The Serbian teams will assist in extinguishing fires that have spread across the Sutjeska National Park – Tjentište area and the broader Bileća municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as tackling large-scale forest fires near Athens, Greece.

Ivica Dačić, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, announced that, as part of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, a Kamov Ka-32 helicopter, of Russian origin and capable of carrying up to five tons of water, has been sent to Greece to aid in the firefighting efforts.

In addition, in response to Greece’s request for ground support, Serbia has dispatched 35 firefighters-rescuers and 12 vehicles to assist with the operations on the ground.

For the wildfire response in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia has provided an Airbus H215 Super Puma helicopter, with a water-carrying capacity of around four tons, and an Augusta Bell 212 helicopter, alongside 11 crew members and a liaison officer from the Emergency Situations Sector.

This swift response highlights Serbia’s dedication to regional cooperation and its readiness to support neighboring countries in managing and mitigating natural disasters.

Photo: mup.gov.rs

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This expansion, announced on LinkedIn, marks a key growth step for the company, which has a registered capital of 2,000 convertible marks in Bosnia and Herzegovina and recently established a branch in Banja Luka.

Ananas had previously entered the North Macedonian market by acquiring Vebspot, along with its brands Grouper.mk and Paopao.mk.

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This move positions Slovenia among the few nations globally to adopt this advanced financial technology.

The €30 million digital bonds will mature in four months. Although DLT is not widely used in financial markets yet, Slovenian officials expect its adoption to grow significantly.

DLT, which includes blockchain technology, offers enhanced security against forgery and unauthorized copying. This issuance is part of the European Central Bank’s pilot program for settling wholesale financial transactions with central bank money, marking a significant step in the digital transformation of financial markets.

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This decision concludes the legislative process, and the regulation will take effect 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, applying across all EU member states.

Since December 2009, holders of Serbian biometric passports have been exempt from visa requirements when traveling to the Schengen area. However, one category—Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija with passports issued by the Coordination Directorate of Serbia in Belgrade—was excluded from this exemption.

On 16th November 2023, the European Commission proposed amending EU Regulation 2018/1806 to remove this exclusion, thereby extending the benefits of visa-free travel in the Schengen area to all citizens of the Western Balkans.

This development represents a significant step towards greater regional integration and equal treatment within the European visa framework.

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The 16th edition of this survey, held from June 1 to 30, evaluated service quality across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia. Secret shoppers visited 800 locations across various sectors, including automotive, petrol stations, financial services, retail, tourism, and hospitality.

Key service quality indicators such as greeting, identifying customer needs, product knowledge, suggesting additional products, and thanking customers were assessed.

Following Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia claimed second place with a score of 79.73%, reflecting a 1.10 percentage point increase from 2023. Slovenia secured third place with a score of 78.80%, up by 0.20 percentage points. Montenegro took fourth place with a score of 76%.

Croatia maintained its fifth-place ranking, sharing the position with Serbia. Both countries scored below the regional average of 75.22%. Croatia’s score dropped to 69.50%, a decline of 0.18 percentage points, while Serbia improved slightly to 66.67%, up by 0.36 percentage points, placing it in sixth.

Among the categories evaluated, product knowledge emerged as the strongest, with an overall score of 87.25%, despite a 6.56 percentage point drop from last year. The weakest category was suggesting additional products, which improved by 9.95 percentage points but still only reached 48.12%.

Service industries once again led the sector performance with a score of 87.18%, maintaining their top spot from the previous year.

As the region continues to enhance service quality, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s significant improvement sets a high standard for neighboring countries to aspire to.

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The election results, with 97.05% of votes counted, reaffirm Plenković’s leadership. Ivan Anušić, running for vice president, received around 80,000 votes.

Following the announcement of the unofficial results, Plenković addressed the public, expressing gratitude for the strong turnout. “I am pleased to thank the members of HDZ for their significant participation in the elections. Forty percent of our members voted, providing our leadership with substantial democratic legitimacy,” Plenković stated, as reported by N1.

Plenković highlighted the honor and responsibility of leading HDZ for another four years. “We are embarking on another four-year cycle. Our focus will be on engaging young and new voters. Five out of six of us are also in the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and we are collaborating with our partners on our program,” he added.

He emphasized his commitment to working closely with HDZ members and reaffirmed the party’s importance. “Even without opposing candidates, we approached this election with utmost seriousness, understanding the significance of leading HDZ,” Plenković concluded.

Plenković’s re-election marks a continuation of his leadership, with a renewed focus on expanding HDZ’s appeal, particularly among younger voters, and strengthening the party’s position in Croatian politics.

Photo: HDZ/Youtube video printscreen

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This significant milestone comes after a decade of stalled progress, highlighting Montenegro’s efforts and commitment to meet EU standards.

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib and EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi emphasized the importance of this development, with Varhelyi noting the EU’s readiness for further expansion. The adoption of the IBAR report and the presentation of final benchmarks for closing accession chapters mark a new phase in Montenegro’s EU integration journey.

Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić expressed optimism, acknowledging the country’s lengthy wait for this achievement and predicting significant technical advancements in the next 18 to 24 months. With Serbia’s negotiations currently stalled, Montenegro is now seen as the leading candidate for EU membership in the Western Balkans.

