real estate magazine and belgrade guide I www.vosmediator.co.yu free copy I winter 2007/08 offices houses luxury properties for rental/sale apartments Jean-FrançoisJean-François TerralTerral SPECIAL EDITION GoranGoran PaskaljevicPaskaljevic COMMERCIAL TanjaTanja PetrovicPetrovic REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS IvanIvan CurkovicCurkovic Editorial Contents elgrade is currently one of the most eligible cities of the South- East Europe when investments come into question. This kind of Bleadership the Serbian capital has taken over from its neighbours, Bulgarians and Romanians, and the openness of the market and possibilities that offer development of JEAN-FRANÇOIS TERRAL all the fields in direct connection with the construction of residential and business This Is the Cosmopolitan City 04 structures are leading Belgrade into the circle of the cities of the future. But the capital of Serbia is also the place marked at the map of Europe as an exceptionally interesting cultural and historical metropolis, gastronomic and entertainment centre that lives intensively twenty four hours a day. About such Belgrade talk our collocutors, Mr. Ivan GORAN PASKALJEVIC Curkovic, current president of the Olympic I Am Poud of the Officier Committee of Serbia, Ms. Tanja Petrovic, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 08 sports star, and the internationally renown film director Mr. Goran Paskaljevic who has been awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (the Order of Arts and Literature), the Officier (officer) grade the same day this interview for VOS MEDIATOR has been made. By a turn of fate, the French Ambassador to Serbia Mr. Jean-François Terral speaks for our readers in this issue, too. Our magazine also notes that the TANJA PETROVIC Agency VOS MEDIATOR has presented its Rivers Are the Strength of Belgrade 12 offer and achieved results at the Second International Real Estate and Investments Fair that was held in Belgrade in mid December and that way has positively ended its business year. Beside all this, in this issue we also present the overview of luxurious apartments and houses that can be rented or sold. In addition to this there is an exclusive offer IVAN CURKOVIC of short renting apartments as well as lots Picture Postcard Full of Contrasts 14 extremely attractive for investors. SHort renting 21 IMPRESSUM Publisher: VOS MEDIATOR d.o.o., apartments 22 Belgrade 34, Strahinjica Bana St. Tel/Fax: (+381 11) 29-20-466 Houses 30 E-mail: [email protected] Editor: offices 34 Vojislav Noveski Design&layout: COMMERCIAL REAL estate-investment 46 Grigorije Lazarevic E-mail:[email protected] MUSEUM OF YUGOSLAV HISTORY Print: Once Upon a Time There Was a State 52 Forma B, Belgrade CIP, katalogizacija u publikaciji Narodne SERBIA GLOBALLY KNOWN AFTER ITS biblioteke Srbije, Beograd ISSN 1452-7154 MIRACULOUS RAKIJA COBISS. SR-ID 136370700 Sljivovica Older than Whiskey 54 JEAN-FRANÇOIS TERRAL, THE AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE IN BELGRADE This Is the Cosmopolitan “I have always wanted to be appointed the ambassador to Serbia since this country has the natural role of the whole region spine,“ says the new French ambassador who claims that he belongs to the generation that knows a lot about the Serbian-French City friendship tradition he first thing that Mr. Jean- their association under the auspices What is it that you like the most François Terral has done of the French Embassy. He has in our city? upon arriving to Belgrade launched this motion upon seeing how at the end of April in order impressive was the number of those “I like Belgrade very much because Tto take over the duty of the French scholars who occupy the leading posts it is so dynamic. Intellectual and Ambassador to our country was to lay in the Serbian intellectual skies. cultural life is very rich and the people a wreath at the Gratitude to France Since he has already spent eight who I get to know are interesting and monument in the Kalemegdan Park. months in our country it is quite educated. Contact with people is This monument was raised in 1931 as appropriate to ask the Ambassador cordial and it is easy for a foreigner a sign of friendship and mutual help Terral about his impressions of to make friends very quickly. This is a between Serbia and France during Belgrade and Serbia and further cosmopolitan city where you can find the First World War. With this gesture initiatives regarding cooperation and everything you need.