By: Milen Vesovic
Belgrade, 9 November 2009 (Serbia Today) – Confidence to the once distressed banking industry of Serbia appears to have been restored. After years of instability due to war, sanctions and inflation, the banking system in Serbia is finally enjoying a vote of confidence from the citizens.
Savings in Serbia last year amounted to more than 5.7 billion euros in foreign currency accounts and around 10.6 billion dinar accounts (about 113 million euros). Banking officials point out that the global economic crisis did cause the withdrawl of almost one billion euros in the last quarter of 2008, but for the first nine months of this year individual savings increased by more than 520 million euros.
"This trend shows strengthened confidence in the financial sector and that this trend will continue. In a crisis, people spend less and save more," said NBS Governor Radovan Jelasic. He added that this trend in banking is a sign of the market confirming the correctness of what is done by the NBS to stabilize the domestic currency and the banking sector.
Only this year NBS made nearly 20 different measures to maintain the stability of the banking sector, and among the most important is the reduction of the bench interest rate from 17.75 percent at the beginning of the year, to 11 percent, and the changing structure of the required foreign currency reserves for banks returned to the 50 billion dinar level. These factors have all contributed to making credit cheaper in Serbia, thus stabilizing lending.
Economic experts add that the Serbia’s success in stabilizing the banking system owes much to the fact that it has met requirements to obtain loans from the International Monetary Fund amounting to 2.9 billion dollars.
Despite these positive indicators, Serbia’s credit system is still listed as “risky” based on last October’s report of the international agency for credit evaluation, "Dun & Bradstreet”.
"Dun & Bradstreet" did point out that the banking system in Serbia has remained healthy since the foreign banks continued to support operations in Serbia.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Contract signed for the construction of a Dam and Water Reservoir “Arilje-Svrackovo
By: Bojana Jankovic
Arilje, Oct. 18,2009 (Serbia Today)-- On Wednesday, October 14 , 2009, on the premises of a public company “Rzav”, Director of the Republic Directorate for Waters Prodanovic Aleksandar, Mayor of Arilje Mirjana Avakumovic, Mayor of Pozega Milovan Micovic, Mayor of Lucani Slobodan Jolovic, Deputy Mayor of Gornji Mlanovac Mico Mirkovic, Mayor of Cacak Velimir Stanojevic and a Representative of Management Committee PC “Rzav” from Arilje Dragan Vasović, signed a contract of uniting funds for the construction of a Dam and Reservoir “Arilje - Svrackovo”.
This agreement settled the mutual rights and obligations regarding the construction of a Dam and Reservoir “Arilje-Svrackovo” with accompanying facilities, 35/10 kV telecommunication cable, access road, and pipelines leading raw water to the plant for the preparation of drinking water.
In a statement for Serbia Today, Mr. Prodanović Aleksandar said that this investment is very significant for Serbia, before all, for the city of Cacak and 4 municipalities, as it will solve the problem of water supply for the next 50 years.
“Building a Dam and Reservoir will ensure sufficient quantities of quality drinking water and there will be no more water restrictions in dry summer periods. Also, it will provide over 7 megawatts of electric power and the minimum of industrial waste downstream is guaranteed so the flora and fauna of the Big Rzav will not be endangered. The accumulated reservoir water will be used for irrigation, tourism, and citizens will not be affected by floods. The Republic Directorate for Waters, in addition to the construction of a Dam and Reservoirs, funded 60% of regional systems for water supply and wastewater treatment.”-Said Mr. Prodanovic.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, through the Directorate for Water, will finance the construction of a Dam and Reservoir “Arilje- Svrackovo” with over 47 million Euros, which will be provided in the next 5 years. This is also the term limit for contractors for the completion of the total project.
Holder of the construction jobs of the Dam and Reservoir is a public company, “Rzav” Arilje.
Arilje, Oct. 18,2009 (Serbia Today)-- On Wednesday, October 14 , 2009, on the premises of a public company “Rzav”, Director of the Republic Directorate for Waters Prodanovic Aleksandar, Mayor of Arilje Mirjana Avakumovic, Mayor of Pozega Milovan Micovic, Mayor of Lucani Slobodan Jolovic, Deputy Mayor of Gornji Mlanovac Mico Mirkovic, Mayor of Cacak Velimir Stanojevic and a Representative of Management Committee PC “Rzav” from Arilje Dragan Vasović, signed a contract of uniting funds for the construction of a Dam and Reservoir “Arilje - Svrackovo”.
