distance in time – is connected by the tragedy of civilians and soldiers, looting, and the destruction of infrastructure. Its goal, among other things, is to show the universal need for freedom that the Warsaw insurgents fought for and that Ukrainians are now fighting for. The exhibition “Warsaw – Mariupol – cities of Ruins, cities of Struggle, cities of Hope” was created at the initiative of the Vice President of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Malgorzata Gosiewska and the President of the Supreme Council of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk. The co-organizers of the project are Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaščak and the head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Repression, Jan Juzef Kaspšik. The installation consists of sixteen consecutive views of war-torn Warsaw and Mariupol, or places near Kyiv, destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

5 APRIL 2023

This Saturday, I will convene a high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. This time is different from previous meetings not just because I will meet President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti in the region, in Ohrid, North Macedonia, instead of in the familiar halls of the European External Action Service in Brussels. But also because we will focus our discussion on the Implementation Annex of the recent EU Agreement that will result in the far-reaching normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Both together will, in essence, result in the normalisation of life of people in the region and open Kosovo’s and Serbia’s respective paths towards joining the EU.

The Western Balkans are different from any other region in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood. This is what I realised even before becoming the EU’s High Representative/Vice-President in December 2019. One of the steps before becoming the EU’s head of foreign policy is a hearing in the European Parliament. During my exchange with the Parliament, special attention was paid to this region surrounded by the EU, and in particular my plans and ideas on the Dialogue on normalisation of relations, which at that point, the EU has been facilitating for almost 10 years. I committed myself on this occasion to conduct my first bilateral vis-

Belgrade-Priština Dialogue

Time to take responsibility and move toward the EU

it as HRVP to Kosovo and Serbia – a promise I kept. As soon as I officially took office as the High Representative for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy and the Vice-President of the European Commission, the Western Balkans naturally became one of the main points of my attention. Every time I meet civil society representatives during my numerous visits to the region, they put one thing clearly to me: the majority of people living in the Balkans do not want to be stuck in the 1990s, constantly confronted with remittent of the past. They want to look forward rather than backwards, to live in democracy, governed by rule of law, in societies that are providing opportunities for all. Wishing to be members of our community of values is not a far-fetched dream, and I support their aspirations as the entire EU leadership does. The Western Balkans are part of Europe. And they are certainly not a chip to be used by Putin in his imperialistic dreams. However, to open the path towards reaching the objective of joining the EU, Serbia and Kosovo need to normalise relations. There is no way around it. The EU has been doing its part and the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue a central part of my mandate. The Council agreed with my proposal to appoint Ambassador Lajčák as the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, with the first task to accelerate the process. And this is what we did. In 2020, we held several High Level and Chief Negotiator meetings in Brussels focused on negotiating a comprehensive legally binding agreement on normalisation of relations

between Serbia and Kosovo dealing with all outstanding issues. Nobody ever said a task as monumental as facilitating a normalisation agreement would be easy. There have been ups and downs, and far too often issues considered small and technical proved highly sensitive and political, with the potential of turning violent. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine changed the picture. The Dialogue is not only about Kosovo and Serbia. It must be seen in the current broader geopolitical context, a defining moment in the European history. But instead of advancing on the big picture of normalisation of relations to make Europe safer and provide for a better future for the people of the region, our time and energy was absorbed by crisis management, barricades, and threats of violence with one deadline after another in the second half of 2022. It was not easy to defuse the situation and to avoid a full conflict, but we managed. This vicious circle of crises on the brink of escalation or even violence had to stop. Therefore, in September 2022, we – supported by the leaders of Germany and France and our American friends - made a bold proposal to President of Serbia Vučić and Prime Minister of Kosovo Kurti. A proposal that would put an end to crisis management and instead shift the attention to normalisation and reconciliation, and that would help the entire region leap forward towards Europe. During the last High-level meeting between both leaders, which I convened on 27 February this year, they agreed that no further discussions are needed on the European Union’s Proposal

on the path to normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, a document endorsed by all 27 EU member states at the European Council meeting in February. This is not a small feat and important step forward. But it is not a done deal yet. This is why now is the time to focus on the bigger picture and not allow another window of opportunity to close in front of the eyes of the people of the region, as has happened a few times in recent history. It is now the time for Serbia and Kosovo to agree on the Implementation annex, which is an integral part of the Agreement and share a clear understanding on how to put in place their provisions. The EU is not a simple note-taker nor is it a party in the Dialogue: we are and remain the facilitator in this Dialogue. The EU is the eventual home for Serbia and Kosovo. I will continue to work tirelessly towards eventually reaching a comprehensive agreement on normalisation of relations that is acceptable to EU member states, is in line with international law and the European acquis, and contributes to regional stability. The agreement on the table is an important step towards that objective. This is the time for the leaders of Kosovo, Serbia and of the entire Western Balkans to show courage, and to demonstrate shared responsibility for the success of the EU accession process of the region. “The task of the leader is to get his/her people from where they are to where they have not been”, one of my seasoned colleagues said. The task of the leader is also to deliver the quality-of-life people want, I would add, the quality of life, which the membership in the EU brings.

JOSEP BORRELL

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission

Sharing the Highlights of My Diplomatic Journey

After three years as the Brazilian Ambassador, my wife, Monique, and I left Belgrade in March 2022, heading to Zurich, where I am presently the Consul General of Brazil. One never gets used to leaving a post, especially if it means saying farewell to friends, happy memories and a rewarding professional experience. The dialog with the Serbian government was always productive, as it suits two friendly countries. During the three short years we spent in Belgrade, we visited all corners of Serbia. The people we met were unwaveringly hospitable and easy to talk to.

Belgrade, a truly European capital, is a beautiful, very safe city with many charming neighborhoods. We were fortunate to live in Starigrad, where the Brazilian Residence is located, in the middle of an area that is a permanent invitation for one to wander by foot through its many tree-lined streets and enjoy its numerous charming cafés, restau

liked it so much, that she wrote a chapter on Skadarlija in the book “Belgrade though the eyes of foreigners” (a joint initiative of foreign ladies aimed to raise funds for charity).

In my present assignment, I have switched over to the consular side of my diplomatic career. This is a new experience for me, and an enriching one, which involves interacting with the requests and needs of a varied Brazilian public. It is nice to be able to help and support, many times personally, my fellow Brazilians!

Besides providing regular consular services, helping our communities abroad has long been an official government policy. The number of Brazilians residing temporarily or permanently overseas has been increasing regularly since the beginning of the century. In 2022, there were 4.2 million of us living outside of Brazil (out of a pop

ulation of 207 million). In my jurisdiction (German, Italian and Romanche cantons of Switzerland, and the Principality of Liechtenstein) there are about 34.000 Brazilians. I am happy to say that they are very well considered by the local authorities. Many of these have acquired the Swiss nationality. The community is a microcosm of Brazil, from workers, executives, university professors, entrepreneurs to wealthy retirees, just to mention a few categories.

It is particularly satisfying to see that the women of my community have had a leading role in establishing several associations, often oriented towards other women and seeking to offer information and advice aiming to ease the adaptation to life in Switzerland. I have been to several events organized by these associations and especially appreciated those that were teaching entrepreneurship. I encourage this active solidarity as much as I can. One must also mention the exemplary way the Swiss receive and help integrate Brazilians, as well as other immigrant communities.

Another aspect of the activities of the Consulate General that go beyond routine matters, which I consider very important, is its support of programs that teach young children with Brazilian parent(s) Portuguese and the basics of our culture. These programs are part of the school curriculum in Zurich. The teachers help these children better understand their identity and encourage them to keep their links with Brazil.

The Consulate General of Brazil in Zurich is to be my last post before retirement. It is a positive and active experience, which I am enjoying every day!

In this postcard, former Ambassador of Brazil to Serbia, H.E. Eduardo Botelho Barbosa who now serves as the Consul General of Brazil in Zurich, shared his unique diplomatic experiences and memories from the Serbian capital. He also revealed what it’s like to work closely with his fellow Brazilians, now that he is working on the consular side.

A Leak of Files is One of America’s Worst Intelligence Breaches in a Decade

The classified material covers Ukraine’s army and CIA reports

On February 26th, officials from the SBU, Ukraine’s security service, came to a striking conclusion. Their own agents in Belarus had defied orders and attacked a Russian surveillance plane earlier that day. American spies were listening in. They noted the morsel of intelligence in a highly classified slide on the war in Ukraine circulated by America’s joint staff on March 1st. Within days that report had been printed off and uploaded to the internet. So had scores of others. It appears to be America’s most serious intelligence leak in a decade.

The leaked files, which include military assessments on the war in Ukraine and CIA reports on a range of global issues, came to broader attention when some

group. Some classified material had appeared as early as January. The Economist has reviewed more than 50 slides. Others are still coming to light: the

THE KREMLIN IS LIKELY TO USE THE DISCLOSURE TO JUSTIFY ITS NARRATIVE THAT IT IS FIGHTING NOT JUST UKRAINE BUT THE ENTIRETY OF NATO

appeared on Telegram, a messaging app widely used in Russia. Some had been published on Discord, a chat site popular with video-game enthusiasts, on March 1st and 2nd, according to Bellingcat, an investigative

Washington Post says that it has reviewed some 300 documents.

Britain’s defence ministry said on April 11th that the leak “demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy”. After the slides

circulated on Telegram, at least one was crudely doctored to inflate Ukrainian casualty figures and understate Russian ones. But the rest showed no obvious signs of manipulation. Former American and European intelligence officials told The Economist they thought the reports were probably authentic American documents. The Pentagon’s response seemed to confirm this. A spokesman said it was leading an inter-agency panel to assess the damage and consulting allies. The Department of Justice opened an investigation into the source of the leak. A report by the Washington Post on

All photos: © Shutterstock

April 12th suggested the leaker worked on a military base. The timing is terrible: Ukraine is preparing a counter-offensive that could start within weeks. The leaked trove offers a remarkable window into the state of its armed forces.

Several slides provide an eye-watering detailed accounting of Western plans to arm and train Ukraine’s army, including the status of nine Ukrainian brigades, the amount of armour and artillery in each one, and the precise number of shells and precision-guided rockets Ukraine is firing each day. If accurate, the data could allow Russian military intelligence to identify the specific brigades that have probably been tasked with breaching Russian defences at the outset of the offensive. That, in turn, could allow Russia to carefully monitor those units to assess the location and timing of an offensive. One slide indicates that Ukraine’s 10th Corps is likely to command the operation, which will now make its headquarters an obvious Russian target. Another shows when the muddy ground is expected to harden sufficiently for heavy armoured vehicles to pass over.

Perhaps the most damaging documents lay out the state of Ukrainian air defences. These

are in dire shape, after parrying repeated Russian drone and missile strikes. The country’s Buk missiles were likely to run out on March 31st based on prevailing rates of fire (it is not clear whether this has actually occurred). Its S-300 missiles

ican intelligence analysts had come to a gloomy prognosis for the looming Ukrainian counterattack. “Enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive,”

THE LEAK IS ALSO A REMINDER THAT AMERICAN SPIES COLLECT INTELLIGENCE ON THEIR ALLIES—A FACT WHICH CAUSED UPROAR IN 2013 WHEN IT WAS REVEALED THAT AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY (NSA), RESPONSIBLE FOR SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE, HAD SPIED ON ANGELA MERKEL, THEN GERMAN CHANCELLOR, AMONG OTHER WORLD LEADERS

will last only until around May 2nd. Together the two types make up 90% of Ukraine’s medium-range air defences. The remaining batteries, including Western air-defence systems, “are unable to match the Russian volume” of fire, says the Pentagon, though on April 4th it announced it would send more interceptor missiles. Ukraine’s ability to protect its front lines “will be completely reduced” by May 23rd, it concludes. A table sets out the date at which each type of missile will be exhausted; a map depicts the location of every battery.

On April 10th the Washington Post, citing additional leaked documents, reported that Amer-

said the document, judging that the operation was likely to fall “well short” of its objectives and that it would achieve only “modest territorial gains”.

SECRET SIGNALS

However, the documents hardly paint a rosy view of Russia’s forces. Though it has devastated the eastern city of Bakhmut—the situation there was “catastrophic” by February 28th, according to Ukraine’s military-intelligence chief, who is quoted in one report—its combat power is crippled. America’s Defence Intelligence Agency reckons that 35,500-43,000 Russian troops have died, with over 154,000 wounded, 40,000 more

than the Ukrainian figure (the agency admits that these numbers are ropy). Russia has also lost more than 2,000 tanks and now fields only 419 “in theatre”. Russia’s campaign in eastern Ukraine is “heading toward a stalemate”, resulting in “a protracted war beyond 2023”.

The documents will have wider political consequences. One slide suggests there are 97 special-forces personnel from NATO countries in Ukraine, including 50 from Britain, 17 from Latvia, 15 from France and 14 from America. Most are probably training their Ukrainian counterparts; countries often deploy special forces with considerable secrecy. Even so, the Kremlin is likely to use the disclosure to justify its narrative that it is fighting not just Ukraine but the entirety of NATO.

The leak is also a reminder that American spies collect intelligence on their allies—a fact which caused uproar in 2013 when it was revealed that America’s National Security Agency (NSA), responsible for signals intelligence, had spied on Angela Merkel, then German chancellor, among other world leaders. The latest trove shows that American agencies are snooping not only on Ukrainian generals and spooks, but also on officials in Hungary, Israel, South Korea and the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN watchdog.

One CIA report claims that the leaders of Mossad, Israel’s foreign-intelligence agency, encouraged its officials, and Israeli citizens, to protest against controversial judicial reforms. Another, reported by the Associated Press, claims that Russian spies boasted that the United Arab Emirates had agreed to work with them against American and British intelligence agencies.

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

Hard-hitting Math

Are we going to wake up?

His analyses of the economic situation always put us in the context of global political events. He is an economic journalist whose articles always reveal the essence of the problem. In an inter-view with Aleksandar Milošević, editor of the Economy section in the daily newspaper Danas, you will find out what economic consequences the war in Ukraine has brought to Serbia, what is going on with inflation, the real estate market and people’s dissatisfaction.

It is impossible to start any conversation about the economy today without mention-ing the ongoing war in Ukraine. At the beginning of the conflict, all sorts of things were said, including that Europe would freeze without Russian gas and that Russia would collapse under Western sanctions. What consequences do small economies like ours have suffered from the war in Ukraine?

True, but in the end neither happened. Europe was lucky to have such an unusually warm win-ter, which meant there was plenty of gas to spare, while Russia avoided some of the projected worst-case scenarios and ended the first year of the war with a GDP decline of just 2.1 percent. Those who observed the situation with a cool head a year ago were trying to explain that politi-cians’ foreshadowing catastrophic scenarios for Russia would not come true and that that would not deter Moscow from further attacking Ukraine.

© Radenko Topalović

ALEKSANDAR MILOŠEVIĆ Editor of the Economy section in Danas daily

Of course, this does not mean that there were no major economic consequences, both for the actors and superpowers themselves, as well as for small countries such as ours. The European Union moved away from Russian energy sources, which benefited America and its liquefied gas - this was also helped by the blowing up of Nord Stream 2. Russia has become increasingly isolat-ed, it has lost a good part of Western technology, products and companies and has experienced a brain drain, while the sanctions quite effectively limited the price of its oil and took away its best gas buyer. However, the country is now rapidly orienting itself towards the East - China, India and Saudi Arabia - and trying to develop its own substitutes for imported products. China changed its decades-long policy and began to act much more assertively in international rela-tions, competing with America - first as the most likely peacemaker in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and then with the historic reconciliation of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which were all roles traditionally held by the USA. Furthermore, as a saviour market for Russia, China has acquired a unique lever of influence over official Moscow, which will have far-reaching consequences both for Russian export prices, which Beijing can practically dictate at will, and politically. In the longer term, the new China-Russia-India-Saudi Arabia axis, plus Iran, threatens to use its own currencies in mutual transactions to create a network that will attract other countries with the force of its financial gravity and undermine the dominance of the dollar as a global accounting currency, which, in turn, would lead to even greater tension between China and the USA, and possibly to the spillover of the conflict from economic to political or even military terrain, that is, to global instability.

