Italy - 2021 - ITALY & SERBIA VIBRANT AND SINCERE RELATIONSHIP H.E. CARLO GIORGIO IGOR LO CASCIO MARCHEGIANI MIROVIĆ Italian President of the Head of the Ambassador Italian-Serbian Vojvodinian to Serbia Chamber of Government Commerce CONTENT THE RELATIONSHIP THE ITALIAN INVESTMENT WE WILL CONTINUE WITH 08 BETWEEN ITALY AND 20 HOTSPOT 33 THE SUPPORT TO THE SERBIA IS VIBRANT AND SINCERE Patrizio dei Tos REGION H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio President of Confindustria Serbia Alessandro Bragonzi Italian Ambassador to Serbia Head of EIB regional representation for ITALY REMAINS ONE the Western Balkans SERBIA - THE LAND OF 24 OF SERBIA'S LEADING 12 OPPORTUNITY ECONOMIC PARTNERS VERY POSITIVE Giorgio Marchegiani 44 TENDENCIES IN FOSTERING Marko Čadež President of the Italian-Serbian President of the Chamber of COOPERATION ITALY Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Commerce and Industry of Serbia DDOR Osiguranje – part of UNIPOL Mirjana Kojić (CCIS) 2021 Group The Secretary General CCIS WE LOOK TO FUTURE WE HOPE FOR BETTER RESULTS IN 2021 ECONOMIC COOPERATION 16 COOPERATION WITH GREAT 28 WITH ITALY IS EXTREMELY 48 Focus OPTIMISM Boško Vučurević President of the Chamber of DEVELOPED AND DIVERSIFIED Igor Mirović Economic cooperation Head of the Vojvodinian Government Commerce of Vojvodina (PKV) 3 01 FREE WINE! A small town named Caldari di Ortona in Italy has a free wine fountain that flows 24 hours a day, with locally grown red wine! 06 COFFEE STARTS THE DAY It’s well known that Italians adore their coffee. But did you know that 2021 they enjoy 14 05 billion ITALY HIGHEST espressos PEAKS each year? The highest mountain of Italy can be found in the Alps. It is Focus the Monte Bianco, better known as Mont Blanc, which is 4,807m. 4 03 ITALY’S BABY One of the tiniest fun facts about Italy is that there’s a whole other country 02 inside it! The THE OLDEST Vatican City! DISH Pasta is a crucial part of Italian culture and they have eaten it since the 4th century B.C! 04 UNESCO KINGS Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world. A total of 55! 08 SPORT LOVERS Italians love sports. Cycling, Skiing, Soccer and Motor Racing are just some of the sports Italians have very strong interest in! ITALY 2021 07 CHEESE LOVERS Focus The Italians have over 2,500 types of cheese! Some of the most popular include parmesan, mozzarella, and gorgonzola. 5 Italy 2021 FOREWORD Dear readers and friends, Diplomacy & Commerce magazine and significantly upgraded from last year. This difficult year forced us to face As a culmination of this work, we unprecedented complications and dif- would like to thank every person who ficulties as a result of Covid-19 pandem- supported and contributed to this pub- ics. These unfortunate circumstances lication. In particular, we would like to forced us to drastically rethink our work, express our gratitude to our members but also prompted us to innovate it and and associates, with whom the CCIS enhance its quality. And so, in the hope maintains and promotes long-term co- and conviction that this situation will operation, and to the Italian Embassy soon fade away, I am sincerely glad to an- in Belgrade. nounce the issuance of a special publica- tion dedicated to economic bilateral co- MIRJANA KOJIĆ operation between Italy and Serbia, re- Secretary-General Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce dacted in partnership with our associate Dear readers and contributors, work as ‘normally’ as possible. Since everything in life has a silver For the past year and a half, we lining, as it turns out, this pandemic have all been facing an unusual situa- forced us to come out of it even strong- tion, created by the Covid-19 pandem- er and readier to improve our work ic. New circumstances have forced us and generate better quality as a result. to undergo many transformations and In this year's special edition InFocus adjustments in everyday life, as well as Italy, you will find out how Italian com- in work and all other segments. panies coped during this period, how In a situation when the health of they adjusted their business and what humanity comes first, it was vital to lessons they learned, which we have react quickly so that the consequenc- prepared with the support of the Italian es would be as negligent as possible. Embassy, the Italian-Serbian Chamber Overall, we can say that most of the of Commerce, Confindustria Serbia, the society managed well and adapted all Chamber of Commerce and Industry of its activities to the new situation. Serbia, the Chamber of Commerce of As the economy is the pillar of a Vojvodina, the Italian business people, to be healthy, first and foremost, suc- country's development, the global fo- as well as the Serbian business people cessful and happy. cus has been on preserving this seg- who cooperate or are somehow con- ment. Of course, that was not easy at nected to Italy. Enjoy! all, because we had to find a modality This is our