This agreement settled the mutual rights and obligations regarding the construction of a Dam and Reservoir “Arilje-Svrackovo” with accompanying facilities, 35/10 kV telecommunication cable, access road, and pipelines leading raw water to the plant for the preparation of drinking water.
In a statement for Serbia Today, Mr. Prodanović Aleksandar said that this investment is very significant for Serbia, before all, for the city of Cacak and 4 municipalities, as it will solve the problem of water supply for the next 50 years.
“Building a Dam and Reservoir will ensure sufficient quantities of quality drinking water and there will be no more water restrictions in dry summer periods. Also, it will provide over 7 megawatts of electric power and the minimum of industrial waste downstream is guaranteed so the flora and fauna of the Big Rzav will not be endangered. The accumulated reservoir water will be used for irrigation, tourism, and citizens will not be affected by floods. The Republic Directorate for Waters, in addition to the construction of a Dam and Reservoirs, funded 60% of regional systems for water supply and wastewater treatment.”-Said Mr. Prodanovic.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, through the Directorate for Water, will finance the construction of a Dam and Reservoir “Arilje- Svrackovo” with over 47 million Euros, which will be provided in the next 5 years. This is also the term limit for contractors for the completion of the total project.
Holder of the construction jobs of the Dam and Reservoir is a public company, “Rzav” Arilje.
The Miracle of Life is Lost on HRT’s Stankovic
By :Bojana Jankovic
Uzice, Nov.7, 2009 (Serbia Today) – Located on Serbia’s Western border, near the Bosnian border, sits renown Serbian director, Emir Kusturica’s tourist village, Mecavnik. Mecavnik commonly referred to as Mokra Gora, the mountain upon which it is located, in what is Serbia’s Zlatibor region.
Mokra Gora is a tourist village whose design was aimed at capturing an idealized traditional Serbian village. Preserving the natural beauty of the setting and living in harmony with nature were the early objectives of the project. Mokra Gora succeeds in turning back the hands of time and creating a time capsule of Serbian life in the village without the past political complications or present encroachment of the modern world.
On Wednesday, November 4th , 2009, Croatian television HRT team, led by television broadcast “In Sunday in two”, Aleksandar Stanković in Mokra Gora met with Emir Kusturica. Stankovic felt the need to ask, what whiskey the late Serbian President, Slobodan Milosevic during the blockade of Sarajevo. Stankovic wasn’t stopped on this issue, but continued with the same tone. Stankovic said, he was reminded of one touching scene in the Hague courtroom, during which Milosevic sent kisses to his wife Mira and compared there interaction with Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. Kusterica responded, “Why do not you talk a little about the Croatian legionaries who killed Serbs in Croatia?”. The Kusterica was then asked by Stankovic what he thought about Ante Gotovina, the Coatian war criminal being sought byThe Hague. Kusturica was forced to eject the Croatian television team after it become obvious that there presence was a mere effort to provoke him and attempt to create bad press for nationalistic reasons. The material from the interview was taken beofer the team was escorted from the property.
And while Stankovic believes that the seizure of material “classic robbery and pure thievery,” Kusturica said that the talks ended because of the evil intentions of journalist, and that the “he had forgotten about the tapes immediately following the event.”
For Kusturica, the issues surrounding the entire interview were not related to any future plans the director’s Mokra Gora, but based on politics. The sad scene played out by Croatia’s own national network by Stankovic showed that there are still too many people in the region that find it more important to hold on to the past and stoke the fires of hatred, even when they are in the middle of the most bucolic of settings surrounded by artists.
Uzice, Nov.7, 2009 (Serbia Today) – Located on Serbia’s Western border, near the Bosnian border, sits renown Serbian director, Emir Kusturica’s tourist village, Mecavnik. Mecavnik commonly referred to as Mokra Gora, the mountain upon which it is located, in what is Serbia’s Zlatibor region.
Mokra Gora is a tourist village whose design was aimed at capturing an idealized traditional Serbian village. Preserving the natural beauty of the setting and living in harmony with nature were the early objectives of the project. Mokra Gora succeeds in turning back the hands of time and creating a time capsule of Serbian life in the village without the past political complications or present encroachment of the modern world.