For small countries like Serbia, the war in Ukraine created two main problems - the first is the energy crisis, especially visible in Europe, which led to record high prices of electricity, gas and other energy sources and also resulted in record

high inflation. This was further exacerbated by the food crisis. The second problem is political pressure exerted on countries to side with one of the parties to the conflict, that is, to separate themselves from Russia politically and economical-ly. In the case of Serbia, this would mean imposing sanctions against Moscow. Bear in mind that we already had to agree to the reduction of the number of flights to Moscow and in effect, energy sanctions against Serbia as we are not allowed to purchase crude oil from Russia.

may be the reason why even though everything has become more expensive, we do not have a strong public reaction to it.

WHO HAS EVER RESIGNED BECAUSE PEOPLE TOOK TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST? NO-ONE

Economists nevertheless agree that the largest part of our inflation is “imported”, that is, it origi-nates from the global jump in the prices of energy sources - electricity, oil and gas, as well as from the rise in the prices of basic agricultural products, which was influenced by both the rela-tively weak agricultural season and the problems caused by blocking grain exports from

The terminology used by politicians is interesting here, as they use the term “average” inflation when talking about 2022 and “year-on-year” inflation in December 2023 when talking about the inflation that awaits us this year.

The motivation is clear, that is to use smaller digits to show how high the inflation is. Regardless, the government’s “math” will still hit people’s wallets hard as prices will go up this year almost as much as they went up last year.

People are protesting in the Netherlands due to a fuel price increase of only a few euro cents, but in our country, people seem to be anaesthetized - they

What is happening in shops?

The retail prices are going crazy and everything has become so expensive. Still, it feels that nobody is too bothered by it. What will happen with inflation in the coming period? Is there any chance of inflation stopping?

Serbia is used to high price growth, not only because it still remembers the hyperinflation of the 1990s, but also the double-digit price increase from the first decade of the 2000s. This

Ukraine, which created shortages on international markets, i.e. higher prices. And yet, with 15.1 percent inflation in December, price growth in Serbia is significantly higher than the 9.2 percent in the Eurozone, so a good part of the inflation is our fault.

As for inflation this year, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) projects the average inflation in 2023 to be more or less at the same level as in 2022, which means that we are in for another difficult and expensive year.

do not react to the extremely difficult economic situation and do not call its creators to account. Why is it so? Why don’t we care about getting better?

It may sound defeatist, but the Dutch are used to doing well, and we are used to doing poorly. That’s why for them, those few cents are a serious deviation from their expectations, and for us, neither the collapse of the dairy industry, nor the over 20% increase in food prices, nor any change in labour or

pension legislation that harms citizens is a sufficient trigger for action. We are just used to such things happening to us all the time. The second thing is that we have accept-ed the fact that political responsibility does not exist in Serbia, so political action is futile. Who has ever resigned because people took to the streets to protest? No-one.

How do you comment on the events in France with the mass and, unfortunately, vio-lent protests following Macron’s announcement of the pension system reform? Could it cost him power and can Marine Le Pen profit from these protests?

France has a long tradition of civil protests of all kinds, so the latest ones hardly surprised any-one. But it still seems that France may be the only country where protesters will destroy their capital because they now cannot retire before the age of 64. On the one hand, one must envy the French for such an attitude, and on the other hand, for us, who look at it completely from the sidelines, from a country that has long since increased the retirement age without anybody pro-testing, i.e. far worse than what is Macron trying to do. This kind of retirement reform seems reasonable at a time when life expectancy is increasing, the birth rate is dropping, and no gov-ernment can count on technological advances and the

associated productivity growth to be enough to neutralize the negative economic effects of those trends.

As for Macron himself, I probably don’t know the French political scene well enough to com-ment with authority, but if he survived the Yellow Vests protest, it seems he will survive this one too. Can Le Pen, on the wave of popular anger, get a new chance

could withstand a new wave of such attacks, regardless of all the profits one makes as an opponent of the pension reform.

Who in our country is responsible for the current economic situation?

Certainly, the government creates an environment in which economic activity takes place, and in Serbia, the government is

CHINA CHANGED ITS DECADES-LONG POLICY AND BEGAN TO ACT MUCH MORE ASSERTIVELY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, COMPETING WITH AMERICA

to enter the Elysée Palace? Who knows, but the current international situation is not doing her any favours. Specifically, we are talking about the Ukrainian crisis and the deep odium towards Putin and Russia in general that has been created in the last year in the Western public, with Le Pen viewed seen as a politician under Russian influence. Let’s remember how in the last year’s presidential debate, Le Pen tried to corner Macron by accusing him of inviting Putin on an official visit to France as president.

“I called a foreign leader to visit, not my personal banker,” Macron snapped at her, alluding to a loan Le Pen took out from a Kremlin-linked bank. After a year of increasingly brutal war in Ukraine, hardly anyone

er system last winter, certain public companies having acting directors for too long, wasting Serbian taxpayers’ funds on economically unsustainable and socially unjustified projects such as the national and other stadiums, the inability to set up salary brackets and so-called social cards, lack of progres-sive tax policy, disrespect for the integrity of the National Bank of Serbia, too much red tape, etc.

As an economic analyst and journalist, what do you think about the current situation in the real estate market in Serbia? What can we read from that situation in the con-text of the Russians that have come here, social relations, the economic power of the population, class differences...?

a major economic factor which acts through public companies and infrastructure projects.

What mistakes did we make with our economic policy and what kind of things we do not influence?

There are many - from the policy of subsidies to foreign investors, who can effectively get over 50,000 euros per each job they create, through to public procurements in which only one bidder participates, the sale of key buildings to politicians’ buddies, non-targeted distribution of state money to companies during the pandemic, excessive and unnecessary parafiscal levies, disas-trous staff policy in the public sector and the related total breakdown of the pow-

Experts are divided about whether we are in a market bubble or not, but in a country with such a low average salary, paying 2,000 euros per square metre of an apartment which is not even lo-cated in the most popular Belgrade municipalities, can hardly be rationally justified. It is a wide-spread practice in our country that people buy a new apartment is bought by selling their old one or that they buy a larger one or two smaller ones by adding more money to the purchase. Then the sellers themselves use the money from their sold apartment to buy one for themselves and so on. That could an explanation for such high demand despite extremely high prices. For now, the Russians have changed the apartment market to mostly rental, and buyers fear that they will not be able to meet the prices that the Russians can afford to pay, which, according to some re-ports has already started to happen. The Russians also realized that the Serbian real estate own-ers had charged them astronomical rental prices when they first moved here, but now they can see for themselves that the rental prices in Serbia are far below those they had to pay.

What is our future like? Can we be optimistic?

As the saying goes - “we cannot be saved, but we will not perish”. So we can do it and we have to do it.

© Aleksandar Roknić

Irene Khan is the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression since 1 August 2020. She is the first woman to hold this position since the establishment of the mandate in 1993. An internationally recognized advocate for human rights, gender equality and social justice, she teaches at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and is co-author of The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights, which has been published in seven languages.

Toxic Public Discourse

UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan visited Serbia at the beginning of March at a time when dangerous pressures were being exerted on independent media. Ms. Khan calls for political will to translate laws into concrete action to protect freedom of expression. Serbia must ensure that legal reforms are accompanied by effective implementation of laws and political will to combat dangerous rhetoric against minorities, journalists, and activists, said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.

“I am encouraged by the government’s plans to reform media laws in line with international standards but also alarmed by the toxic public discourse, from politicians or public officials and amplified by tabloids, scapegoating the media, human rights defenders, ethnic minorities, LGBTI and those critical of the government,” Khan said at the end of her official visit.

“When journalists are labelled as foreign agents, traitors or

enemies of the State, it undermines public trust in the media, increases the likelihood of attacks against journalists and chills media freedom and democratic debate.”

“Freedom of expression is not a license to harass, intimidate

and harassment to continue.”

“Serbia must ensure that REM is independent, effective, and accountable,” the expert said. In order to ensure the safety of journalists, the expert urged the authorities to take measures to speed up investigations and legal proceedings related to

cases of the journalists killed in Serbia. Killing journalists is the most egregious form of censorship. Impunity must not prevail.”

Frivolous or vexatious libel lawsuits by powerful public figures demanding exorbitant damages (Strategic Legal Action Against Public Participation or SLAPP) have emerged as another threat to journalists and activists. The purpose is not necessarily to win the cases but to distract, demoralize, intimidate and silence the journalists and activists, said Khan.

or threaten critical voices,” the UN expert said. “I urge the government to ensure that all institutions and organs of the State implement the constitutional and legal framework upholding freedom of expression while combating hate speech and disinformation.”

“Given the role that tabloids play in spreading hate speech, I am concerned that the electronic media regulatory body (REM) is failing to take appropriate action against the violators, failing to promote pluralism in media content, and allowing smear campaigns

threats and attacks. “I call on the authorities to investigate and prosecute the longstanding

Finally, she stressed that the adoption of laws alone was not sufficient to protect freedom of expression. “What is needed is strong, unequivocal political leadership from the commitment to international standards. The legal commitments of the government must be translated into action.”

During her visit, Khan also travelled

to Kosovo.*

Welcoming the pluralistic media landscape in Kosovo, she encouraged the authorities to continue to strengthen media freedom. “I urge the authorities to fully implement the law on languages and call on the international community to ensure adequate support to independent Serbian language media,” she said. The UN expert called on the authorities in Kosovo to complete the investigation of past killings and enforced disappearances of journalists and ensure justice.

*NOTE: All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999)

Irene Khan

Freedom of expression is not a license to harass, intimidate or threaten critical voices

I CALL ON THE AUTHORITIES TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THE LONGSTANDING CASES OF THE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN SERBIA

Economic Potential of the Western Balkans

Professor Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, held a lecture in Belgrade

As a part of his visit to Belgarde, where he participated in the Serbia-Italy Business and Science Forum, Professor Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Intesa Sanpaolo, the international banking group within which Banca Intesa operates, held an exclusive lecture at the Faculty of Economics, the University of Belgrade on the topic “Economic potential of the Western Balkans”.

At the lecture, organized for clients and business partners of Banca Intesa and attended by professors and students of the Faculty of Economics, as well as media representatives, Professor Gros-Pietro presented his views on the current situa-

tion on the global and European banking market as well as economic perspectives of countries in the Western Balkans, with reference to the importance of

activity, while the real power is in information.

Professor emphasized that actually, in the first months of

FINANCE IS STILL CONSIDERED A POWERFUL DRIVING ACTIVITY, WHILE THE REAL POWER IS IN INFORMATION

further strengthening and development of the region and its potential for investments and bilateral partnerships.

Professor Gros-Pietro explained that we are currently in a historical moment when the power is shifting again. At this moment, finance is still considered a powerful driving

2023, positive elements of development were more frequent and more important than it was predicted. This year started with some good news on energy issues. The price of natural gas has fallen sharply, and future markets’ expectations indicate stability in the coming quarters. At the global level, the energy shock now looks less se-

vere than initially expected for several reasons: Russian oil was traded at a much lower price than Brent or WTI, and there was a negative spread of about USD 30 per barrel, which means there is a sharp difference in the price of energy between Europe and USA, which is a problem for Europe. One thing is sure, and that is the future is in renewables, and finance will have to support it.

Additional good news came from removing lockdown measures in China and reopening economic activity, which should boost international trade and global GDP this and next year. Looking ahead, supply chains should be shortened for geopolitical reasons – and

All photos: © Banca Intesa

for Western Balkans countries, this is an important opportunity to be taken seriously.

Professor Gros-Pietro noted that cooperation with the Western Balkans and, in particular, the Republic of Serbia and Italy is a natural fact and that we are very close countries that have similar structures, and that together we can work on the part of the joint European economic policy which can be even stronger in the future.

Despite the short-term uncertainties, Professor Gros-Pietro expects a stronger economic recovery this year and in 2024, with the prediction that the economic growth of the Western Balkans will surpass the growth of Western European countries, as well as that the progress of the countries of the region towards membership in the European Union will improve their credit profiles through the strengthening of institutions, competitiveness, infrastructure and inflow of direct foreign investments.

When it comes to the banking sector of the region, the professor expects that despite the current movement of interest rates throughout the Western Balkans in an attempt to curb inflation, the mass of loans and deposits will continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace, with preserved portfolio quality and a low level of non-performing loans. Households’ living standards have improved as unemployment rates decreased in all countries, while wages increased to

offset the real income decline due to inflation. Employment prospects are currently solid, although some challenges loom, like brain drain, which is a great risk. The only way to take this risk is to increase wages and increase the capacity of positions to pay higher salaries, so we must be prepared for this.

The last part of the lecture was dedicated to the problem of climate change. As the professor said, we tend to always pose

The European Green Agenda investments will need sophisticated financial services while accelerating the shift to green agenda means leaping from a traditional economic model to a sustainable economy in line with the European Green Deal. By signing the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans in November 2020, the region acknowledged the need to set the basis for a major transformation and to implement elements of the European Green Deal in all interre-

58-point Plan for the period until 2030, carbon pricing, coal phase-out plans, regional integration, pollution control, and environmental protection are the most important segments. Serbia was among the first countries in CEE to establish a Green Bond Framework and finance green-eligible projects by issuing a green bond in the international capital market, for which it also received the award „Sovereign Green Market Pioneer in 2021“, presented by the Climate Bonds Initiative.

more attention to what is urgently compared to what is important, but even if problems like pandemics, war, inflation, etc., are extremely urgent, climate change is much more important.

lated priority sectors. Additionally, Western Balkans countries have committed to implementing their actions through the Regional Action Plan adopted in Brdo in October 2021. In this

Serbia-Italy Business and Science Forum, organized by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and the Italian Embassy in Serbia, was dedicated to technological innovations, green energy, and energy transition, sustainable agriculture, as well as technological innovations in the agricultural sector and infrastructure, with bilateral talks between Serbian and Italian businessmen.

The participation of Professor Gros-Pietro, who was part of the official Italian delegation at the event, confirms the strong commitment of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group to Serbia and its dedication to the long-term development of its business in the Serbian market. Intesa Sanpaolo, one of the leading banking groups in Europe, employs more than 3,000 people in Serbia, providing vital support to the economic development of the country and improving the quality of life of citizens, as well as the well-being of the entire Society.