“ Mr. Jean-François Terral has showed cherishing of friendship between our that he respects tradition. And he has two countries. Is there anything that bothers continued in this manner. you or that you would like to In the Belgrade French Embassy During these first eight months change? that can boast of the best location you have spent in Belgrade have in the city, with the view of the you got used to the life and work in “It bothers me that all the Kalemegdan Park and the mouth our capital? Do you like being here? beauties of this city have not yet been of the Rivers Sava and Danube, emphasized in the way they deserve frequently are evoked memories of “Of course I have immediately it. When strolling down the streets I the traditional friendship of our two come to like the life in Belgrade. You notice many nice facades that need countries that has been endangered know, one of my previous posts was just cleaning or restoring in order to during the turbulent 1990s. Recently the Director of the Direction for this shine in full swing. I have just come the French Ambassador has awarded part of Europe. Therefore I have been from a meeting and passing through our outstanding experts and in charge for the whole region and the city I have been fascinated again professors the Order of the Academic ever since I wished to be appointed with the beauty of the building at Palms and after that he has initiated the ambassador to your country. the corner of the streets Kralja Petra gathering of the local French Therefore, one of my dreams has and Uzun Mirkova, the one with government scholars and founding of come through.“ the green tiles from the period of 4 Secession. I acclaim all the efforts of the city authorities to fix all the facades, streetlights, and decorative building lights, parks… It is nice to see Kalemegdan Fortress or the bridge lit… I would also like the traffic to be more reduced and organized. Unfortunately, as is the case in Paris, here also traffic jams are frequent especially in the part of the city where our Embassy is located. Driving style of the Belgrade citizens with their aggressiveness reminds me of the one that is characteristic for my fellow citizens in Paris and that is something that I have been used to. I am sorry so many museums are being renovated and therefore their collections are not available to the public. At the same time, this means that efforts are being made for the cultural heritage to be presented in the representative and safe way in the future.“ Before Belgrade you were the Ambassador of France to Macedonia. Could you possibly compare Belgrade and Serbia with Skoplje and Macedonia? “I was very happy in Skoplje and I have many friends in Macedonia. However, Serbia is a country that has the natural role of the whole region spine. This being not just for the past but because it is justified by its geographic location, economic and human potential, its state and administrative capabilities. I am trying to travel as much as I can round Serbia. For the time being I have had more business visits but my intention is to start discovering its different charms privately.“ What part of Belgrade you like the best? “I suppose I won’t say anything original if I opt for Kalemegdan the Embassy is located, its very the French school that has been in Park. Such a beautiful park in the centre, the Belgrade Saborna Crkva, its full expansion and hopefully going middle of the city and just beneath Kosancicev venac, then the part that down the path of becoming a lycée. my windows is really a privilege. you walk down to the green markets For my part, I prefer smaller urban Now, in autumn, the park is really Zeleni venac and Bajloni and all the complexes as Vracar, Zemun, Dorcol, beautiful and, from my terrace, I way to the river banks. Belgrade small shops and streets and their enjoy seeing all the generations of neighbourhoods Neimar, Senjak special atmosphere…“ the Belgrade inhabitants strolling and Dedinje have always attracted through the Kalemegdan every day. foreigners thanks to their peace and When you go out privately where I love this part of the city where greenery. In Dedinje there is also do you like to go? 5 Are you satisfied with the current Could you reveal us the next big level of the Serbian-French relations? cultural project you are working on? According to your opinion, what segments of that relationship should “My personal wish is to organize be improved? something that would be remembered in the sphere of film, but since such “You should never be satisfied with realization is very complicated and the existing level of the relationship expensive it would be better not to tell between two countries. Instead, one you anything about it. In the second should constantly strive to motivate semester of the next year France is cooperation in all segments and at all presiding the European Union and I levels. Nevertheless, speaking more would like the French Cultural Centre precisely, one of my priorities is the to set up special different activities cooperation in the field of economy.