On Wednesday, November 4th , 2009, Croatian television HRT team, led by television broadcast “In Sunday in two”, Aleksandar Stanković in Mokra Gora met with Emir Kusturica. Stankovic felt the need to ask, what whiskey the late Serbian President, Slobodan Milosevic during the blockade of Sarajevo. Stankovic wasn’t stopped on this issue, but continued with the same tone. Stankovic said, he was reminded of one touching scene in the Hague courtroom, during which Milosevic sent kisses to his wife Mira and compared there interaction with Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. Kusterica responded, “Why do not you talk a little about the Croatian legionaries who killed Serbs in Croatia?”. The Kusterica was then asked by Stankovic what he thought about Ante Gotovina, the Coatian war criminal being sought byThe Hague. Kusturica was forced to eject the Croatian television team after it become obvious that there presence was a mere effort to provoke him and attempt to create bad press for nationalistic reasons. The material from the interview was taken beofer the team was escorted from the property.
And while Stankovic believes that the seizure of material “classic robbery and pure thievery,” Kusturica said that the talks ended because of the evil intentions of journalist, and that the “he had forgotten about the tapes immediately following the event.”
For Kusturica, the issues surrounding the entire interview were not related to any future plans the director’s Mokra Gora, but based on politics. The sad scene played out by Croatia’s own national network by Stankovic showed that there are still too many people in the region that find it more important to hold on to the past and stoke the fires of hatred, even when they are in the middle of the most bucolic of settings surrounded by artists.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Twentieth Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Twentieth Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
By: Miodrag Stosic
Belgrade, Nov.9, 2009 (Serbia Today) - The Berlin wall, the concrete barrier that physically separated East Berlin from West Berlin, and psychologically separated the communist world from the free world, fell 20 years ago today. The biggest postwar symbol of the Cold war was built in 1961, and drove a wedge into the heart of Europe. Today, Belgrade, and the world, is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin wall.
In the beginning “the Wall” was in fact simple wire fence which was later replaced with concrete blocs. Afterward, in the seventies it became an impenetrable, reinforced concrete structure and remained so until 1989.
After WWII and before the Berlin Wall was erected, those who did not want to live in East Germany and could not migrate through official channels simply fled. They were met with imposing difficulties by the Soviet authorities administering the region in accordance with the post WWII armistice. By 1963, the massive emigration westward left East Germany with only 61% of its population of working age. The fledgling DDR state in East Germany was faced with a crisis of losing its population and credibility as a sovereign state in the face of the mass exodus of Germans to the West. In the face of total chaos, the East German regime realized that nothing short of totalitarian measures would control the population and border guards were finally given the infamous order - ‘shoot to kill’ your own countrymen if they try to escape.
At that time Serbia was part of Yugoslavia. Although Yugoslavia was still a socialist country it was not a member of Eastern bloc. Many of Yugoslav citizens remember the fall of the Berlin Wall with a bitter sweet mix of emotion, as this moment not only marked the collapse of the Eastern bloc, but the beginning of the ethnic tensions that would eventually tear Yugoslavia apart.
Few can forget when American president, Ronald Regan, demanded “Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” during his visit to Berlin in 1987.
In November 1989 mass demonstrations started in Berlin. German people from both sides of the Berlin Wall came out on the streets and demanded their freedom. Young men, equipped with hammers started to beat the Wall which was a symbolic proof that wall could no longer separate the people. The unification of the people on both sides of the wall symbolized far more than German reunification – it was the end of a bitter division of the world.
Yugoslavia sent a message of support to German protesters. Belgrade radio station broadcasted the performances of rock musicians who were celebrating the arrival of freedom in Berlin. “Wind of freedom” was the most popular song at time in Belgrade. So, we might say that fall of the Berlin wall was saluted from Yugoslav nations that wanted similar changes in their own country.
Today, twenty years after fall of the Berlin wall, the world is no longer the same. Mikhail Gorbachev, former General Secretary of Communist party, says that the biggest benefit from the fall of the wall was realized by Germans and Russians. “I am pleased that we managed to pass through all those changes without shedding any blood” said Gorbachev.
This evening, many citizens of Belgrade will attend the event at the Republic Square that will symbolically mark the fall of the Wall. German artist Frank Belter has built a cardboard model of the Berlin Wall at the Republic Square, to prepare for the ritualistic destruction this evening. The museum which currently houses the wall will be open by Germany's Ambassador in Belgrade Wolfram Mass.