IN 2024, THE PREDICTION IS THAT THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THE WESTERN BALKANS WILL SURPASS THE GROWTH OF WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Dr Dragan Lončar (left), professor of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, with Professor Gian Maria Gros-Pietro (right)

The Nelt Group continues with acceleration and development by 2025

Managers and directors of all the Nelt Group’s companies gathered at a one-day conference, where the status of strategic projects was presented, along with a review of results and an introduction of plans, one year after the launch of the umbrella business strategy dubbed “Accelerate 2025”. The Nelt Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Miloš Jelić, reiterated that, in 30 years of its development, Nelt grew from a small family business to an international organisational system with more than 5,000 people in Europe and Africa. “Last year, the Nelt Group recorded the highest revenue growth rate in the past six years, thus confirming the successful implementation of the Accelerate 2025 strategy,” Jelić said. Chief Financial Officer Marko Cilić presented key financial data for distribution, logistics, brands and holding, and Bojana Mucić projects and plans of the HR Sector. The Group’s Vice-President for African Markets, Boris Mačak, talked about results in this business segment and a focus this year. “We will focus on strengthening the perception of the Oko brand, launched last year, and on expanding to new markets, launching new low-tier brands, and entering new competitive categories,” Mačak said. Darko Lukić, the Nelt Group’s Executive Vice-President, presented goals for 2023 and the importance of balance between short-term results and setting solid foundations for sustainable success in the long run. The teams who won the Top Accelerator Award for last year’s projects with the strongest contribution to the company’s accelerated growth were presented at the event. The end of the event was marked by a surprise guest, renowned athlete Ivana Vuleta, who talked with Corporate Communications Manager Marko Milanković about career challenges, motivation, and transformation in professional sports.

Ambassador Hill visited the Rosa water bottling plant in Vlasina

The ambassador of the United States of America, Christopher Hill, visited the “Vlasinka” Rosa water bottling plant. During the visit, Ambassador Hill expressed satisfaction with the positive contribution of the Coca-Cola system to the economy of Serbia and the overall development of the local community. Rosa water, which over the years has become a synonym for the highest quality, apart from Serbia, is present in the countries of the region, and its annual contribution to exports is over two million euros.

New Tuborg Ice beer launched

Tuborg brand launched a new Tuborg Ice beer, specially filtered at -1°C, so Nucci had to warm up the atmosphere at the party! Reinforcement in the Tuborg family made a great entrance last night – filtered at -1°C, Tuborg Ice refreshed the evening for all lovers of a good time. In addition to the new Tuborg Ice, one of the biggest stars of the modern trap scene in the region – Nucci, took care of the great atmosphere at the party! Along with the new lager beer, the most popular hits and the freshest sounds on our music scene were played, which fit perfectly with the crisp and fine aroma of Tuborg Ice with 4.2% alcohol.

4 APRIL 2023

Moxy Belgrade, the newest member of the Moxy Family, makes its debut in the Balkans

The first Moxy Belgrade hotel was opened in the heart of the city, offering a unique combination of comfort and a playful spirit. Moxy Belgrade, a member of Marriott International’s fastest-growing brand in the Balkans, has arrived in the city center on Njegoseva Street. The unique design and attractive concept of around 140 Moxy hotels worldwide disrupt the traditional hotel and tourist experience, and rightly so. Moxy Belgrade brought together the hip style and the incomparable Belgrade spirit for the one-of-a-kind atmosphere on disposal not only for its guests but for everyone stopping by for a cup of coffee, a quick meeting, or downtime with friends over a delicious meal and a couple of cocktails. Expect the unexpected because Moxy Belgrade incorporated architectural and art trends of the entire century of Belgrade architecture in its eclectic design.

Banca Intesa is

best bank in Serbia in 2023

At the 30th anniversary of the Annual Best Bank Awards, the renowned financial magazine Global Finance awarded Banca Intesa, a member of Intesa Sanpaolo Group, the “Best Bank in Serbia.” A professional jury consisting of international economic experts and magazine editors selected the most successful banks in 150 countries, based on an analysis of numerous performance criteria, from asset growth and product innovation to strategic partnerships and business development. In addition to objective criteria, the jury also considered the assessments from consultants, analysts, and representatives of the banking and corporate sectors. In addition to the Best Bank in Serbia award, the international banking group Intesa Sanpaolo, Banca Intesa’s parent company, also won Best Bank 2023 awards in Italy and Slovakia.

Air Serbia introduced a direct flight to Lisbon

On April 15, Air Serbia established a direct flight between Belgrade and Lisbon, which, according to Portuguese Ambassador Virginia Pina, reflects the excellent relations between the two countries. The Air Serbia flight between Belgrade and Lisbon started on April 15, with departures twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and it will be a great opportunity for people from Serbia to get to know Portugal, but also for Portuguese people to get to know this wonderful country - Serbia - said the ambassador. The introduction of a new direct Air Serbia route is also very positive for the expansion of the business community, said Pina and emphasized that this airline reflects the excellent political connections and connections between our two countries. Air Serbia’s General Manager Commercial and Strategy Boško Rupić said that the new route is a great opportunity for our tourists to reach Portugal and visit Lisbon in the fastest way. According to him, the first flight was 100 percent full from Serbia.

the

Food Innovation For Good

Top-quality baking and patisserie products arrived in Serbia a quarter of a century ago with the entry of the Belgian company Puratos to this market.

When we speak about food, there’s always the issue of health and sustainability. Let’s see what Aleksandra Radičević, Puratos Serbia’s General Manager, says about the company’s sustainable projects and innovations.

Your company has recently presented its new visual identity, which includes a new logo, corporate colours, and the slogan “Food Innovation For Good.” What does Puratos’ new identity represent?

The Puratos logo is an expression of what we stand for and the value we bring to our customers. Our symbol is a unicorn, which represents ethical behaviour and courage. The unicorn has captured human imagination across the planet for more than 2,000 years

the nutritional values of the products and solutions we offer.

As a company that operates responsibly, we have two main goals: we always choose raw materials, packaging, equipment, and eco-friendly services, contribute to the community, and provide quality over time, and we always choose suppliers that share our vision of sustainable development.

Cacao-Trace is a unique programme that enables cocoa farmers to raise their productivity levels through education. By helping farmers increase the value of their cocoa, we provide quality chocolate for generations to come.

In the future, we plan to expand this programme - currently active in Vietnam and Ivory Coast - to other countries in Southeast Asia, West Africa, and South America.

Chocolate producers and consumers can be sure that Cacao-Trace represents quality

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING ARE THE BASIS OF EVERYTHING WE DO

as a symbol of purity, protection, and ethics and remains a ubiquitous icon today. Through a wordplay, “Food Innovation For Good” sums up everything we believe in - we are moving our planet forward by creating innovative solutions for Health and Well-Being for people around the world.

The topic of sustainability is very appealing nowadays. What makes chocolate production sustainable?

Our commitment to new generations is reflected in our socially responsible activities and constant work on optimizing

cocoa beans from sustainable and traceable cultivation. Constant development is closely monitored and evaluated by an independent audit.

The secret of the superior taste and aroma of Cacao-Trace chocolate comes from fermentation. As with wine production, fermentation is a key step in developing the potential flavour and aroma of each cocoa bean. Mastering this process ensures that only the highest quality cocoa beans become delicious Cacao-Trace chocolate.

When you buy products with the Cacao-Trace label, you are

We are moving our planet forward by creating innovative solutions for Health and Well-Being for people around the world

ALEKSANDRA RADIČEVIĆ General Manager of Puratos Serbia

directly helping to reduce poverty in workers on cocoa farms. For each kilogramme of chocolate purchased, Cacao-Trace pays the Chocolate Bonus of EUR 0.10 directly to the farmers.

A simple and transparent payment is made through the Next Generation Cacao Foundation. In this way, a relationship is built between farmers, producers, distributors, and chocolate lovers around the world, a relationship in which each party wins.

Belcolade is our top-quality chocolate brand with a long tradition, which, in addition to the Cacao-Trace programmes, is quite innovative - plant-based solutions, single-origin, and sugar reduction coupled with the superior taste of real Belgian chocolate.

Puratos is known for its tradition and quality. How do you stay on top of your game and continue to innovate in small markets like Serbia?

The Puratos Company was founded in 1919. For over 100 years, we have been implementing innovative solutions in baking, patisserie, and chocolate. We operate in over 100 countries around the world and have 9,300 employees. Puratos has been present in the Serbian market since early 90s, and we have constantly been investing in improving the quality of baked goods and patisserie products. Taste Tomorrow is a unique global consumer habits survey conducted every two years. To better understand the expectations, behaviour, and attitudes of consumers towards baked goods and patisserie products, as many as 11,000 respondents in 44 countries participated in this research.

We use the gathered data as further guidelines in developing new products and concepts that we share with our customers. Healthy eating is the basis of everything we do. We want to play a proactive role in offering more nutritionally rich products on the market. Through the partnership, we help our customers to be successful in their businesses.

The construction of a new factory, spanning over 4,000

square metres, in Kragujevac, is underway, and once finished, we are going to have twice bigger production capacities. Quality is the standard by which we measure all our actions, and that is why we advocate the highest standards and continuously improve our operations and the quality of our products and services.

In order to provide your customers with information about how consumers evaluate their products, you offer them a unique service - sensory analysis. Could you tell us more about Puratos Sensobus?

Puratos Sensobus is a unique concept that helps us discover what consumers really want. It is a fully equipped sensory analysis laboratory on wheels. It can go to any location to identify consumer preferenc-

lines that help our customers and us in the development of new products.

How would you rate the current situation in Serbia’s bakery and patisserie market, and how do you see its further development?

In the early 2000s, our market, which had been quite traditional up to that point, opened up to strong Western influences. It has become fast growing in terms of our offer, new categories, and innovation. The era of globalization has begun.

This great transformation was initiated by the entry of the first global supermarket chain, Delhaize, into the Serbian market in 2000. Another major growth accelerator that strongly impacted the baked goods category took place in 2018 with the entry of Lidl, another global

In the last few years, there has been a noticeable market consolidation, especially in the baked goods industry. There is a decline in the number of traditional bakeries, and on the other hand, bakery chains have continued to grow.

Also, the patisserie market is not highly industrialized – we have a strong confectionary industry, but we do not have a classic industrial patisserie manufacturer. There are large productions, partly automated and partly based on manual work, which are focused on exporting to the EU but also on local marketing through supermarket chains. Artisan producers, who focus on craftsmanship and handmade products, played a major role in promoting the growth of the patisserie market. Of course, we should not forget the role of hoteliers and restaurateurs when it comes to constant innovation in product range and quality.

es on the spot. The lab can receive up to 300 consumers per day who are there to give their opinions. This data is analyzed by our researchers, and the results are used as suggestions to manufacturers and supermarkets regarding which products and solutions best meet consumer requirements.

Sensobus allows us to test price ranges, product communication, packaging appearance, criteria that affect product selection, etc. In just a few days, we can collect a representative sample right where consumers make their daily purchases in front of the supermarket.

Last summer, we had the opportunity to host Sensobus at the at the outer premises of Mega Maxi Ada, where we researched several local projects.

When boarding the Sensobus, consumers are seated in one of eight seats where they are presented with different samples and answer various questions about their habits and preferences when it comes to baked goods and patisserie products. In this way, we get clear guide-

supermarket chain, to the Serbian market. These changes brought an increase in quality levels, including the quality of baked goods. It is the consumer who actually benefits from this thanks to better quality, greater selection, and faster service.

Traditionally, we are a white bread market, but data show that in the past 10 years, bread consumption per capita has decreased from over 100kg to 67kg, and the offer is increasingly moving in the direction of quality and variety. Consumers want short and clear product information. They want the list of ingredients to contain as many natural and familiar ingredients as possible. The main trends in baking are clean labels, superfoods (chia, quinoa, goji, acai berries), seeds, sprouted grains, nutritionally valuable ingredients, wholemeal flour, and other types of non-white flour, but above all, sourdough. Sourdough has been a dominant global trend for years, not only in baking but also in the confectionary (crackers, pretzels, etc.). Our market recognizes and follows global trends.

Big cities and urban areas dictate trends and have been moving in the direction of premiumization and specialization. Artisan bakers and patisserie producers must follow trends, constantly innovate, invest in the premium segment, or specialize in certain types of products (e.g., only doughnuts, only rolls, only dumplings, etc.) where the focus is placed on one type of product but a wide range is generated through different tastes and variations on the same theme. Traditionally, our market is strongly influenced by Italian patisserie.

The coronavirus pandemic and the unstable global political/ economic situation have been the triggers of big changes. In this new reality, consumer habits and expectations have changed dramatically - health care (not only physical but also mental), personalized and healthier choices, sustainability, and the future of our planet are increasingly becoming relevant when making decisions about what to purchase. As manufacturers, we must be aware of this change and constantly listen to the demands of our customers and consumers. The future belongs to agility, innovation, and quality.

CACAO-TRACE IS A UNIQUE PROGRAMME THAT ENABLES COCOA FARMERS TO RAISE THEIR PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS THROUGH EDUCATION

The New Work of Work: Management Challenges

Adaptive leadership and learning and development are key

DR. NICOS ROSSIDES Executive and management consultant

Solving complex organizational issues such as brand positioning, market entry strategies, performance management, digital transformation, and building workforce engagement is of crucial importance to many businesses today. Dr. Nicos Rossides, an expert in management, leadership, and innovation in the industry spoke to Diplomacy&Commerce magazine about his views on these topics and the future of doing business.

Can you tell us about the history and mission of MASMI Research Group, and how the company has evolved over time?

MASMI Research Group is a full-service market research agency, with a head office in London, and offices across Central/Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Our Belgrade office was established in 2001 and has an impressive track record of hundreds of studies across various industries, for both multinational and local clients.

We also have an affiliated company, DMR (which I co-founded and also has staff in Serbia) that specializes in generating AI-driven marketing insights from big data, complementing and enhancing traditional market research.

What are some of your most challenging projects, and how do you overcome the obstacles you face?

One could say that all projects are challenging since our research findings are used to drive evidence-based decision-making on topics such as

THE

CULTURAL CONTEXT AND SPECIFICITIES OF LOCAL MARKETS NEED TO ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED

concept and product testing, brand positioning, advertising testing, customer experience management, and so on.

What are some common mistakes that you see companies make when it comes to strategic planning and execution, and how do you help your clients avoid these pitfalls?

One common pitfall is to assume that what works in a given market (say the UK or the US) can be applied in other contexts without any research. The cultural context and specificities of local markets need to always be considered – hence the need to test concepts and products as well as brand positioning and advertising execution in local markets.

In addition to market research and marketing insights, you are also active in management consulting. What advice would you give someone just starting out in management consulting, and what skills do you think are essential for success in this field?

Yes, I have a management consulting business that is aimed at helping solve complex organizational issues such as brand positioning, market entry strategies, performance

management, digital transformation, and building workforce engagement.

My advice to aspiring management consultants is to first gain some real business experience before joining a consulting firm - in fields like busi-

business is changing and, as a result, how companies need to adapt through continuous innovation. We help clients understand the forces shaping worldwide markets (including digitalization and big data) so that they can develop and adapt their strategies accordingly.

coping with remote or hybrid work, as well as the shifting landscape of relevant skills and organizational capabilities.

Several mega-trends, technological disruption being the most pivotal, are reshaping the world of work and require a change of mindset as regards how we conceptualize the new “psychological contract” between organizations and their employees as well as the increasingly important category of independent workers (“gig work”). In short, the core challenge is how to engage our workforce in ways that rebalance our priorities so as to resonate with changing employee and customer aspirations, while reinforcing competitiveness through leveraging the power of digital transformation and AI. The ability to innovate has become an absolute must in this context.

Organizations need to adapt and innovate to remain competitive and this requires adaptive leadership - one that is capable of adjusting and pivoting in the face of constant change while attempting to balance two key goals: the operational challenge of flexible modes of work (remote, hybrid, office) combined with increasing digitalization and engaging the workforce in ways that meet customers’ and employees’ changing demands and aspirations.

ness analytics, finance, and marketing which can act as a solid springboard for broader competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management.

Also, young aspiring consultants need to have an appetite for continuously learning new skills and competencies. The skills that are relevant today are likely to be largely obsolete in 5 years’ time so learning and development are key to staying relevant.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing businesses today, and how do you help your clients address these challenges?