magazine’s jubilee year that we could function in. We had to in which we are celebrating its 5th an- TANJA BANKOVIĆ find solutions that ensured that we can niversary. Our wish for you this year is Editor-in-Chief TANJA BANKOVIĆ JOVANA MARKOVIĆ RUŽA VELJOVIĆ Translation Special thanks to Editor-in-Chief Advertising manager Magazine director 2021 SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ MIRJANA KOJIĆ [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ALBERTO FORNERIS Print GUGLIELMO MIGLIORI ITALY ILIJA PETROVIĆ JELENA RANDJELOVIĆ ROBERT ČOBAN ZLATNA KNJIGA Embassy of Italy INDIGOCHILD Advertising manager Director Jagodina Art director [email protected] [email protected] Bagrdanski put bb [email protected] DRAGANA RADOVIĆ Photos NATAŠA NEŠIĆ Advertising manager GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ Focus Advertising director [email protected] GETTY IMAGES [email protected] 6 THE RELATIONSHIP INTERVIEW BETWEEN ITALY AND SERBIA IS VIBRANT AND SINCERE H.E. CARLO LO CASCIO Italian Ambassador to Serbia The bilateral cooperation is based on a solid and ever growing Italian entrepreneurial presence. Our cooperation also develops within the framework of the EU being Italy a founding member, and Serbia a candidate state e spoke with Italian Am- a consolidated tradition that has not bassador to Serbia, Carlo changed even during the pandemic. W Lo Cascio, about the rela- THE STORY OF OUR Last year, in fact, two Ministers came 2021 tions between our two from Rome to Belgrade, the Minister of countries today, given that diplomat- RELATIONSHIP IS TRULY Foreign Affairs and International Coop- ITALY ic relations date back to 1879 and Ital- A MEETING OF CLOSE eration, Luigi Di Maio, and the Minister ian companies have been investing in of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini, as well as Serbia for almost 20 years. PARTNERS WHO HELP former Deputy Minister for Foreign Af- “For two countries bound by such EACH OTHER fairs (and current Deputy Minister for Focus a solid friendship, the exchange of vis- Internal Affairs), Ivan Scalfarotto. For its between our Governments remains Serbia, former Minister of Foreign Af- 8 fairs and current National Assembly than acceptable, considering the ex- nia and North Macedonia within the President Ivica Dacic and the Minister ceptional circumstances of the pan- framework of the “Mini Schengen ini- of European Integration Jadranka Jok- demics. Italy confirmed to be Serbia's tiative'”. Belgrade’s willingness to sup- simovic paid a visit to Italy. This year, second trade partner with 3.4 billion ply vaccine doses to other countries Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Se- euros in the commercial exchange.In- in the region was also another impor- lakovic went very recently to Rome, deed, there is room for improvement tant signal. also”, he concluded. not only with statistics - that by the In this regard, we appreciate Ser- way show positive feedback already bia's commitment to the EU-facilitat- The relations between the two coun- for the first quarter of this year - but ed Dialogue with Pristina. An agree- tries intensified during the COVID-in- also with a wider cooperation to be ment would represent a historic turn- duced crisis when Serbia sent aid to achieved with new investments. ing point for the entire Region. We are Italy. How important is it that our two In our perspective, innovation and aware of the obstacles that the negoti- countries help each other? high-tech in general offer the greatest ations are facing, but we count on the potential for collaboration between leadership of President Vucic to reach The relationship between Italy and Ser- our countries. New technologies can this important milestone which will bia is vibrant and sincere. The support be successfully developed in sectors certainly lead to immense benefits, by received from the Serbian Government like digital infrastructure, healthcare achieving progresses in parallel with- with the generous donations of sani- and medicine, agriculture, industry, re- in the European accession process. tary protective devices one year ago, newable energy, industry and others. Like Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di was a concrete sign of friendship for Maio recently said, the goal of this his- which I would like once again to thank toric result requires the utmost com- Serbian people. mitment on both sides. As I said many times, although I was SERBIA’S PROGRESS IN In our view, without a serious and well aware of the generosity of Ser- ECONOMIC REFORMS credible revitalization of the EU en- bian friends, I was truly moved by all largement process, it is unlikely to the expressions of love and solidarity IS REMARKABLE. definitively stabilise the Region. In towards Italy from both Serbian citi- MACROECONOMIC this respect, we do not want to create zens and authorities in the most diffi- “shortcuts” in the process of the EU en- cult moments for our country last year.