Despite the bitter lessons of the years that followed in Yugoslavia, all Serbs can enjoy the fall of the Berlin Wall and its unmistakable metaphor for the people’s thirst for freedom.
By: Miodrag Stosic
Belgrade, Nov.9, 2009 (Serbia Today) - The Berlin wall, the concrete barrier that physically separated East Berlin from West Berlin, and psychologically separated the communist world from the free world, fell 20 years ago today. The biggest postwar symbol of the Cold war was built in 1961, and drove a wedge into the heart of Europe. Today, Belgrade, and the world, is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin wall.
In the beginning “the Wall” was in fact simple wire fence which was later replaced with concrete blocs. Afterward, in the seventies it became an impenetrable, reinforced concrete structure and remained so until 1989.
After WWII and before the Berlin Wall was erected, those who did not want to live in East Germany and could not migrate through official channels simply fled. They were met with imposing difficulties by the Soviet authorities administering the region in accordance with the post WWII armistice. By 1963, the massive emigration westward left East Germany with only 61% of its population of working age. The fledgling DDR state in East Germany was faced with a crisis of losing its population and credibility as a sovereign state in the face of the mass exodus of Germans to the West. In the face of total chaos, the East German regime realized that nothing short of totalitarian measures would control the population and border guards were finally given the infamous order - ‘shoot to kill’ your own countrymen if they try to escape.
At that time Serbia was part of Yugoslavia. Although Yugoslavia was still a socialist country it was not a member of Eastern bloc. Many of Yugoslav citizens remember the fall of the Berlin Wall with a bitter sweet mix of emotion, as this moment not only marked the collapse of the Eastern bloc, but the beginning of the ethnic tensions that would eventually tear Yugoslavia apart.
Few can forget when American president, Ronald Regan, demanded “Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” during his visit to Berlin in 1987.
In November 1989 mass demonstrations started in Berlin. German people from both sides of the Berlin Wall came out on the streets and demanded their freedom. Young men, equipped with hammers started to beat the Wall which was a symbolic proof that wall could no longer separate the people. The unification of the people on both sides of the wall symbolized far more than German reunification – it was the end of a bitter division of the world.
Yugoslavia sent a message of support to German protesters. Belgrade radio station broadcasted the performances of rock musicians who were celebrating the arrival of freedom in Berlin. “Wind of freedom” was the most popular song at time in Belgrade. So, we might say that fall of the Berlin wall was saluted from Yugoslav nations that wanted similar changes in their own country.
Today, twenty years after fall of the Berlin wall, the world is no longer the same. Mikhail Gorbachev, former General Secretary of Communist party, says that the biggest benefit from the fall of the wall was realized by Germans and Russians. “I am pleased that we managed to pass through all those changes without shedding any blood” said Gorbachev.
This evening, many citizens of Belgrade will attend the event at the Republic Square that will symbolically mark the fall of the Wall. German artist Frank Belter has built a cardboard model of the Berlin Wall at the Republic Square, to prepare for the ritualistic destruction this evening. The museum which currently houses the wall will be open by Germany's Ambassador in Belgrade Wolfram Mass.
Despite the bitter lessons of the years that followed in Yugoslavia, all Serbs can enjoy the fall of the Berlin Wall and its unmistakable metaphor for the people’s thirst for freedom.
Roma in Serbia
Roma in Serbia
By: Miodrag Stosic
Belgrade, Nov.5, 2009 (Serbia Today) - The Roma community is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Balkans. Nevertheless, during last few centuries Roma were considered second-class citizen. After 2000 the state of Serbia initiated numerous reforms which were designed to improve conditions for the Roma minority in Serbia. Today, Roma in Serbia have much more political, economic and cultural rights than ever before.
Despite the fact that large numbers of Roma have made the Balkans their home, they are a people without a state or region to call their own. There status as a minority without a state has combined with a number of other factors that have left the majority of Roma without education, housing, or basic medical services.
The year 2000 was crucial for starting changes in all areas of Serbian society. Thanks to an increased liberalization in state politics and the contribution of funding and guidance provided by NGO’s, the Roma community started its first political parties – “Roma for Roma” and “United Serbian Roma”. In the last decade these parties played an active role in Serbian politics, and their representatives served in Parliament. The Roma community got its first television station called ‘Krlo e Romengo’ (Voice of the Roma) broadcasted entirely in the Roma language.