No doubt, technological disruption is a key factor behind how

You recently gave a series of lectures on: The New World Of Work: Implications On Workforce Engagement.

Yes, during my lectures in Novi Sad, Belgrade, and Kragujevac I covered the changing “world of work” and how managers can respond to the new challenges that arise. Here is a brief synopsis.

The 21st century has brought about a blurring of our ‘worlds’: the biological, physical, and digital. This is profoundly affecting life as well as the very meaning and conduct of work while creating new challenges for how organizations deal with a range of tasks that are critical to managing effectively: finding and retaining talent, dealing with uncertainty,

These lectures drew on your recent book “Engaging The Workforce: The Grand Management Challenge of the 21st Century”. Are you satisfied with the reception and how do you see the state of management learning in Serbia?

During the three lectures I delivered, I was impressed by the insightful comments made by faculty and students and the active discussion that ensued on both the subject of workforce engagement and relevant managerial strategies. There was huge interest in the topic. A lively discussion is always a sign that the subject is relevant and engaging. There were even suggestions for translating my book into Serbian which I’ll actively pursue with my publishers.

THE SKILLS THAT ARE RELEVANT TODAY ARE LIKELY TO BE LARGELY OBSOLETE IN 5 YEARS’ TIME

ABOUT SERIAL

This serial is based on the intriguing book “Diplomacy at the Table” by Croatian diplomat Hidajet Biščević, who reviewed and edited the original manuscript and selected the most interesting records, especially for our magazine.

From this issue, you will read many interesting stories

from real diplomacy that was practiced at the tables covered by interesting food and surrounded by even more interesting world politicians and diplomats.

His Excellency, Mr. Biščević, is posted as the ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Serbia. He lives with his family in Belgrade.

The politic of knives, forks, and plates

This is a story about politics and food told through descriptions of diplomatic meals, official dinners, cocktails, and other gastronomic forms of diplomatic socializing and political decision-making. Through notes and anecdotal records, the author describes numerous situations in which he found himself at diplomatic tables, with a knife and fork, looking at often unfamiliar dishes, in the middle of discussions about political crises, and often even in the middle of deciding the fate of states and peoples.

Apart from these fascinating stories and testimonies, the author warns us about a lesser-known story about the deep relationship between food and the political history of the world. When he asserts that “food is at the same time a need, history, and identity

of man and people”, the author will show through historical examples how many revolutions were started due to lack of food, how many new territories and countries were discovered in search of food, how colonial era started over the tea and sugar and how much food has actually influenced the beginnings of revolutions and wars, ideologies, mass suffering... all in confirmation that food has an irreplaceable and powerful role in the history of politics and diplomacy. “Give me a good cook, you will get a good agreement”, CharlesMaurice de Talleyrand, probably the most famous French diplomat, exclaimed long ago. “Whoever controls the oil, controls the states, but who controls the food, controls the nations”, H. Kissinger will continue a couple of centuries later.

FIRST CHAPTER

As an appetizer, a short brief on history, politics and food

Food is the necessity, the history, and the identity of man and nations

Through the story of food, it is possible – unexpectedly to follow the creation and changes in human culture, in political and social life, in the very nature of the human race. Food is a biological imprint of human history, telling stories about wars and revolutions, shaping ideologies, or conquering new parts of the world.

At the same time, the story of food tells us a lot of political decision-making, and hence the incentive to explore the strong role and indispensable place of food in the history of politics and diplomacy through descriptions of diplomatic meals.

There is an incredible abundance of symbols and phenomena that connect the history of the human race, politics, and society with food.

Just think about Adam, Eve, and the Apple. Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”, with that mysterious detail of the knife. Tables full of food for the Roman king Nero’s feasts. Abundant feasts of the Knights of the Round Table. The legendary court feasts and generous banquets of Henry VIII and his efforts to amaze the guests with magnificent feasts, sometimes so much “that the coffers used to remain empty”. So-called “Kitchen Cabinet” of the American President A. Jackson or, later, Golda Meir. Sumptuous

lunches and dinners for Ottoman Sultan Abdul Aziz, so huge that he had a mirror placed in front of his bedroom door to make him slimmer, in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, which also has a culinary note in its very name (dolma, Turkish: stuffed – slogan dolma, tomatoes dolma). Equally rich meals in the opulence of the Kremlin’s State Hall, where Russian emperors used to host up to three thousand guests. Napoleon’s unfortunate fate with General Kutuzov and the cunning indentation of French troops into increasingly cold Russian winter, leading hungry and frozen French soldiers to the defeat at the Battle of Borodino, for which the Russian side had prepared by way of every soldier having in his bag a half-kilo lump of black sourdough bread that was edible even after a month and which even today it is sold in every Russian bakery as the Borodino bread.

Think further: notorious abuse of food in the Borghese family. The indispensable role of food in the history of warfare, conquest, trade, and economy in general, as the book “Edible History of Mankind” amazingly describes. The Shanghai Declaration, announcing the end of the Vietnam War, was watered down with maitai, to the horror of Nixon and Kissinger who never tasted such a drink, and with a mocking expression on Chou En Lai’s

face. Churchill’s inevitable cognac even in wartime conditions, including that occasion in Yalta when Stalin suggested that they “have something to eat first because the drink will fall on our cold stomachs”. Martini cocktails, the first original American contribution to gastro diplomacy. Dinners for celebrities in “Benjamin Franklin’s State Dining Room” in the White House. Hunger strikes of Gandhi or Mandela. Religious fastings. The history of great famines, from those, caused Lenin’s proclamation of the “war communism” to the Ukrainian pogrom or recent food shortages in North Korea. The US embargo on the supply of food to Cuba after the events in the Bay of Pigs. Food aids for Haiti and other forms of humanitarian actions that connected food and culture, along with rock and roll. China’s 150 billion dollars invested in food production in Africa. The political phrase “a food for thought”. The original meaning of the term companionship (eng. comradeship, the original meaning: sharing bread). Marie Antoinette’s famous comment about “the cakes” as bakeries were closed and there was no bread on the eve of the French Revolution. The statements announcing readiness “to eat grass if necessary”, by many of the communist leaders in the twilight of communism. The air bridge used by the Allies to deliver food and coal to the western part of Berlin, in the post-WW2 Soviet zone. “Bush’s drumsticks” that saved Yeltsin at the time of great threat of famine in Russia in 1992. The ancient Greek word for the peak of pleasure: “hepar” (liver). Khrushchev’s ill-fated call to “dognat i peregnat”, i.e. “catch up and overtake” America in wheat production. Ongoing wars among companies for artificial seeds. The renewing spirit of green natural products in the urban gardens of contemporary megacities...

The history of the world is connected with food, even more deeply than these symbolic political events and phenomena tell us. Food is a person’s first contact with the world - a child feels mother’s milk even before it can see it. Food has

influenced the formation of human communities and the formation of ideologies. Food, with its fundamental contradiction – namely, the simultaneity of enjoyment and destruction, as to eat in reality means that one is enjoying as the food is disappearing - almost eschatological mirrors the dialectic of human action, especially throughout the political history of mankind, cynically full of countless examples of incredible easiness, sometimes even morbid enjoyment in acts of destruction.

tivation and production, it was food that shaped the emergence of human society, community relations, the development of male and female identities, the development of trade and travel infrastructure, division of labor in communities, development of social classes, formation of different cultures...

ka would write that “if you have something to feed the people, you have temporarily solved all problems” - Louis XIV obviously did not care about the banality of such temporary solutions, so in the groundbreaking year 1789, with the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”, the changes became permanent, more far-reaching than just constitutional and political changes in France, but leaving probably the strongest and most lasting traces in the political destiny of the world.

There is almost no historical event that in its roots is not related to food. Food shortages have caused more rebellions, upheavals, and revolutions than any ideological or political motive or cause. When almost

By the way, these changes also affected cooking and gastronomy - rejected runaway chefs of wasted aristocrats began to find their way by opening small kitchenette restaurants,

Food is primordially connected with the fate of the world.

In addition, almost all decisions that shaped the fate of religions, politics, and the world itself were made at the dinner table. Since humanity stepped out of the two hundred and fifty thousand years of the dark stages of homo sapiens and entered the period of known and written history, and since, after the period of hunting and gathering, gradually transitioned to cul-

two-thirds of a worker’s daily wage in Paris had to be spent for a kilo of bread, due to a twoyear drought and rising wheat prices, it did not take long for the court and aristocracy’s lack of concern for the people to cook up the general anger of the Parisian proletariat, so the attack on the Bastille has been related to food, including the formation of a new political system and later on even forming a new system of relations between the European powers. Later, Franz Kaf-

where bakers, as civil servants at that point, not under police surveillance anymore, as before the Revolution, would bring baguettes and cheap boulanger soup was served, nutritious and hearty, which in the English translation (eng. restorative) will eventually lead to the term restaurant.

In another example, it is usually overlooked that the historic break of the American colonies with Great Britain, the very

FOOD REMAINS THE MOST PRECISE BIOLOGICAL IMPRINT OF HUMAN HISTORY

independence of the United States of America is also connected with food, namely with tea – the rebellion in the port of Boston, the Boston Tea Party, was, like in the case of French Revolution, also caused by an increase of taxes: no wonder that a number of French military leaders, including General Lafayette, participated in the American Revolution, they already knew what role the food can play in history.

Food shortages and agricultural backwardness influenced rebellions and demands for change in imperial Russia more than political ideologies or the later “post-October” disruption of revolutionary ferment by Lenin’s Bolsheviks. Deep in the war with the German and Austro-Hungarian empires - a war that, in another significant metaphor, regardless of serious formal causes such as imperialism, Bosnia, the assassination of Prince Ferdinand and Tzar Nicholas I’s siding with Serbia - started after the famous “pig affairs”, whilst later imperial Russia could not cope with the increased food needs of its army, because compared to the European powers of the time, Russian agriculture was far behind, and transport routes to the front lines were very long, rare and unreliable. In sum, it mounted to the final demise of a tired empire which, after two attempts at peaceful changes, will be finished off by Lenin, sent in an armored wagon right from Germany. In the continuation of the role of food in those turning times, Lenin’s cruel “Decree on War Communism” will bring about the dramatic and tragic abduction of harvested crops, followed by the disappearance of the entire classes and mass starvations, which will take away more than five million people throughout Russia, especially throughout horrible Ukraine’s “Holodomor” years.

Mass famines have already had an indelible effect on the political and social history of the world. Few things have marked Ireland’s history and national identity as profoundly as the Great Famine in the mid-19th century, when an unknown disease destroyed potato production, on which a third of the

population depended - in addition, the British administration prohibited Catholics to own land: in total, over a million died and another two million fled to America, despite the British naval blockade established to prevent international humanitarian aid. Ireland was left without a quarter of its population, and the traces of these tragedies and divisions are still an essential part of the nation’s identity.

Even just a simple listing of those mass famines causes nausea, but also warns of the roots of many later events, from the mass famine in Vietnam under Japanese occupa-

communist ideology, the “Great Leap Forward”, the Chinese party followed the model of Leninist war communism and turned to rapid industrialization, abolishing private ownership of land, or prescribing new “scientific-party” methods of sowing rice and other obscure measures that, in the end, claimed over forty million lives.

The fateful and sometimes improbable connection of food with the development of social conditions and political systems has rarely been so evident as in the era of colonialism. The very “ideology” of colonialism, its core and pur -

most unbelievable global consequences and reciprocities.

tion, which undeniably left its mark on national identity and strengthened combat resistance in later decades, when fighters in the anti-French and anti-American wars were also farmers at the same time.

In another Asian example, terrible floods and terrible politics in the mid-nineties starved and led to the death of nearly three million people in North Korea, and in subsequent negotiations and efforts to contain the ambitious isolated communist regime, food was often the “carrot” in negotiations in which humanitarian aid was offered in exchange for giving up the nuclear program.

In another Asian example and confirmation of the horrors of

pose, was the seizure of raw materials and the robbery of natural resources, in addition to food. European economies of the colonial period developed their capacities, from transport and maritime to military and social structures. Demand and food customs determined colonial production, whilst new cultural patterns and food habits often led to al-

Nothing confirms such a development more clearly than the fate of the world economy and social relations caused by the sudden and incredibly awakened passion of the ruling classes, and later of the working class and all strata of British society for - drinking tea! After the discovery of tea in India and other colonies, in a complex equation that would connect unlikely trading partners, the new British social habit led to the strengthening of trade with China, the largest producer of tea at the time, which has been paid for by large exports of precious sandalwood, which the British supplied mostly from Haiti, which further encouraged shipbuilding and related industries and crafts, and when Haiti was devastated, the new means of payment became opium, in the operations that would later grow into the global drug trade. As the demand for sugar increased with the mass consumption of tea, the establishment of large sugarcane farms began in America, which in turn required new labor, so tea and sugar led to the importation of African labor, thus to slavery, whereby the process of boarding ships and enduring transportation was facilitated by alcohol, as a distillate in the production of sugar, which was transported to the coast of West Africa by ships which, on the way back, transported drunken slaves in chains to the New World, where they would later, with a change in food habits and introduction of new products, serve in the cotton industry. Tea, wood, opium, sugar, cotton, slaves... an astonishing, certainly warning circle of connection of food with human history, with the development of economies, with social relations, and of course, with politics.

ALMOST ALL DECISIONS THAT SHAPED THE FATE OF RELIGIONS, POLITICS, AND THE WORLD ITSELF WERE MADE AT THE DINNER TABLE

Celebration of Diplomacy&Commerce Magazine’s 7th Anniversary

As a special segment, twenty awards were awarded for special contributions to the development of Serbia

Belgrade 3rd April 2023In the beautiful setting of the National Museum in Belgrade, Diplomacy&Commerce magazine celebrated its 7th anniversary in the presence of numerous guests and friends. As a special segment of the celebration, Diplomacy&Commerce gave out 20 awards to individuals, companies, and institutions that made an outstanding contribution to the

economic, social, and humanitarian development of Serbia.

The president of Color Press Group, which is the publisher of Diplomacy&Commerce magazine, Robert Čoban, said on occasion “Historians say that in the place where we are now standing, there used to be the famous ‘Dardanelli’ tavern, where Belgrade artists, actors and poets came at the end of

the 19th century. The tavern was named after the famous strait between Europe and Asia, the place of meeting and dialogue between the East and the West. Then, at the beginning of the 20th century, the “Dardanelli” tavern was demolished to make way for the building of the Fund Administration, which was later moved into by the Mortgage Bank. Since 1952, the National Museum has been

located in this building. Today, exactly 120 years since this building is on the site of the former “Dardanelli” tavern, artists, bankers, diplomats, and those who marked the same place are here again. Diplomacy&Commerce magazine’s mission is to be a place of dialogue about different views, like the Dardanelles, a meeting place of East and West, about politics, economics, banking, diplomacy,

Robert Čoban, Color Press Group

Tomislav Žigmanov, Minister of the Government of Serbia Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality

D&C Awards winners

Vadim Smirnov, NIS Zoran Petrović, Raiffeisen Bank Sanja Ćeremidžić, Jahorina Olympic Centre Vladan Komatović, Green Energy 360 Company

Ivan Bulajić, Srbija Voz

Danijela Vasić, GTC Serbia Jasna Dobrisavljević, Development Fund Milan Bogojević, Indjija Tourist Board

Dragana Vasiljević, Zvonko Bogdan Winery Jelena Zrnzević, Mozzart Company Đorđe Višacki, Olympic Committee Serbia Arsen Rudan, Air Serbia

William Hopkinson, British Embassy Ana Divac, Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation

Gorislav Papić, RTS

Blagoje Antić, DHG Holding AG

Princess Jelisaveta Karađorđević

Zdravko Marić, Youth Sports Games Organization

Dragan Lupšić, Heineken Serbia Dejan Lakovski, AstraZeneca

and art.” „We believe that dialogue in our region is also important, which is why some of tonight’s laureates come from neighbouring countries. We are also pleased to announce the imminent release of Diplomacy&Commerce Montenegro, the magazine’s Montenegrin edition. Thank you to everyone who has been participating in the creation of this magazine for the past 7 years, thanks to Ruža Veljović, who, with her team, laid the foundations of what is today the Diplomacy & Commerce brand; thanks to Dragan Nikolić and the team that edits the magazine today; Jelena Jahura and everyone who contributed to making this evening like this. Of course, special thanks to all

patrons, jury members, participants in this year’s selection for the D&C Awards, as well as laureates from previous years who will present the awards to this year’s winners tonight! We believe that freedom, human rights, and social dialogue are among the greatest values that should be fought for, so we invited the relevant minister from this area to address you. Enjoy this wonderful evening and see you at one of the next events in our organization!“

Robert Čoban added.

Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue

Tomislav Žigmanov pointed out the following: “I think that we, in Serbia, should be proud of this magazine, which has a

very serious, quality approach to all topics from politics, economic life, and, of course, diplomacy, and because of which we have a complete picture of the diplomacy’s activities and their culture, as a window into the countries with which Serbia has friendly relations”.

Award winners were decided by an eminent Jury consisting of Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia; Boško Vučurević, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina; Brankica Janković, Commissioner for Equality; Tijana Palkovljević, Director of the Matica Srpska Gallery; Nenad Milić, Executive Director of IAB Serbia; Biljana Stepanović from Nova Ekonomi-

ja magazine; Nada Filipović, Association of Brewers of Serbia and Danijela Popović-Jurić from Red Communications.

As of this year, the laureates from previous years presented awards to this year’s winners.

THE FOLLOWING AWARDS WERE GIVEN AWAY:

The award for the best socially responsible campaign was given to the NIS Company for their programme “Together for Community – Birth of New Hope”. Vadim Smirnov, Deputy CEO of NIS, received the award, which was presented to the winner by Robert Jenovai, CEO of Nelt Serbia.

The award for support to cultural institutions and artists was awarded to Raiffeisen Bank for sponsoring the Ervin Wurm exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. At the ceremony, Biljana Jotić, Director of the Museum of Applied Arts, presented the award to Zoran Petrović, Chairman of Raiffeisen Bank’s Executive Board.

The award for humanitarian activities was awarded to the Jahorina Olympic Centre for their project “A thousand skis for our children”. The award was presented by Svetlana Glumac, a D&C laureate from 2017, while Sanja Ćeremidžić received the award on behalf of the Jahorina Olympic Centre.

The award for green economy and sustainable development projects was awarded to the

From left: H.E. Carlos Felix, Embassy of Mexico, H.E. Yahel Vilan, Embassy of Israel, H.E. Demetrios Theophylactou, Embassy of Cyprus, Robert Čoban, H.E. Emanuele Giaufret, EU Delegation and H.E. Takahiko Katsumata, Embassy of Japan

Vladimir Marinković, Hotel Indigo, Teodora Ćosić, N2Growth, Duška Jovanić, Journalist, Marija Pasuljević, Female Leadership Summit with Robert Čoban, CPG Ilia Koberidze, Embassy of Georgia with Dragan Nikolić, D&C magazine and Robert Čoban, CPG

Green Energy 360 Company for building the largest rooftop solar power plant in the Balkans. The company’s Director, Vladan Komatović received it while Tamara Veselinović, the laureate of the 2022 D&C Award from MK Group, presented the award.

The award for business progress was awarded to the Srbija Voz Company for the successful launch of the Belgrade-Novi Sad fast railroad line in 2022 and the renewed trust in Serbian railroads. Srbija Voz’s Director, Ivan Bulajić, received the award on the company’s behalf, and the award was presented by Miloš Dukić from Telekom Serbia.

The award for digital transformation was given to Ada Mall for their Loyalty app and receipt self-scanning project. On behalf of GTC Serbia, Danijela Vasić received the award, which Milica Begenišić presented from Yettel, laureate of the 2017 D&C Awards.

The award for improving business conditions and economic environment was presented to Tatjana Matić from the Republic of Serbia’s Development Fund. The award was handed over by Tijana Koprivica from Delta Holding, the laureate of the 2019 D&C Awards.

The award for boosting bilateral cooperation was awarded to the Indjija Tourist Board for their project “Serbian Cappadocia”. The award was received by Milan Bogojević, director of the Indjija Tourist Board, while the award was presented by Katarina Pribićević and Rado-

jka Bošković in from McCann Belgrade. His Excellency Hamy Aksoy, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkiye to Serbia, who contributed to the implementation of the award-winning project and the successful cooperation between Cappadocia and Indjija, was also present at the awards ceremony.

The award for contribution to the development of local self-government and community was awarded to Zvonko Bogdan Winery for supporting local community development projects in Subotica. Dragana Vasiljević accepted the award on behalf of the winery, while Nenad Milić, Executive Director of IAB Serbia and this year’s jury member, presented the award.

The award for contribution to the development of civil society went to the Mozzart Company for their campaign “One Hundred Wells for the Community” implemented in Kenya. Jelena Zrnzević received the award on behalf of the company, while the award was presented to her by Biljana Bobić Subin from Heineken Serbia.

The award for the best media relations in the institutions category was given to the Olympic Committee of Serbia. The award was received by Đorđe Višacki, Secretary General of the Olympic Committee. The prize was presented by Milica Milanović from Nestle, the laureate of the 2022 D&C Awards.

The award for the best media relations in the business category was given to Air Serbia for their communication with passengers and the media during the air traffic crisis in the summer of 2022. The award was received by Arsen Rudan, Air Serbia’s Corporate Communications Director, while the award presenter was Aleksandra Kosanović, from Erste Bank, the laureate of the 2022 D&C Awards.

The award for the best media relations in the embassy category was given to the Embassy of Great Britain. William Hopkinson, head of the Embassy’s Political Department, received the award on the Embassy’s behalf. The award was presented to him by Brankica Janković,

Filip and Danica Karadjordjević with Robert Čoban

Slobodan Aćimović, Faculty of Economics, Djordje Višacki, OKS with spouse, and Robert Čoban, CPG

Commissioner for Equality and member of this year’s jury.

The award for the promotion of social activism was awarded to the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation. Ana Divac received the award on the Foundation’s behalf. The award was presented by Mirko Janketić, Director of the Children’s Village orphanage in Sremska Kamenica.

The award for the most professional media person went to Gorislav Papić, the presenter of the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation (RTS). The award was presented by Marija Matić from Direct Media United Solutions, the laureate of the 2017 D&C Awards.

Diplomacy&Commerce magazine’s special award for the most successful business person abroad originating from Serbia was awarded to Blagoje Antić from DHG Holding AG. The award was presented by Boško Vučurević, President of the Vojvodina Chamber of Commerce and member of this year’s jury.

Diplomacy&Commerce magazine’s special environmental protection award went to AstraZeneca. The award was received by Dejan Lakovski, Regional Director of AstraZeneca’s Balkan Cluster, and the award was presented by Nada Filipović from the Brewers Association of Serbia, who was also a jury member this year.

Diplomacy&Commerce magazine’s special award for the partnership for progress was awarded to Heineken Serbia for their campaign “When you order another round of drinks, take your foot off the gas“, which was launched in cooperation between Heineken and the Serbian Automobile Association. The award was received by Dragan Lupšić, Corporate Affairs Director at Heineken Serbia, while the award was presented by Milena Trajković from Generali Osiguranje.

Diplomacy&Commerce magazine’s special award for regional cooperation and understanding was awarded to the Youth Sports Games organization.

The award was received by Zdravko Marić, Regional President of the Youth Sports Games Organization, which was presented to him by Jelena Trninić from the Coca-Cola Company, also a D&C Awards laureate in 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Diplomacy&Commerce magazine’s special award for life’s work in philanthropy was awarded to Princess Jelisaveta Karadjordjević. The award was given by Robert Čoban, President of Color Press Group.

The event was supported by Telekom Serbia, Coca-Cola Company, AstraZeneca, Heineken, and Generali Osiguranje.

Diplomacy&Commerce Team

Media for Like-Minded People

Fewer and fewer people are interested in having a dialogue and confrontation of views

During these very difficult times for journalism and the truth in general, thanks to his balanced and professional approach, one man has earned the respect of all parties in the eternally divided Serbian playing field. Gorislav Papić, journalist of the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation

(RTS) and winner of the Diplomacy&Commerce award for the most professional media personality, talked to our magazine about his experiences and challenges he faces on today’s journalistic scene in Serbia.

How do you feel now, as one of the most recognized faces of RTS, about your earliest work for the Serbian public broadcaster? How much did that experience change you professionally?

I came to this television after working for NIN weekly for eight years. I was lucky enough to experience what it’s like to work in a weekly that was cre-

ated with the ambition to be the best such publication, from Athens to Vienna. I came to RTS with such great confidence, even though I only now realize how little I did I know about that medium. However, the RTS director at the time, Aleksandar Tijanić, as well as the editor of the News programme, Nenad Lj. Stefanović, and the then editor of Oko, Zoran Stanojević, also came to work for RTS from print media, so I had the best possible advisors when it came to adapting to the new medium. I was 30 years old when started working for the public broadcaster and I think it was an ideal moment for such a change.

At the recently held celebration of our magazine’s 7th anniversary, you won the award for the most professional media personality, and a few years ago, you became the laureate of the Aleksandar Tijanić Award. How much do these recognitions mean to you?

Borislav Mihajlović Mihiz once said that it is better to win awards and then despise them than to just despise them. I’m joking, of course, but I’m very proud of both of the awards

GORISLAV PAPIĆ

RTS journalist, editor of the Oko and Oko Magazin programmes, as well as the Oko website

THE MEDIA HAVE ALWAYS HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FORMATION OF A NARRATIVE

you mentioned. I am proud of being the recipient of the Aleksandar Tijanić Award because Tijanić was one of the best Serbian journalists of all time, but also a man whom I personally liked and who had a decisive influence on my professional path by inviting me to make a move from newspapers to television. Also, I am glad that a respected magazine like yours has recognized how important professionalism in the media is for our society, and I am especially glad that I am recognized as someone who can carry the recognition of the most professional media personality.

How much have the media circumstances changed in that same period? In which way is the present situation in the Serbian media space different?

Circumstances in the media are changing extremely quickly. We had a magazine called Duga, which had the slogan “a newspaper for like-minded people of all colours”. It was an interesting and witty provocation at the time, and today all media have actually become media for like-minded people. This is a trend that first emerged in more important and larger countries than Serbia, and like all bad trends, it was completely adopted in our country. So now it’s enough to know which media someone works for and you can immediately conclude which political option they belong to. The Serbian Broadcasting Corporation, and especially the editorial department of Oko, which I helm, strives to be an exception on the Serbian media scene in this regard. I hope that we are at least partially successful in this.

The trial for the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija is still going on, and we are witnessing incredible pressure being exerted on the media, as well as threats and attacks that are forcing journalists to flee abroad. And yet your parent company, RTS, is mum about all this. What is your take on that?

I don’t think that RTS is silent about everything you have mentioned. In the Oko programme, this year as well as almost all the previous ones, we

covered the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija. I hoped that the time when journalists were killed because of their work was long gone and never to return, but unfortunately, in these polarized circumstances, this is not the case when even media outlets are drawing figurative targets on each other’s foreheads. I would just like to remind you that a column was recently published in a liberal-oriented daily newspaper in which

You are known for fostering a culture of dialogue, and such journalists are few and far between today. In your programme, Oko, you often feature opposing views. How important is that today, when society is polarized and dialogue practically does not exist?

This, in my opinion, is absolutely valuable, especially at a time when there is an ongoing media trend for journalists to wear figu-

Do the media today have too much influence on the formation of narratives about significant socio-political topics?

The media have always had a role to play in the formation of a narrative. This is the case even now, but today the traditional media are somewhat on the defensive, particularly in relation to the unrestrained and often irresponsible position of social media. So I would say that, unfortunately, today social media have too much influence in the formation of narratives about significant socio-political topics.

A few years ago, you launched the Oko website, with the aim of, as you said, “filling the media gap with quality literary journalism.” Did you succeed in that?

the author writes that the 1999 bombing of the RTS building was legitimate because, as he says, RTS at that time produced a lot of media garbage.

rative colours of a certain political option. In the past, the shows were judged on what was being said in them, while most of the comments today are focused on

I HOPED THAT THE TIME WHEN JOURNALISTS WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF THEIR WORK WAS LONG GONE AND NEVER TO RETURN, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IN THESE POLARIZED CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS IS NOT THE CASE WHEN EVEN MEDIA OUTLETS ARE DRAWING FIGURATIVE TARGETS ON EACH OTHER’S FOREHEADS

Although as a journalist, I don’t think that RTS reporting was the most professional in 1999, but to say, in 2023, that someone should be bombed because you disagree with the editorial policy of that particular media outlet is completely unacceptable. And that unfortunately best reflects our media situation today.

who was a guest on the show and not what was said in it. So today, those people who favour civic political options are usually bothered when I invite someone from the nationally-oriented provenance to talk and vice versa provenance. There are fewer and fewer people who are interested in having a dialogue and confrontation of views.

I hope we did. I think that the Oko website features the best so-called long-read articles and that our standing contributors, such as Enes Halilović, Vesna Knežević, Vule Žurić, Dragan Bisenić or Muharem Bazdulj, bring a quality that is not found in other media. We, on the Oko website, try to play with “white chess figures” and to act actively instead of reactively. I am confident that we have succeeded in this. After all, some media outlets copying our concept is, I hope, proof that we did the right thing.

How much of a professional burden is the fact that you, as an editor of a programme on a public broadcasting station, have also become a TV celebrity? How different is this relative to your work in print media?

There isn’t much difference between these two types of journalism and the fact that my shows have a far greater reach today than articles back in the day is a privilege which also carries greater responsibility. The fact that I am more recognized in the public and sometimes get a better piece of meat at the butcher’s or better fruit at a farmer’s market is a lovely perk of my job. Although I love to stop and chat with those people, I try to discuss only professional matters when I am appearing publicly.

Partnership Between NIS and the Community For New Hopes to Be Born

Asuccessful partnership between businesses and the community is one of the foundations of joint progress. The partnership that the NIS Company has been building with local communities in Serbia is based on the implementation of projects related to public health and social protection, science and education, environmental protection, and culture and sports, which are of particular importance for the development and comprehensive progress of the entire society. With this goal, the NIS Company has invested more than 4.9 billion dinars in socially responsible projects and support for professional and youth sports since 2009.

In 2022, NIS was also committed to topics of essential importance for the future of the community. In line with the national priorities - improving reproductive health and increasing the birth rate - NIS carried out a nationwide campaign called “For New Hopes to be Born”, aimed at supporting healthcare institutions, couples, and parents with a unique goal – to facilitate birth rate by couples having as many babies, our new hopes, as possible, in the years to come.

During the campaign, NIS supported 40 healthcare facilities in more than 30 towns and municipalities across Serbia.

