180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

T OPIC

I N

FO C US

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

M AC RON I N SERBIA

THE MOST PUBLICIZED EVENT

T H E F R E NC H A M BAS SA D OR TO SERBIA

L O N G H I S T O RY O F R E L AT I O N S

It is expected that a number of agreements will be signed during the official visit of the French President.

The public interest in Macron’s visit is not surprising considering that this is the first-ever visit by a French president in 18 years.

President Macron’s visit would be an important moment for our political relations and a major occasion that would strengthen the French-Serbian economic ties.

The first contact between our countries dates back to the 13th century when Helen of Anjou married Stefan Uroš Nemanjić the First.

TOPIC IN FOCUS

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

Substantial Progress in Relations Between the Two Countries It is expected that a number of agreements will be signed during the official visit of the French President, Emmanuel Macron to Serbia

I N T RO

ince 2010, France gradually became the 7th biggest foreign investor in Serbia, which has strongly contributed to the Serbian growth and export. Positive economic prospects are complementing the long-term friendship and strong bilateral relations.

The French Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni said for our magazine earlier this year, that President Macron’s visit would be an important moment for our political relations and a major occasion that would strengthen the French-Serbian economic ties: “Several contracts or agreements will be signed on this occasion; covering various areas - from public administration reform to defence industry. I am also confident that this visit will further boost Serbia’s visibility among the French investors and highlights the numerous assets that the Serbian market has”.

He also said that France supported the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on the normalization of relations: “France is very supportive of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue because we are convinced that stability cannot be fully ensured in the future without a mutually acceptable compromise between both parties. In this regard, every measure that jeopardizes this dialogue must be avoided as they create useless instability and do not contribute to normalization which implies concessions on both sides. Stability is not just good on it-

S

2

self: it is also a key factor for economic development and consequently, for improving the living conditions of the people in the region. This is why we are concerned by the lack of progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, as it can negatively impact the stability of the region and slow down its economic development. The 100% tax on goods coming from Serbia and Bosnia, introduced by Kosovo, was a very unfortunate move. This measure should be retracted as soon as possible, as the EU requested on several occasions.”

Just before Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Serbia, the French Ambassador met with the Serbian PM, Ana Brnabić and Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić in June. On the occasion, it was underlined that many important agreements and treaties would be signed during President Macron's visit, covering areas such as economic cooperation, military-technical cooperation, the cooperation in culture and sports, as well as agreements on investment projects.

Ambassador Mondoloni welcomed Serbia's approach to the current crisis in relations with Pristina, pointing out that France salutes the peaceful reaction of the Serbian side. President Macron will bring three messages to Serbia - improvement of economic cooperation, supporting Serbia's reforms, and supporting the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina through dialogue.

Several contracts or agreements will be signed on this occasion; covering various areas - from public administration reform to defence industry

Ambassador Mondoloni also pointed out that French companies have been showing a growing interest in doing business in Serbia: “The French-Serbian business community has been very active and is one of the main assets of our bilateral relation Thanks to its engagement, new areas for investments and partnerships are being considered – like digital economy – and Serbia is getting increasingly appealing to French investors. The economic factor is definitely one of the pillars of our bilateral relations and a major asset to develop further,” the Ambassador concluded.

TOPIC IN FOCUS

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

Quality as a Synonym For A Leading Position Our company's product range is adapted to the local habits, and our products are among the most recognizable in Serbia

C O R P O R AT E

fter seven decades of successful operations, Mlekoprodukt is today one of the undisputed leaders in the cheese market in Serbia,” says Andrej Beslać, Mlekoprodukt’s General Manager.

At the beginning of this century, this domestic leader in the production of cheeses became a member of the French group Savencia Fromage & Dairy. Today, Melkoprodukt records constant growth and advancement in all market segments. We are talking with Mr Beslać about the current challenges in the market, the cooperation with Savencia Group, innovations, quality policy, and company development plans. “Mlekoprodukt is a modern, successful and dynamic company with a clear vision for the future,” Mr Beslać says at the beginning of our interview.

“A

Mlekoprodukt is often quoted as the most successful privatization in Serbia. How did Savencia opt for Serbia and how did the takeover process go?

— Yes, it's true that the privatization of our company is cited as a successful example of the process of this kind.

First and foremost, the reason for that is that we focus on our workers and their satisfaction. Our jobs are safe and nobody was laid off after the privatization. Mlekoprodukt now has an owner that invests in people, production, purchase of milk from dairy producers and above all, in quality. All parties in this process are winners - the company, the state, the employees, the suppliers and the consumers. Mlekoprodukt was founded in 1947, and in the 1980s, it became one of the largest cheese producers and a market leader in the former Yugoslavia. The company survived the crisis period in the 1990s and entered the new century as a joint-stock company with the state

having majority ownership.