This year, Serbia was the host country of “Decade of Roma inclusion”. This campaign aims to promote Roma culture and highlight the problems that the Roma community faces across of the globe. Roma experts from affected nations everywhere will attend this event to make a concrete assessment of the position of the Roma in Serbian society today. The Serbian government was an active participant in this event.
Recently, the Belgrade City Administration, together with the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), started new educational programs aimed at providing assistants in teaching in the Roma language. The most successful training students will be engaged by the Secretariat of Education from the City of Belgrade Administration as teaching assistants in selected schools in Belgrade. This program will take implemented between November 2009 and August 2010. These teaching assistants will be specifically assigned to the Roma who were recently displaced from the shanty towns under the Belgrade’s Gazelle bridge.
Roma pupils in Valjevo have recently received assistance in the form of 20 sets of textbooks. This donation was made possible by the Union Association of Roma in Western Serbia with support from the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights. “Our wish is that more Roma children complete primary school, at minimum, since these children often leave school in the fifth or sixth grade” said Sofka Vasiljevic Secretary General of the Union of Associations.
One of the most important steps in improving the lives of Roma was the recent opening of the first Museum of Roma Culture in Serbia. The opening ceremony was exhibition of the written legacy of the Roma called “A word of Roma”. The organizer of the exhibition was Dragoljub Acković and whole event was supported by was supported by Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas and the Serbian National Library. “It is important to change the image of Roma because they are an integral part of Serbia and Belgrade, and their contribution to our culture and history is enormous. The museum is a good way to show that” said Djilas.
By: Miodrag Stosic
Belgrade, Nov.5, 2009 (Serbia Today) - The Roma community is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Balkans. Nevertheless, during last few centuries Roma were considered second-class citizen. After 2000 the state of Serbia initiated numerous reforms which were designed to improve conditions for the Roma minority in Serbia. Today, Roma in Serbia have much more political, economic and cultural rights than ever before.
Despite the fact that large numbers of Roma have made the Balkans their home, they are a people without a state or region to call their own. There status as a minority without a state has combined with a number of other factors that have left the majority of Roma without education, housing, or basic medical services.
The year 2000 was crucial for starting changes in all areas of Serbian society. Thanks to an increased liberalization in state politics and the contribution of funding and guidance provided by NGO’s, the Roma community started its first political parties – “Roma for Roma” and “United Serbian Roma”. In the last decade these parties played an active role in Serbian politics, and their representatives served in Parliament. The Roma community got its first television station called ‘Krlo e Romengo’ (Voice of the Roma) broadcasted entirely in the Roma language.
This year, Serbia was the host country of “Decade of Roma inclusion”. This campaign aims to promote Roma culture and highlight the problems that the Roma community faces across of the globe. Roma experts from affected nations everywhere will attend this event to make a concrete assessment of the position of the Roma in Serbian society today. The Serbian government was an active participant in this event.
Recently, the Belgrade City Administration, together with the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), started new educational programs aimed at providing assistants in teaching in the Roma language. The most successful training students will be engaged by the Secretariat of Education from the City of Belgrade Administration as teaching assistants in selected schools in Belgrade. This program will take implemented between November 2009 and August 2010. These teaching assistants will be specifically assigned to the Roma who were recently displaced from the shanty towns under the Belgrade’s Gazelle bridge.
Roma pupils in Valjevo have recently received assistance in the form of 20 sets of textbooks. This donation was made possible by the Union Association of Roma in Western Serbia with support from the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights. “Our wish is that more Roma children complete primary school, at minimum, since these children often leave school in the fifth or sixth grade” said Sofka Vasiljevic Secretary General of the Union of Associations.
One of the most important steps in improving the lives of Roma was the recent opening of the first Museum of Roma Culture in Serbia. The opening ceremony was exhibition of the written legacy of the Roma called “A word of Roma”. The organizer of the exhibition was Dragoljub Acković and whole event was supported by was supported by Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas and the Serbian National Library. “It is important to change the image of Roma because they are an integral part of Serbia and Belgrade, and their contribution to our culture and history is enormous. The museum is a good way to show that” said Djilas.
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