In the first segment of the campaign, implemented under the auspices of the Common Cause Community programme, NIS supported the implementation of 22 projects in 13 partner cities and municipalities, including healthcare facilities in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Čačak, Pančevo, Požarevac, Kikinda, Zrenjanin, Kanjiža, Srbobran, Žitište, Novi Bečej and Veliko Gradište, who all received stateof-the-art medical equipment. These included ultrasound and

CTG devices, equipment for embryological laboratories and surgical interventions, gynaecological tables and chairs for people with disabilities, as well as incubators for newborns. Also, local self-governments received support in launching public calls for co-financing the costs of couples undergoing in vitro fertilization. The total value of these projects amounted to almost 1 million euros.

One of the institutions supported by NIS is the Narodni Front Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic, where approximately 7.500 births are carried out annually and which received equipment worth over 11 million dinars from NIS. Professor Željko Miković, MD, Acting Director of Narodni Front, thanked NIS for understanding the needs of this important institution. “Thanks to a donation from the NIS, we now have a state-of-the-art inverted microscope with a micromanipulator which will be of great assistance to our Embryological Laboratory of the Department of Artificial Reproductive Techniques with the daycare hospital. The existing equipment has worn out, and with the new microscope and

micromanipulator, we will be able to increase the number of couples involved in the procedure, so we can achieve the goal of having 1,000 patients undergoing IVF. In this way, we are going to make even more couples happy and hopeful in their struggle to have children. We thank you for providing support, both to us in our work and to our couples, with the goal of increasing the birth rate in the Republic of Serbia”, Professor Miković said.

The second segment of the For New Hopes to be Born campaign generated support for eight maternity hospitals in south and east Serbia thanks to the philanthropic activities of the NIS Company and its employees, who gave their exceptional contribution and showed that a lot can really be achieved through joint effort and a lot of love. The collected funds will be spent on providing the latest equipment for healthcare facilities in Prokuplje, Pirot, Majdanpek, Leskovac, Surdulica, Kladovo, Knjaževac, and Negotin.

The third segment and the crowning achievement of the For New Hopes to be Born cam-

paign was implemented during the New Year’s holidays, with a joint campaign of the company and the NIS Volunteer Club. Then 225 gifts for 15 babies born first in 2023 were handed out in 15 selected maternity hospitals throughout Serbia. On this occasion, NIS brought joy to the parents of newborn boys and girls in Kruševac, Vranje, Zaječar, Leskovac, Bor, Ćuprija, Paraćin, Knjaževac, Sremska Mitrovica, Užice, Pirot, Loznica, Šabac, Vršac, and Valjevo.

For New Hopes to be Born, the campaign generated much public interest. Among other things, Diplomacy & Commerce magazine declared campaign “the best socially responsible campaign” in the country. “Supporting the community in which we live, and work is a principle that we have been sticking to for 14 years now, despite all the challenges. Investing in the future is our long-lasting determination and our privilege”, NIS says and adds that in the coming years, the company will continue to expand its partnership with the community as one of its priorities in order to improve the quality of life of people in Serbia.

Sustainable Development is Our Priority

We’re building a healthier future for people, communities, and the planet

For us as a company, sustainable development means that through the power of science, innovation, and our global presence, we are building a healthier future for people, society, and the planet. Sustainable development is an integral part of our “Bold Ambition for 2030” and our company’s strategic priorities.

Along with our daily efforts to make innovative medicines available to as many people around the world as possible, we strive to help the communities in which we operate in other ways through projects, collaborations, and employee volunteering.

The three fundamental principles around which AstraZeneca has built its sustainability strategy, which places health at the center of attention, are access to healthcare, environmental protection, as well as ethics, and transparency.

“The key program of Ambition Zero Carbon, which is being implemented globally, aims to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. We are on a successful path to reduce production-related greenhouse gas emissions by 98 percent by 2026, as well as to halve the value chain footprint by 2030 and reducing it by 90 percent by 2045 to achieve a science-based net zero.

The company’s vehicle fleet is part of this program, and the goal is to fully transition to electric vehicles (EV100) globally by 2025. We are among the leaders in the country in this domain,

on an urban beekeeping project in Belgrade as a way to keep up the good practice we do in this field. The project, which is being carried out in collaboration with the Nordic Business

#BEESUSTAINABLE TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE VALUE OF BEES FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY

and last year, two-thirds of the company’s fleet in Serbia were hybrid vehicles (twice as many compared to 2020). The first electric vehicle in our fleet arrived in 2021, and now every 10th vehicle is electric, with all future purchases planned exclusively as electric vehicles. This will help reduce pollution in urban areas with heavy traffic. We have started working

Young Health Programme

The Young Health programme is another project that is traditionally carried out in Serbia with the goal of promoting healthy habits among the youngest. Making wise and healthy decisions instead of unhealthy ones, like the use of tobacco, has been the emphasis of this effort for the past three years. The project’s emphasis in the coming period will be on a healthy diet.

Since our planet is our only home, AstraZeneca will continue to make investments in its preservation in the coming years to contribute to the development of a better future for all.

Alliance and the Association of Beekeepers, aims to aid bees in surviving in the wild.

Although bees provide us with honey, propolis, beeswax, and other valuable items, their primary function is pollinating fruit and vegetables. They indirectly make it possible to feed the entire human race. Climate change is the most obvious cause of their population decline, and as a result, the quantity and variety of food for the entire planet are in jeopardy.

We started by adopting three beehives with bee associations in Belgrade near the pier. The overgrown area around the pier was cleared, and honey plants were planted, thus creating a mini-ecosystem for the bees. AstraZeneca employees had the chance to volunteer and try out various beekeeping activi-

ties in addition to working with beekeepers and receiving their expert support; less than six months later, honey collecting started. In the centre of Belgrade, some 150,000 bees pollinated about 500,000 blossoms and collected 35 kg of honey. About 20 AstraZeneca Serbia employees volunteered their time to support all of these initiatives.

AstraZeneca Serbia’s primary tagline is #BEEsustainable, which is actively promoted internally and publicly to increase awareness of the value of bees for long-term sustainability.

In the upcoming years, the plan is to keep up with these activities and expand them.

AZ Forest is a global tree-planting and maintenance program. In order to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change on people and the environment, the firm committed to planting 50 million trees worldwide by 2025.

In Serbia, we now traditionally plant trees every year, and the planting was carried out despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the pandemic the previous two years.

In December 2022, we established a new benchmark for social responsibility by planting 2,500 trees throughout the city of Belgrade in collaboration with the Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade’s municipalities, and the “Čuvamo Naše” organization. The Faculty of Forestry students will take care of the forested areas, and this is the first place on Belgrade’s territory where they will have practical classes, helping the academic community as well. One hectare of the forest is large enough to support some species of animals. This will result in creating a true forest, a lush haven for both people and animals.

Donations from the Mozzart Company in Kenya are Saving Lives

Although it has only been operating in the Kenyan market for a little longer than five years, the Mozzart company has already left a deep mark in this African country with its socially responsible work and strong support for the health system. Incubators, sterilizers, beds, monitors for monitoring patients’ condition, and oxygen cylinders are just some of the equipment that Mozzart donated to hospitals in Nairobi and the surrounding area. The incubator donated to the Waithaka Health Centre proved to be the most valuable because it saved the lives of premature twins Annabelle and Christabel. These girls are now two years old and happily growing up with their parents who take every opportunity to express their immense gratitude to the Mozzart company.

In addition to valuable donations to hospitals, the Mozzart

company is making its mark throughout Kenya with the “One Hundred Wells for Our Communities” campaign, which has provided drinking water to 12 counties so far. One of them is the Machakos County where a well was donated to Katanga Secondary School two years ago. Considering the fact that it does not rain in this place for three years, it is not difficult to

able for drinking. Mozzart helped us a lot by donating the well because now we have water that is clean and safe to drink,” said Franklin Mutua, principal of Katanga Secondary School.

The representatives of the Mozzart company from Serbia, who visited this exotic country in the east of Africa, were convinced of how profoundly this project

so their grades and willingness to learn have improved significantly. Modest classrooms with old benches and tables and improvised football, basketball, and athletics courts in the schoolyard are enough to put smiles on their faces and gratitude now that they have a well with safe drinking water.

The last well, the twelfth in a row as part of the “One Hundred Wells for Our Communities” campaign, was opened in Kisumu County in western Kenya where the local population, according to them, had been praying for water since 1945. The ceremonial event at Obuora Primary School was attended by the Minister of Water, Environment, Climate Change and National Resources Maryline Yanzar Agwa, representatives of the local community and the school administration, the winner of the Mozzart campaign who chose the location of the well, John Akongo, as well as representatives of the Mozzart company from Kenya and Serbia.

“It is a great pleasure to be here today and to officially open the twelfth well in a row, this time in Kisumu County, on behalf of Mozzart Bet Kenya. Access to clean water is a basic human right and our socially responsible work is aimed at helping the communities where we operate,” said Saša Krneta, the Kenya market manager at Mozzart.

As part of its socially responsible work in this African country, the Mozart company also leaves an indelible mark on the sports fields. New jerseys and equipment are arriving at amateur clubs across Kenya, giving young talents hope to realize their dreams. In addition to supporting amateur sports, Mozzart also supported the recently ended Field Hockey Africa Cup, which is one of the most popular sports in Kenya, through title sponsorship.

believe that the life of the students, as well as all other residents, was changed forever by the donation of the well.

“We used to take more than ten students a week to the hospital, which is very far away, because of infections and diseases caused by using water that was not suit-

is changing the lives of the people of Kenya. In a conversation with the students and representatives of the Katanga school administration, they learned how much the availability of clean water made their everyday life easier. Now they no longer have to walk 15 kilometers a day in search of drinking water,

One thing is certain – a lot has been done so far, but this is still only the beginning of Mozzart’s humanitarian work in Kenya. The motives are clear and they include ensuring that clean and safe drinking water reaches all corners of this country and that good deeds flood the arid regions.

“ONE HUNDRED WELLS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES” CAMPAIGN HAS PROVIDED DRINKING WATER TO 12 COUNTIES SO FAR

Preserving Cultural Heritage Through Applied Arts

Exploring the Museum’s History, Exhibitions, and Contributions to the Contemporary Art Scene in Serbia

BILJANA JOTIĆ Director of the Museum of Applied Arts

The Museum of Applied Arts (MAA) in Belgrade has been an important cultural institution in Serbia for over 70 years. It is a unique space that celebrates the intersection of art and everyday life, while showcasing exquisite pieces that span centuries and cultures. In this interview, we spoke with its director Biljana Jotić, who shared her thoughts on the museum’s journey, insights, and vision for the future.

Could you tell us about the history and mission of the Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade

and what are some of the most unique or notable pieces in the museum’s collection?

Let me briefly return to the past, to the time and atmosphere between the two world wars, more precisely to the 1920s, when this edifice, a palace owned by lawyer Dr Jakov Čelebonović, was designed and constructed.

After the post-war process of nationalization, the Museum of Applied Arts was moved into this building, and the first collection of artifacts took shape following the purchase of various works of art that the respected artist and intellectual Ljuba Ivanović had collected for over 30 years. From its beginnings to date, the Museum

THE MUSEUM’S PROGRAMME SUMS UP TIME AND TIME DOES NOT STAND STILL

At that time, this location was renowned for fashion salons, in addition to the building that housed the Spanish Embassy and law firms. The bond between the Museum and the Čelebonović family is strong.

has cultivated historical and contemporary trends in applied art. The first collection contained more than 3,000 objects, among which were goldsmith’s products, as well as old manuscripts and printed

books, carved objects, icons, and other items which stood out for their artistic and historical value. The oldest objects date from the 4th century BCE and belong to the numismatic collection. Today, the Heritage Museum has close to 40,000 art objects in its collections.

The Museum follows the latest trends by organizing annual Salons of Architecture and Contemporary Applied Arts and through various purchases. Our traditional Children’s October Salon introduces children to the world of art, thereby encouraging the need for art education from the earliest days. Through our Youth Gallery, we support graduates and post-graduates of applied arts and the young audiences. The

generational range of our audience is quite wide.

How do you engage with local communities and international visitors to foster interest in the museum and its exhibits?

Cooperation and networking are important parts of the Museum of Applied Arts’ strategy.

Through continued cooperation between the public and civil sectors, we strive for a more comprehensive observation of wider public issues.

Incorporating international elements in the MAA’s programme, as well as organizing the international exhibitions abroad ensures an international position of the Museum and generates more audience (Mašić, exhibition in the Cultural Centre in Paris, cooperation with TATE, London and Metropolitan, New York, the travelling exhibition Surrealism Beyond Borders, etc). We also nurture cooperation with foreign embassies in Belgrade (Italian Design Day; Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan, presentations by foreign experts in design, architecture, etc). One of the most important international elements of the MAA’s strategy is its participation in the Biennale of the Architecture in Venice, London Design Biennale, Triennale di Milano and Prague Quadriennial on behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia.

How do you balance preserving the museum’s historic collections with showcasing contemporary art and design?

My agenda is as follows – the Museum’s programme sums up time and time does not stand still. In this regard, the MAA’s team of experts has a careful approach to research, study, preservation and exhibition of applied art - from the oldest objects dating from the 4th century BC (Jewelry and Metal Collection) to the latest artistic and curatorial practices.

What upcoming exhibitions or projects are you most excited about, and what can visitors expect to see in the coming months?

We devoted the first months of this year to architecture by staging an exhibition called “Architecture“, curated by Professor Boris Podreka, which was previously staged in Vienna, and is now traveling to Ljubljana. The 45th Architecture Salon is taking place as we speak, with an international jury chaired by Professor Werner Sobek, PhD.

We are also waiting for the award ceremony at the Yugoslav Film Archive, followed by Serbia’s participation in the 18th Architecture Biennale in Venice with the project ‘IN REFLECTIONS, 6°27’48.8”N 3°14’49.20”E’ by the author team of Iva Nunjić and Tihomir Dičić.

Meanwhile, the Museum of Applied arts will host the Italian Design Day (8th May) on its premises which takes place in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and

We have also been strongly focusing on the Permanent Exhibition, which we reorganized a few months ago and is now called the MAA Exhibition, which is both historical and contemporary. An integral part of this exhibition is the Object of the Month campaign, during which we present the art objects that the MAA has purchased over the past 10 years.

How do you see the role of museums evolving in the digital age, and what strategies has the Museum of Applied Arts adopted to keep pace with these changes?

One of the main ideas that guides us is the Museum of Applied Arts’ global connection and positioning and the collections that gather various types of applied art. In this regard, and following the latest trends in curatorial practices that inevitably include new technolo-

the broader cultural and artistic scene of Belgrade and Serbia, and what do you hope to achieve in the coming years?

Confindustria. After that, we are going to have an exhibition of photographs by Ile Hofler from a private collection.

As part of the Salon of Contemporary Applied Arts, solo exhibitions of tapestries by Daliborka Djurić and ceramics by Valentina Savić will take place. Through cooperation with the Forum of Slovenian Culture (Andreja Richter) we will have the Ethno Fashion exhibition in August, and together with the Faculty of Applied Arts, the traditional Diploma exhibition, where graduates and post-graduates of the FAA will be officially presented. In the meantime, we will host the May exhibition and Young Balkan Designers.

Every November 8th, on the Day of our Museum, we open a large, international exhibition. Last year, it was the exhibition „On the Glass Road“, marking the International Year of Glass, and this year, we are expecting a rare reminder of postage stamp collections exhibited at the Postal Stamps exhibition by Andrej Milenković.

gies, the Museum has digitized its archive, as well as most of its collections.

In cooperation with organizations that are actively involved in digitization and virtualization, and with the help of project planning in most cases, we strive to digitize entire collections and virtualize individual objects in the largest possible number, with the goal of creating virtual exhibitions. One example is the collaboration with Digital Mind in the virtualization of textiles, as well as the virtual exhibition of Boris Podreka.