In 2003, then Bongrain Group, now called Savencia, acquired the majority share and restored the dynamic operations in the company. With the modernization of the plant, improvement in quality, creation of the brand 'Biser' and launch of new products in the market, Mlekoprodukt regained both its resources and ambition. Today, Mlekoprodukt employs close to 300 people and processes 30 million litres of milk annually.

The company is continuously progressing and growing thanks to the product innovations, as well as the very focused and creative development of the Biser brand.

Is Serbia different from other countries in the dairy industry and in which way did Savencia contribute to the development of this industry?

— Even before Savencia, our company had been recording successful operations for six decades on its own merit, but Savencia brought to Mlekoproduct new models of internal organizations which improved work efficiency and facilitated quality control systems.

Also, exchanging experiences with the partners from the group means a lot to everyone in Mlekoprodukt. The specificity of our market is reflected in a higher consumption of fresh dairy products, as well as fresh white cheeses. However, we are very well-known in the segment of semi-hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, Trappist, Gouda and cheese spreads.

The Savencia Group has helped us invest in the development of high-quality products, as this is what consumers are looking for and recognize.

Do consumers in Serbia have similar demands to consumers in France and other EU countries, and what are your best-selling products?

A N D R E J B E S L AĆ General Manager of Mlekoprodukt, part of Groupe Savencia

SUPPORT

AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE With the support of the Savencia Group, we have significant ambitions for the future. Namely, we want to have a dominant market share in the cheese segment in Serbia by 2021.

— Each market has its own habits and is more or less inclined towards more traditional products. Our company's product range is adapted to the local habits, and our products are among the most recognizable in Serbia. Like everywhere in the region, fresh off-white semi-hard cheeses and cheddar-type cheeses are more popular, while the French prefer more soft blue cheese.

However, fine cheeses, especially French, are becoming increasingly popular all over the world, our country included. Thanks to the Savencia Group, Mlekoprodukt is offering a range of fine cheeses, from Camembert and Brie to creamy goat cheeses and blue cheeses under the brand Ile de France, in addition to the famous fine cheese brands such as Caprice des Dieux, Saint Aigur, Le Roustique and Tartar.

What are your plans for the future and how do you see Mlekoprodukt in Serbia in 5 or 10 years?

— With the support of the Savencia Group, we have significant ambitions for the future. Namely, we want to have a dominant market share in the cheese segment in Serbia by 2021.

We will achieve this by preserving the quality andn invest effort to maintain a leadership position in semi-hard cheeses and cheese spread categories, and by taking over premium market segments, launching various specialities such as the Selekta Trappist and Ille de France product range. In order to accomplish this goal, our plant needs to specialize in premium semi-hard cheeses and cheese spreads, sell top-notch products and provide the best possible service to our consumers. Finally, we want to have a significant breakthrough in the HORECA segment using the abundance of products from the Savencia Group.

3

TOPIC IN FOCUS

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

SANJA ŠOJIĆ

First-ever Visit by a French President in 18 Years The mere fact that it is a two-day visit testifies to the fact that the French side wants to validate and further strengthen the good relations POLITICS

he official visit of the French President, Emmanuel Macron to Serbia on 15th and 16th July is one of the most publicized events so far this year. It is a special honour for Serbia to have a French president coming to Belgrade right after the biggest French holiday, the Bastille Day, that is marked on 14th July. The public interest in Macron’s visit is not surprising considering that this is the first-ever visit by a French president in 18 years. The last French president who visited Belgrade was Jacques Chirac, back in 2001.

So, how will this visit benefit the bilateral relations between the two countries?

The mere fact that it is a two-day visit testifies to the fact that the French side wants to validate and further strengthen the good relations, including ever-expanding economic cooperation and an annual external trade reaching the value of almost 1 billion euro. This indicates that official Paris wants to activate its presence in our country and the region, and sees Belgrade as an important stop on this road. President Macron will bring three messages to Serbia- improvement of economic cooperation, supporting Serbia's reforms, and supporting the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina through dialogue.

That is why the meeting between Aleksandar Vučić and Emmanuel Macron will create an opportunity for improving bilateral relations and understanding of the whole spectrum of issues, of which

T

4

PLAN

THREE MESSAGES President Macron will bring three messages to Serbia- improvement of economic cooperation, supporting Serbia's reforms, and supporting the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina through dialogue.

the Kosovo one is the most important.

In this regard, it is encouraging to see that, at the UN Security Council session in New York about Kosovo, the French representative, had more balanced rhetoric compared to other Western countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence. This testifies that official Paris can be more open to proposals from the Serbian side in terms of reaching a compromise solution.