An important part of the latest artistic and curatorial practices is the research and teaching of design and artificial intelligence under the auspices of the 134/Sacred Geometry project, authored by Dušan Jovović, PhD, the Commissioner and myself, which will represent Serbia at the London Design Biennale from June 1st to 26th, 2023.

How do you envision the role of the Museum of Applied Arts in

All of the aforementioned points to the strategy and path thanks to which the Museum of Applied Art is positioning itself within the framework of museum activity, art history and contemporary artistic practices. Continuing and developing mixed approaches will contribute to achievement of that goal. One of the segments that we are yet to implement is the organization and implementation of expert symposia, in addition to our ongoing participation in international ones. In this way, the Museum will position itself as place for international experts to come, which we have already achieved, in a way, with various individual visits and lectures (Professor Michele Zampedri, Murano – Vetro –Venecia – Parallel fates; Rainald Franz, PhD, MAK, Vienna, Josef Hoffmann and J.&L. Lobmeyer; Lara Katscher, Green techonologies, Werner Sobek, Sustainble buildings and cities – ideas and reality, Professor Werner Sobek, PhD, Bauen in der Zukunfut – in Europa und in der Welt etc)

Are you satisfied with the number of visitors to the Museum? Do you think the Serbian government invests in culture enough?

Increasing the number of visitors to the Museum of Applied Arts is one of the important issues that we are working on quite studiously. Being aware of the fact that the audience is not only exhibition observers but also participants in various other programmes, including lectures, panel discussions, workshops, symposiums, projects and the like, greatly influences my attitude towards developing the audience or as I would rather call them, participants in artistic movements. Through the participation of children in the Children’s October Salon, as well as by organizing guided tours of current exhibitions and the permanent exhibition for pupils and students and talking with them, we also develop the need for art and the audience.

WE STRIVE TO DIGITIZE ENTIRE COLLECTIONS AND VIRTUALIZE INDIVIDUAL OBJECTS IN THE LARGEST POSSIBLE NUMBER, WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS

The List: People who change Belgrade

Belgrade, a city with a soul, where every street and every person tells their own story. Throughout this city’s history, people have left their mark and influenced its appearance, architecture, gastronomic offer, and the habits of the people of Belgrade. But here’s the thing about being influential: it’s not for everyone. It takes a certain kind of person to stand out in a crowd and be heard. Let’s take a look at some of the men and women who have made their mark on Belgrade, in a feature column by Duška Jovanić, which is out each month.

NOTE: The list is made in alphabetical order

Daughter of Prince Regent Pavle and Princess Olga. The princess from the Red Dragon fairy tale. A close friend of King Charles of England. She discussed history with Kennedy, politics with Nixon, art with Warhol, and love with Richard Burton. She was and remains a “Serbian rose” with a smile that resembles the most expensive jewellery. The femme fatale from Kapor’s novel “Zoe”. The society’s icon from next door. The image of a four-year-old girl in a starched dress at the door of the Royal Court going into exile is the first in her safe of priceless memories of an exciting life. She lived almost secretly with her father and mother in Africa and Italy. She graduated from good schools. With her first husband, Howard Oxenberg, she has daughters Christina and Catherine, the latter a known actress in the Dynasty TV saga. After

marrying Neil Balfour, she gave birth to a son, Nicholas. The former Prime Minister of Peru was her third husband. She returned home for the first time after almost half a century. It was a top-secret visit, which today sounds completely unbelievable. Then she revealed that despite her fragile appearance, she is a food aficionado and a fan of prebranac and ajvar. Soon, as a native of Belgrade, she became actively involved in local life accompanied by Mr Dragan Babić. She wrote letters against the bombing (of Serbia). She tried with all her might for her father to be rehabilitated. And she succeeded in that. She looks like a queen in a short leather jacket and skinny black jeans. For a long time, in addition to being a member of the aristocracy, she has been holding the title of the most charming and spontaneous woman in Belgrade.

She looks like she could appear in the Hollywood blockbuster “Bombshell” without having to audition for the role first. Only her power in real life does not reside on the red carpet but in Excel. Anyway, the local media have already declared her a bombshell director. That didn’t faze her, as she was just fact-checking with the precision of a control freak. And the facts are indisputable. Born in Sweden, educated in America and Italy, and worked for a while in New York before stopping in Belgrade. After an internship at the cosmetics company L’Oreal, she spent a decade at the ‘male’ company BIC, where she worked in seven different jobs. Although she is currently the head of her consulting company, Think Forward, she is still loyal to BIC, and while in the company of smokers, she finds serious objections to their lighters. Whoever sits with her is in danger of fall-

ing into the trap of being dazed by her spirit, her hearty laugh, and her sapphire blue eyes, whose gaze shrewdly scans the situation. As she happily chats in several languages, it is difficult to contradict her because she makes herself the butt of all the best jokes. Despite her challenging appearance, Marija Pasuljević is not like other successful women in many ways. Yes, she is constantly tanned, which is her goal anyway, because she is a frequent traveller to warmer places (to the gym as well). She drives as if she is practising for Formula 1 and never sits idly by. Still, she was too fragile and lovely for the Belgrade creative chaos into which she jumped from the top of the charisma ladder. For us, she changed certain table habits and got us “hooked” on Swedish liquorice candy, while Belgrade made her more relaxed and taught her how to overcome it.

© Goran Popovski

JELISAVETA KARADJORDJEVIĆ Princess 1

MARIJA PASULJEVIĆ Lady boss 2

© Nebojša Babić © Nebojša Babić

A globally known reveller. The guru of the Serbian techno scene. The music maestro who spectacularly closes the EXIT festival every year. The dishevelled figure from the riddle, “How does he work on three turntables with only two hands?” Today, the most popular Serbian DJ became engrossed in electronic music as a kid, thanks to his uncle, who played then-popular Italian disco music on Belgrade radio stations in the 1980s. He spent his teenage days fascinated by synthesizers, rhythm machines, and electronic music. This brought him a special status in the once iconic Belgrade underground club “Industrija.” He didn’t even have time to soak it all in, and he already

became famous. He played music with the world’s biggest stars. He achieved so much in his clubbing mission that today, everyone knows who Marko Nastić is. This April, he spectacularly celebrated twenty-five years of his career in the Belgrade Port Hangar. He still feels best spending time in his Dorćol. His Belgrade is Bajloni market, the Tezga café, Kalemegdan, the National Museum, and a hairdressing salon he frequents all the time. He believes that he motivated many generations to make DJing their full-time job. He realized the importance of what he was doing in 2003 at a performance in Sao Paolo when he saw a banner in the audience saying, “Obrigado Belgrado!”

4

We are talking about a chap in his 50s and yet looks like a pubescent boy the day after he graduated high school. This, however, does not imply that he is behaving like he is on a summer school break. His thoughts constantly flow in several parallel directions. He is always, colloquially speaking, so full of life that his spirits seem to be constantly improving. He rarely panics, and everybody knows that he keeps calm backstage, despite having many reasons for behaving contrary. He was raised sentimentally, to the extent that he brought Tito’s baton back to Belgrade and dedicated his FAAR magazine to Broz as a pop icon. Anyway, he’s playing well with this permanent ace in his sleeve. Apart from the fact that everyone has long since forgotten his last name, Neša Click has managed to convince the world not only that Belgrade is a serious metropolis but that there is real fashion in it. He first conquered Belgrade from Zemun

as a young football player of FC Galenika, only for beginner’s luck to bring him to later to FC Partizan. Although he studied construction, Click held its first fashion show in 1991 amidst general despair and hopelessness. Two years later, they had a project inspired by the 1920s and 1930s Belgrade, which Mirjana Karanović and her cabaret show accompanied. The famous Belgrade Fashion Week was held for the first time in 1996. The rest is not history but mathematics. Nenad Radujević celebrated the 50th edition of the Belgrade Fashion Week last year. In the meantime, he learned from fashion weeks around the world. His favourite demonstrative exercise was pulling Vivienne Westwood and JLO from beneath a stand. His fascination with Jovanka (Broz), the first lady of socialist Yugoslavia, keeps him in a nostalgic rapture…which stops only when he starts conquering the mountain tops.

She studied molecular biology. That seemed somehow normal to her because, in elementary school, she was the science champion of Yugoslavia. She graduated and got her diploma, which she still keeps on her computer. In New York, she worked in advertising and web marketing, combining creative ideas and commerce. In the meantime, she wandered around the Greek islands, posing as a Brazilian, to avoid questions about the war. When she settled in the most important city in the world, she organized a donor dinner and brought Kofi Annan and De Niro to it. She still believes that one of the brightest moments in her life was when she uttered into the walkie-talkie, “Bring De Niro on stage!” She realized early on that beauty is not sought but created. And she started to

miss a lot of things from Belgrade. She was the director of Belgrade Design Week and the creative director of the first Belgrade concept store, “Supermarket,” conceived as a lifestyle polygon of art and top design. She also contributed to the famous Mikser Festival. And then, she closed the circle and opened a shop that sells her grandmother’s cakes called “Gospodja Mirkov,” where childhood tastes are renewed and sweet life kneaded. She currently lives in the village of Krčedin, grows Damask roses, holds online French pastry courses, and is preparing to start a French bistro cooking school. The newsletter, containing all her new activities, is called “The Šušu” and is intended for all hedonists who are ready to settle down under Nina’s hundred-yearold pear tree.

NENAD RADUJEVIĆ Director of the Click Fashion Studio

NINA BABIĆ Renaissance woman

© Nebojša Babić

© Miša Obradović

© Nebojša Babić

How

‘Dancing in Honour of Gods’ Liberated Salvador from Slavery

If you are wondering where slavery was truly abolished in Brazil and where samba, capoeira, and the famous carnival originate from, Salvador is most likely the answer you are looking for

Before going to Salvador (Salvador de Bahia, Bahia, Brazil), I spent a few days in Sao Paulo, where one hot morning, I met Marcelo, whom I also met a few years ago in Lisbon. In the typical Brazilian fashion, acquaintances are made immediately and easily, so Marcelo and I stayed in touch even though we met by chance sitting next to each other at a fado dinner in a shoebox-sized restaurant.

It didn’t take long for him to invite me to come to Brazil, and if it weren’t for the coro -

navirus, I would have been his guest during my stay in Sao Paulo. I told him that morning over an excellent Brazilian coffee in Koreatown that I was soon leaving for Salvador

I did not reveal to him then that I had been preparing to come to this city for some time in the best possible way – by reading “Tent of Miracles” (“Tenda dos Milagres”, 1969) by Jorge

AMADO IS WORSHIPPED IN SALVADOR AND ALMOST HAS THE STATUS OF A DEITY CALLED ORISHA

and then for Rio. He was enthusiastic about my planned trip and told me to prepare for the unexpected when I go to Salvador because it is a really special city.

Amado - and that nothing in Salvador can surprise me after reading that novel. Amado is worshipped in Salvador and almost has the status of an orisha, a deity that is only second to the

by Dragan Nikolić

supreme being called Olorun in the new Yoruba religion that originated in Salvador.

There is not a person in Salvador, regardless of their age,

I would not like to stir up a controversy about the origin of samba, but I tend to believe Amado’s stories rather than the official history of this Afro-Brazilian musical direction, which

the narrow streets of Pelourinho, which, as Amado says, “gave rhythm to the black people’s dance who escaped from sugar mills, hounds and their masters, never to be slaves again”.

who does not know who Jorge Amado is and who does not have the deepest respect for him. This Brazilian writer, one of the most translated novelists in the world, is a true son of Bahia, just like his character Pedro Archanjo, after whom a square in Pelourinho is named.

I realized even before arriving in Salvador that not a word can be written about this city without mentioning Pedro Archanjo and his adventures. Speaking about his life, Amado presents us with a colourful and cheerful chronicle of this former capital of colonial Brazil at the turn of the century, not long after slavery was officially abolished in Brazil.

links its origin to Rio de Janeiro. Salvador has the largest percentage of the black population in Brazil, so it makes sense that samba originated there. It has strong ties to Africa, where the Brazilian blacks (Afro-Brazilians) originate from. Today, this city is a fantastic example of racial unity and tolerance. The feeling of unity and all people of all colours being on the same side, while all state systems are on the other, is very strong here.

However, that’s not how it used to be. Black people, sons, and daughters of Bahia had to organize themselves in secret

Black people, sons and daughters of yesterday’s slaves, thus built the foundations of Bahia with music born from the rebellion against the colonial, white, and intolerant government, giving Bahia not only samba and capoeira but also something even more important, a religious-philosophical view of the world called Candomblé. This syncretic religion is a fusion of the Yoruba religion from West Africa, more precisely from Nigeria, and Western Christianity brought with them by the pious Portuguese.

And this is how “Tenda dos Milagres” or “Tent of Miracles,” was

carnival groups in the late 19th century to spread their voices through the streets of Salvador. For ethnic and social reasons and in order to protect the family unit, the authorities at the time banned “this immoral, lewd activity”, which is how they viewed the music of African-Brazilians inspired by the local religions. The leaders of those secret carnival groups carried their war cries through

born. This title best describes Salvador in all its colourfulness and rhythm. The city is the forerunner of Brazilian carnivals as we know them today. Of the famous one that everyone in the world knows about, which takes place every February in Rio, the one in Salvador is both older and more authentic and, if Amado is to be believed, it was created before the end of the 19th century, not long after the abolition of slavery.

THE FEELING OF UNITY AND ALL PEOPLE OF ALL COLOURS BEING ON THE SAME SIDE, WHILE ALL STATE SYSTEMS ARE ON THE OTHER, IS VERY STRONG HERE

All photos © Dragan Nikolić

Left - Vivid Pelourinho Street with church “Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos” in back, built for and by slaves

Middle - Street art in Pelourinho shows Afro-Brazilian women #Carlos Kahan

Right - Pelourinho street art depicts capoeira, the most popular Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality

You’ll be hard-pressed to see or experience much of this in Salvador today. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Brazil, this city has also become commercialized, but its streets, more precisely the cobblestones of Pelourinho, still preserve the spirit of freed slaves. With some foreknowledge and remembering Amado’s words, its alleys will reveal to you a secret carnival group that pumps blood into the veins of a body wounded by modern whips and contemporary capitalist slavery.

The main town square in the Upper City is called Pelourinho, which means “place of scourging”. Black people/slaves built their church there in the 18th

perhaps no longer secret but certainly still rebellious, are drumming, moving the crowd to dance in the rhythm of freedom. In the same square, Michael Jackson

century - a beautiful bright blue building. In the centre of the triangular square today, just like in the past, various musical groups,

and a group of drummers recorded the music video for his song “They Don’t Care About Us” with a very clear message.

Many capoeira schools are located in the Upper City, and if you’re lucky, you can even see them on the streets. However, the central place is occupied by the big blue house on top of the hill where the Foundation Casa de Jorge Amado (Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado) is located. It has a café, a research centre, and a small museum where the covers of all Amado’s books, translated into various languages, are exhibited.

Although much of the famous history of Salvador is only a memory or a story today, I can definitely agree with Marcelo that Salvador is a very special city. Unlike Rio or Sao Paulo, which enjoy all the freedoms, Salvador can boast of having conquered its freedom. If you are wondering where slavery was truly abolished in Brazil and where samba, capoeira, and the famous carnival originate from, Salvador is most likely the answer you are looking for. Rio will forgive me for saying this.

THE MAIN TOWN SQUARE IN THE UPPER CITY IS CALLED PELOURINHO, WHICH MEANS “PLACE OF SCOURGING”

Top - Largo do Pelourinho Square with musical performances all day and night long

Bottom - Street vendor selling local products

Trip to Brazil was conducted in October 2020, thanks to Air France

Good Deeds That Go Beyond the Boundaries

Trag Foundation announced the winners of the 16th VIRTUS Award for philanthropy

Trag Foundation announced the winners of the VIRTUS Award for Philanthropy for the 16th year in a row, awarding companies, enterprises, and individuals who performed altruistic deeds, initiated and supported philanthropic initiatives throughout the previous year, and thus contributed to the development of communities in which they live and work. The awards were presented to the winners by Todd Andrews, USAID Acting Mission Director for Serbia, H.E. Sian MacLeod, British Ambassador to Serbia, Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, and Gordana Delić, Director of the Balkan Trust for Democracy.

The recipient of the Award for Corporate Philanthropy is the

company Vega IT d.o.o. Novi Sad. The Award for Small and Medium Enterprises was presented to Bosis d.o.o. Valjevo, while the Award for Long-Term Partnership between Business and Civil Sector was given to the company Generali Osiguranje Srbija a.d.o. VIRTUS Award for Individual Philanthropy went to Mikica Petronijević from Belgrade, while the Award for Young Philanthropists was presented to Đorđe Tomić from Veternik. VIRTUS special awards were given to Slobodan

Vasić for personal contribution to the local community, Sandra Tomić for personal contribution to poverty reduction, Magdalena Stanković and the group of friends for encouraging peer philanthropy, while Nikola Sto-

SERBIA JUMPED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD GIVING INDEX TO THE ENVIABLE 27TH POSITION IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS

jković was presented with the award for personal contribution to animal protection.

Through the VIRTUS Award, established in 2007, Trag Foundation has been awarding for 16 years individuals and companies that have contribut-

ed to the development of the communities in which they operate, presenting them to the general public in order to inspire others to take part in similar initiatives.

There has been a certain shift in the very understanding of the idea of philanthropy, which is being confirmed by the fact that philanthropic giving is constantly increasing, as well as that Serbia jumped from the bottom of the World Giving Index to the enviable 27th position in the previous two years.

The VIRTUS Award for 2022 is presented with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

© Trag Foundation

International Romani Day Marked in Sombor

As a result of the Serbian government drafting a strategic act, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, has embarked on marking the most important national holiday of the members of the Roma national minority. International Romani Day was marked with a series of programmes and activities held in Sombor. The gathering in Sombor was officially opened with the Romani and Serbian anthems “Djelem, Djelem” and “Bože Pravde” respectively, performed by pianist Mina Rusché Krajnović.

Gordana Predić, the special adviser to the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, the President of the Coordinating Body for Gender Equality and the Minister of Culture, pointed out at the opening that the Republic of Serbia has made great strides in recent years in terms of improving the position of the Roma community in our country, by establishing a Ministry responsible for human and minority

rights. Ms Predić also said that, even though they are the most populous minority community in Europe, the Roma is still the most discriminated against and

help of events like the one in Sombor, we can eliminate all obstacles and prejudices, building a society of tolerance, understanding and equality.

marginalized social group and that only together and with the

In his address, the Minister for Human and Minority Rights

and Social Dialogue, Tomislav Žigmanov, stated that the Roma are the third largest national community in the Republic of Serbia, but what sets them apart is that they are an extremely territorially dispersed and live across Serbia. Mr Žigmanov also said that great attention is paid to improving the position of the Roma in society and that the goal is to achieve equality and equal opportunities. He also reminded that a relevant national strategy was adopted last year along with an Action Plan for the social inclusion of Roma men and women.

Nataša Tasić Knežević, MP in the Republic of Serbia’s National Assembly, said that, according to official statistics, 147,604 Roma people live in Serbia, and their number has been increasing significantly. Ms Knežević pointed out a very worrying fact, which is that the life expectancy of a Roma person is on average 15 to 20 years shorter, and she linked this to the fact that around sixty percent

The goal is to achieve equality and equal opportunities

ROMA ARE THE THIRD MOST POPULOUS NATIONAL COMMUNITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

All photos: © Igor Djokić

of Roma live in unhygienic settlements, as well as to the fact that only a third of Roma women finish primary school and that the interrupted education or a total lack of it in the Roma women leads to early marriage and pregnancies, as well as that Roma women are often victims of human trafficking.

Ms Knežević added that the inclusion of Roma at various levels of government is precisely the way to protect the rights of Roma institutionally, but also for them to participate in decision-making.

Aleksandar Radulović, the President of the Executive Board of the National Councils of the Roma National Minority, said that in the last ten years, the Roma community has clearly progressed, especially in education, which is extremely important because education connects other areas in which the Roma national minority in Serbia is jeopardized.

Deputy Vojvodinian Secretary for Education, Regulations, Administration and National

Minorities and Communities, Sladjana Bursać, noted that the position of the Roma has become one of the indicators of the degree of democratization of society and the desired equality, towards which we are consistently moving and also pointed out that the Vojvodin-

and that the Roma Inclusion Team has been formed.

Thomas Jackson, the UNDP regional project coordinator, pointed out that the main initiative is the involvement of young people from different backgrounds in the elimination of discrimina-

ter for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Goran Nonković, Head of the West Bačka Administrative District, Rejhan Kurtović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Nataša Tasić Knežević, Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

Lidija Hornjak, a member of the Ruthenian national minority, Stanislava Lukić, a member of the Bunjevac national minority, and Čarna Martinović, the Sombor ombudsman, also joined the dialogue. Ljubica Gojgić was the moderator.

ian government advocates the inclusion of Roma in all segments of society.

Assistant to the Sombor mayor, Branislav Svorcan, said that the town of Sombor is proud of its multinational environment, which consists of twenty-one nationalities. Mr Svorcan also pointed out that today Roma are included in all the most important local parliamentary committees, that there is a coordinator for Roma issues in the local government

tion and hate speech, intending to achieve understanding and equality. In conclusion, Mr Jackson said that the result should be a positive impact on the lives of young people, especially when it comes to freedom of thought.

After a press conference, an interactive thematic dialogue on hate speech and discrimination took place in the hall of the Sombor City Assembly. The participants were Robert Čoban, founder of Color Press Group, Nina Mitić, Assistant Minis-

The program continued with the presentation of the cultural achievements of famous Roma men and women who “broke stereotypes about Roma around the world”, followed by the performance by the pianist Mina Rusché Krajnović. After the cocktail party, the guests had the pleasure of watching spectacular performances by the Roma band KAL - Rock´N´Roma and Zejna Murkić, a wellknown Serbian singer of Roma origin, followed.

IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, THE ROMA COMMUNITY HAS CLEARLY PROGRESSED, ESPECIALLY IN EDUCATION, WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE EDUCATION CONNECTS OTHER AREAS IN WHICH THE ROMA NATIONAL MINORITY IN SERBIA IS JEOPARDIZED

tivals throughout Serbia have been modeled after it. Today, it has become quite normal for a high school or an elementary school, or a university to organize a local science festival.

As a consequence of the Science Festival, with more or less of our help, science festivals were created in Novi Sad, Niš, Požega, and Požarevac. As the national Festival we offer the chance for teams from all over Serbia to come to the Festival, show what they know, and learn something new as well. We have paved the way for many new events, such as the Researcher’s Night, but also for many that deal with the promotion of individual scientific fields as well.

Our Society Would Be Better Off if it was More up to Scientists

After a two-year break, under the slogan “A New Era”, the sixteenth Science Festival will be held from the 4th of May until the 6th of May in its recognizable format at the Belgrade Fair.

This year’s Science Festival will host more than 800 participants from Serbia and abroad, who will present more than 170 interesting science programs for science lovers in four program units. Applications for organized visits to the Festival are open for all interested primary and secondary schools in Serbia. The theme of this year’s Science Festival is - A New Era, an era that has come to us quickly thanks to the global pandemic.

Behind the Science Festival stands a small but very professional team that previously left a big mark in the organization of Museum Night, another

great event that made an impact on the cultural and social life of Belgrade and Serbia. We are talking to the director of the Science Festival, Ana Petrović, about the way in which they coped with numerous challenges and set new standards of quality and success.

Nowadays, how difficult is it to build a recognizable image and market science and education as something that is attractive and fun?

Actually, it is not as difficult as we feared in the beginning. When we organized the first Science Festival in 2007 under completely impossible conditions, we had no idea what kind of machinery we had set in motion. From the start, we had a vision of a big city festival, but we never dreamed of how much this project would contribute to the promotion

and popularization of science in Serbia.

In the first five years, our Science Festival became one of the ten largest festivals in Europe, and more than 20 science fes-

On the other hand, the scientists themselves do not participate enough in the public life of the country, the political elites do not ask of them enough and they do not have enough space in the media. Scientists are generally the smartest people any country has and it is not uncommon for them to be consulted outside of their primary activities. Our society would be much better off if scientists were consulted more.

How was it for you at the beginning when you just founded the Festival, and how is it today? Where do you see opportunities for growth and development and whose support (which sectors) is important to you?

Since the beginning, the Science Festival has been primarily financed with its own funds, OUR

ANA PETROVIĆ Director of the Science Festival

Nebojša Babić

that is, with money from sold tickets and funds from commercial sponsors. From the very beginning, we have received great help and understanding from foreign embassies and cultural centers, and I would especially like to single out the French Institute in Serbia and the Austrian Cultural Forum. There is a long tradition of science promotion in these countries and their experiences are valuable to us.

However, when we talk about social responsibility, i.e., investing money in culture and science by large companies, the situation is unfortunately very challenging. There are no systematic benefits and only the strongest companies invest in this type of promotion. A stronger connection between industry and science is needed, and this is one of the secondary goals of the Festival.

Although our projects are recognized as extremely well covered by the media, their resources are still not used enough for the promotion of commercial brands. As someone who has seen how much Science Festivals can contribute to the image of European cities and improve the tourism sector, I can only hope that one day we too will be able to offer Europe such quality brands. Of course, this is not possible without the help of companies that have similar visions.

Also, it is very important to be tasteful and not cross that “thin line” that separates us from commercialization. No museum will be repainted in

the colors of the sponsoring brand or associated with inadequate promotion.

What does the organization of such a big event like this look like? How big is your team and what does the cooperation on specific programs look like working with scientists, teachers and professors who are the focus of the event, and with whom you plan activities at the Science Festival?

We are a team of people from the field of science, but also marketing, production, film, design... We envision the event before it is actually made and therefore work as producers for all participants. Also, we find inspiration during our trips where we meet people who do similar or the same jobs, and with whom we get along great. The Festival was modeled after other festivals around the world, but a lot of work was done and is still being done to adapt to the specifics of our environment.

Our collaborators from scientific institutions come to us with topics and ideas that we turn into realistic interactive exhibitions. For the past 16 years, we have worked a lot and perfected ourselves in the field of science promotion, so we have knowledge and mechanisms that can materialize any topic in a way that is receptive to the audience.

Which audience is your main target group - are they primarily young people who are in need of science popularization, or are adults also important to you, not necessarily just as parents who follow their children?

Our visitors are mostly young people and popularization of science and the scientific way of thinking is the primary goal of the Festival. In previous years, we also had evening programs for the adults and debates with a serious cross-over of opinions from our leading scientists.

In any case, the Science Festival is a part of the educational system, which the Ministry of Education has recognized and helps the Festival to a great extent. The Festival is a place where textbook experiments are performed live and students are given the opportunity to participate in them themselves. A large number of school science festivals in Serbia prove that.

On the other hand, we are trying to have the whole month around the Festival in the media dedicated to science, and thus to point out to the adults and decision-makers the importance of science in everyday life. If we pull back the curtain, we usually see that science is behind most of the things around us. Investing in knowledge and desire for education among adults would help strengthen public opinion, the economy, and the corporate climate in Serbia in the long term.

As an organization that is largely dealing with education, do you see your Festival as a part of the educational system in some way? What kind of relationship do you have with primary and secondary schools, universities, and how much potential does the Science Festival itself have to contribute in this field?

Faculties of practically all universities in Serbia are participants in the Festival. This year, 57 institutions with more than 180 programs and 800 demonstrators are participating in the program, and the interest to participate was really high, so unfortunately, we had to reject some participants or postpone them for next year.

How do you see the future of the Festival, i.e., its mission and vision, first of all, bearing in mind the general digitization of not only education but also life in general?

We feel like the Festival is on the right track and that the pause caused by the pandemic has shown that personal contact is necessary for education. This was especially evident in the fundamental sciences: it was really difficult for elementary school students who encountered, for example, chemistry and physics for the first time. In the first year of the pandemic, we created an online edition of the Festival and although it had participants from nine countries and a lot of interesting programs, its impact was limited.

A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE IS NEEDED

Photos: © Oksana Toskić

21

Special exhibition Resilience - stories of women inspiring change

This series of paintings, drawings, and collages present memories and notes about a “pearl” of modern architecture in Kneza Miloša Street. The building of the German Embassy in Belgrade, designed by architect Bogdan Ignjatović, was built in 1979. This is the author who had a lot of significant and representative buildings of Belgrade at the time behind him, such as Hotel Slavija, on the square of the same name, the Executive Council of Serbia in Nemanja Street, and the Gallery of frescoes. The German embassy is one of the examples of unfortunate practices in the field of protecting Serbia’s modernist architectural heritage and misunderstanding its cultural heritage. During his studies in Belgrade, the author used to walk through Kneza Miloša street almost every day, next to the embassy building, and was a silent observer of its disappearance. For this reason, he had the need to record what he saw in his waywith pictures and drawings that testify to the closedness, absence of life, and disappearance. The exhibition is open to visitors every day until April 3, 2023. (including weekends) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

12

Big EU Party

Alphaville for the first time in Serbia

The EU presents a great concert of European, regional, and domestic artists. On the occasion of celebrating Europe Day, as a gift to the citizens of Serbia, the Delegation of the European Union is organizing a Big EU Party, which will be held on May 12 in Hangar 1, Port of Belgrade, and the headliner is the German band Alphaville, who will perform in Serbia for the first time. The concept of the Big EU party is to satisfy all musical tastes and generations, so in addition to Alphaville, the mysterious Croatian masked duo Nipplepeople will perform, and the irresistible players Stereo Banana from Niš. With some of the best representatives of the local DJ scene, the party will last until the morning, and Dejan Milićević, Lea Dobričić, Luton, and Cosmic G will be responsible for an unforgettable time. This is a real opportunity to sing and dance all night with the biggest hits and celebrate love, respect, freedom, and tolerance - universal values of the European Union, but also of the band Alphaville, which has been on the world music scene for 40 years, and on May 12 to perform in Serbia for the first time. Their hits “Forever Young”, “Big in Japan”, and “Sounds Like a Melody” have no expiration date. The first album, “Forever Young”, which contains their greatest hits, was declared in several polls as one of the best electro-pop albums of all time. The German band that sings about Japan conquered Europe in the eighties, and the fact that their songs are covered and remixed by some of the world’s most famous musicians and DJs shows how much of a mark they left in music. The European Union and Serbia share the same values, and through the exchange of culture, they are united in their differences. That’s why visitors can enjoy different musical genres during the all-night Great EU Party - from pop, electro-pop, and hip-hop to electronic music. Serbia is part of the unique European cultural space, and before becoming a member of the European Union, it is certainly part of the European musical family. There are no borders for music, and that’s why on May 12, Belgrade will be the meeting place for musicians from Münster via Zagreb to Niš.

APRIL - 10 MAY 2023

MAY 2023

KALEMEGDAN PARK, BELGRADE, SERBIA HANGAR 1, PORT OF BELGRADE

© Anna Boyiazis