Given that the upcoming visit is the first visit of a French President to Serbia in the last 18 years, this represents great progress in the relations between the two countries as this is an exceptional opportunity for a discussion about Serbia’s accession to the EU. Many important treaties and agreements will be signed during President Macron’s visit covering areas such as economic cooperation, military-technical cooperation, the cooperation in culture and sports, as well as agreements on investment projects. Also, Strasbourg and Vojvodina will sign an agreement on the development of geothermal energy sources.

According to official data, with a total of EUR 750 million worth of investments,

France was the biggest single investor in Serbia, in 2018. This figure and President Macron’s visit will contribute to even more French companies expressing interest in investing in Serbia. Last year, seven small and medium-sized companies from France came to Serbia. Belgrade is no longer the sole destination for their investments, as they expressed interest to invest throughout Serbia. Currently, there are about 120 French companies operating in Serbia, with many of them being large enterprises.

A lot of French automotive companies are interested in coming to Serbia since they found out that the Serbian automotive sector has been growing exponentially. The value of external trade with France has reached about 1 billion euro, with 500 million euro worth of exports and about the same amount worth of imports, which is a 7.8% increase relative to last year and a two-fold increase compared to 2010.

To remind, Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić recently visited Paris where she met with the Speaker of the French Parliament, Gerard Larcher. During her visit, the PM also met with her French counterpart, Édouard Philippe.

TOPIC IN FOCUS

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations French-Serbian relations date back to the Middle Ages, but their development in modern times is largely based on the establishment of the first diplomatic office in Belgrade in 1839

H I S T O RY

erbia and France have a long history of diplomatic and friendly relations, and this is a story of how it all came about. The first contact between our countries dates back to the 13th century when Helen of Anjou married Stefan Uroš Nemanjić the First. This is thought to be the first closer contact between the two countries that was consolidated in 1255 by the two royal families creating a diplomatic alliance. The circumstances in which both countries found themselves a century later prevented them from further developing their relations and helping each other. Nevertheless, when, in 1389, Charles VI was given news of the alleged victory of the Serbs against the Ottomans, the French king ordered that the bells on Notre Dame should chime in honour of the victory of the friendly country.

S

REVOLUTION TIME The echo of the French Revolution, and then of Napoleon's wars, fortified

6

Serbia's will for independence which resulted in the great uprising of 1804 led by Karadjordje. At first, in the period between 1800 and 1810, heavy fighting by the Great Army in Central Europe, Spain and then in Russia, as well as the necessity to avoid a war with the Ottoman Empire, prevented Napoleon from supporting Karadjordje, although the French emperor expressed his admiration for the courage and military capability of the leader of the Serbian uprising. Nevertheless, since 1809, the relations between Serbia and France embarked on an upward path, after the Illyrian provinces - a territory corresponding to the entire Adriatic coast became an integral part of the French territory (1809-1814), creating a direct contact between France and the Serbian territory, and establishing the first economic and cultural links. From 1820 to1830, France, which was successively ruled by kings Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis-Philippe I, renewed its interest in Serbia. Thus, the first trade rela-

The first contact between our countries dates back to the 13th century when Helen of Anjou married Stefan Uroš Nemanjić the First

tionships were established which, although being quite limited for a long time, were constantly developing.

French writers expressed a particularly lively interest in Serbia. Alphonse de Lamartine was one of the first great French writers to stay in Serbia. He described the country in detail in his famous novel “Voyage en Orient”, published in 1835. He arrived in Serbia in September 1833 and toured the country for several weeks.

OPENING OF THE FIRST FRENCH DIPLOMATIC OFFICE IN SERBIA In 1838, in a favourable political, economic and cultural context, the Trade Directorate of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was in charge of the majority of the consular issues at that time, sent a letter to the Minister, Count Louis-Mathieu de Molé, recommending opening a consulate office in Belgrade. In November 1838, Count de Molé made a formal decision

TOPIC IN FOCUS

180 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Macron in Serbia

on the opening of the first diplomatic representation in Belgrade, called thereinafter the French Consular Agency in Serbia, which led to the appointment of a vice-consul in Serbia that would report to the French consulate in Constantinople.

However, the minister made an exception and allowed the French consular office in Serbia to directly communicate with the French Ambassador in Vienna, rather than the one in Constantinople, which was his superior, thus giving French mission in a Serbia a more diplomatic rather than consular vocation. The minister chose Francois Duclos to run the newly established Consular Agency. After receiving the minister’s instructions, Duclos left Paris for Marseille, where he boarded the ship to Constantinople. The ship reached its destination, after 14 days at sea that were a real test: caught in a terrible storm off the coast of Italy, the ship almost sank.

In Constantinople, on February 1, Mr. Duclos met with the French Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Admiral Albin Roussin. While in Constantinople, Mr. Duclos also met with the Serbian delegation that had just negotiated with the Ottoman government to accept the 1838 constitution.

Duclos left for Belgrade in March 1839, and at Prince Miloš's request, he was honoured to temporarily move to a room in Belgrade's royal residence Milošev Konak - in the immediate vicinity of some ministers' homes, which greatly facilitated his first contacts in Serbia. This is where the last act of establishing Franco-Serb relations came into play on March 24, when Duclos introduced himself to the representative of the Ottoman Empire in Belgrade, Vizier Youssouf Moublir, who welcomed him with seven cannon shots and a guard of honour presenting the weapons. Mr. Duclos gave him his letter from the Ottoman government accrediting him as the French representative in Belgrade.

On March 24, France legally formalized the launch its representation in Serbia and the establishment of its relations with the Serbian autonomous authorities.

Barely three months after his arrival, Duclos witnessed the abdication of Prince Miloš in favour of his son, Prince Milan, and then later his death on July 8 and Prince Mihailo Obrenović's crowning. The period was marked by a weakening of the executive powers, in a context of persistent tension between Serbia and the Ottoman Em-

pire. Beyond his mission to open the Consular Agency, Duclos had to decipher complex events that happened one after the other very quickly.

Duclos' first reports led the French government to realize the growing importance of Serbia for European diplomacy. The new minister was now Jeande-Dieu Soult, Napoleon's former marshal with an exceptional career. Marshal Soult ordered that the protocol rank of the French representation in Belgrade should be elevated, and the Consular Agency in Belgrade to be transformed into a Second Class Consulate.

In July 1839, by ministerial decision, Duclos was replaced by Achille de Codrika. Duclos, the man who restored diplomatic relations between France and Serbia, spent only five months in Serbia, but nevertheless did a significant job on which the entire history of relations between France and Serbia is based from then on.

ROAD TO EMBASSY In April 1867, after several months of negotiations, the Ottoman garrison in Belgrade withdrew, following the formation of the First Balkan Alliance between Serbia, Montenegro and Greece in 1866. This departure from one of the last Ottoman presences on the territory of Serbia allowed the country to achieve de facto independence, as reflected in its 1869 constitution. This evolution led Emperor Napoleon III's France to increase its representation in Serbia in two stages.

The French Consulate in Belgrade was elevated to the rank of Consulate General, by the decision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marquis Léonel de

FA C T

FIRST WRITER Alphonse de Lamartine was one of the first great French writers to stay in Serbia.

Moustier. Edouard-Philippe Engelhardt became France's first Consul General in Belgrade at the same time.

But on February 3, 1869, the Minister again changed the title of the representation in Belgrade, which became "Agence et Consulate General de France".

The term "Agency" de facto established the French representation as an embassy, a position justified by the drafting and adoption of the Serbian Constitution of June-July 1869, which gave Serbia independence. However, as Serbia continued to be nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, the French authorities avoided - for the time being - the use of the term "embassy". Despite this semantic choice, Mr Engelhardt can be considered as the first French Ambassador to Belgrade.

The evolution towards an Embassy was consecrated on June 21, 1874. On that date, Frédéric Debains succeeded Mr Engelhardt and became the first French agent officially accredited by the Ottoman and Serbian authorities under the title of "Agent and Consul General of France in Belgrade", thus recognizing the diplomatic status, and not only consular status, of the French representation. The same recognition was granted to Mr Debains' successors.

Serbia finally achieved full independence at the Berlin Congress in June-July 1878, which ended the Serbo-Turkish (1876-1877 and 1877-1878) and Russian-Turkish (1877-1878) wars. The event led France to officialize the status of the embassy of its representation in Belgrade. The same year, Baron Jules Alexis des Michels was appointed "Minister Plenipotentiary in charge of the functions of Resident Minister in Belgrade".

He brought with him credentials dated January 31, 1879. He arrived in Belgrade on February 11 and wrote his dispatch No. 1 on February 19 titled "Légation de France en Serbie", that bore the sign of the French Embassy in Serbia, which was officially opened on February 12, 1879. On March 2, Baron des Michels left for Niš where, on March 5-6, he met Prince Milan and presented him with his credentials as the first officially appointed ambassador to Serbia.

The establishment of Franco-Serb diplomatic relations was finished on January 30, 1880. On this day, Jovan Marinović officially presented his credentials to the President of the Republic, Jules Grévy. He then became Serbia's first Ambassador to Paris and its first permanent representative in France as the "Extraordinary Envoy and Plenipotentiary Minister of Serbia in Paris".

7