Photo: X/OliverVarhelyi

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“I have just submitted the proposed program for the future government, led by VMRO-DPMNE, along with the list of cabinet members and their biographies. I expect it to be presented to the MPs this weekend, on 22-23 June,” Mickoski announced to journalists at the Assembly.

The new government will feature 20 ministries, an increase from the previous 16, and will include members from the VMRO-DPMNE coalition “Your Macedonia,” the Albanian coalition “Worth It,” and the political party “I Know – For Our Macedonia.”

Notable cabinet nominees include Panče Toškovski for Internal Affairs, Timčo Mucunski for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Gordana Kočoska Dimitrieska for Finance, and Aleksandar Nikolovski for Transport. Mickoski emphasized the urgency of delivering rapid results, as citizens have high expectations after feeling their country was “held captive by a few rulers” over the past seven years.

The parliamentary vote on the new government is anticipated to occur this weekend, with a session set to begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday and expected to conclude by midnight on Sunday.

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Contributed to by 43 MFIC members, who collectively generate over 30% of Montenegro’s GDP, the report assesses the business environment, pointing out persistent challenges and providing a quantitative measure through the ease of doing business index.

Tamás Kamarási, President of the MFIC, highlighted the meticulous approach taken in gathering data, yet noted a concerning trend with the ease of doing business index dropping to 6.4 for the second year running. Sectors such as tourism, trade, and manufacturing have seen declines, whereas the banking sector shows notable improvements.

The report’s revelations have not gone unnoticed by government officials. Novica Vuković, Montenegro’s Minister of Finance, has expressed the government’s commitment to scrutinize the MFIC’s recommendations closely. Vuković emphasized the importance of enhancing the business climate to attract and retain credible foreign investments and support sustainable business practices.

The 2023 White Book also introduces a new approach to evaluating specific indices and a detailed look at factors influencing business ease across all observed sectors. It sets out five key areas for potential improvement and rates the level of investor participation in decision-making, aiming to shape future government policies and fortify Montenegro’s economic framework.

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The forum, opened by Serbia’s Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade, Tomislav Momirović, underscores the government’s commitment to fostering a dynamic business environment and strengthening regional market integration among the small, individual markets of the Western Balkans.

French Ambassador to Serbia, Pierre Cochard, highlighted the tripling of trade between France and Serbia over the last decade, noting the forum as a testament to the ongoing success of bilateral relations. Dragan Stokić, President of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, remarked that the participation of over 150 companies from France and the Western Balkans illustrates a robust engagement in regional cooperation.

The event, held on 13 and 14 June at the MTS Hall in Belgrade, featured six panel discussions with more than 20 speakers from prominent French and Balkan institutions and companies, and facilitated over 100 B2B meetings. Special attention was given to the upcoming EXPO 2027, enhancing the forum’s significance as a precursor to furthering international collaboration.

Organizers are already preparing for next year’s edition, anticipating continued success in strengthening French-Western Balkan

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The index, which evaluates countries across 23 different metrics including the impact of terrorism, political turmoil, and military spending, positions Iceland as the leader for the sixteenth consecutive year, boasting the lowest scores in conflict-related categories and high marks for safety and security.

Europe dominates the rankings with seven countries, including Slovenia, making the top ten—underscoring the continent’s relative stability. Outside Europe, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia also made the list, each noted for their unique contributions to maintaining domestic and regional peace.

For Slovenia, this recognition is not just a testament to its peaceful conditions but also an affirmation of its robust policies aimed at enhancing national and regional security. As the world grapples with heightened tensions, Slovenia’s place among the most peaceful countries offers a hopeful outlook on the possibilities of maintaining harmony and stability in challenging times.

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The meetings are part of the “German Initiative for Finding Suppliers in the Western Balkans,” aimed at strengthening collaboration and increasing the presence of regional suppliers in the supply chains of German companies, as reported by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK).

The decade-long project seeks to connect German companies with suppliers from specific industrial sectors in Serbia and the broader Western Balkans. The interested German firms are primarily from the metalworking, automotive, and plastics industries, with a few from the electrical and electronics sectors.

Alexander Markus, a board member of AHK, emphasized the initiative’s contribution to establishing supply structures in Serbia and the region. He noted a trend towards diversifying supplies among German companies and highlighted the geographical proximity and flexibility of orders, including small batches and ad-hoc orders, as key factors in the increased interest in Balkan suppliers.

Markus also remarked on the robust growth of German-Serbian trade, citing a 25% increase from 2020 to 2021 and a 13% rise in exports and imports from 2022 to 2023. He stressed the reliability of Serbian partners, noting the absence of serious complaints about collaborations.

However, Markus mentioned logistical challenges related to border crossings and discussed the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will significantly impact cooperation. The EU requires companies to adapt to new rules and norms by December 31, 2025, during which importers from the EU will need to calculate and report their suppliers’ carbon emission levels quarterly.

Olaf Holzgrefe from the German Association for Supply Chain Management (BME) highlighted that the project, part of the Berlin Process initiated in 2014, has organized around 5,000 B2B meetings with top companies from the Western Balkans over the past decade.

Photo: Tanjug, Milan Antić

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However, 2023 is witnessing a notable shift, with a surge in interest from Serbian investors, particularly targeting the coastal areas of Istria and Kvarner, reports ‘Jutarnji’.

Estate agencies are reporting an increased influx of Serbian clients who exhibit higher financial capabilities and a preference for luxury properties in elite locations. “There is a pronounced interest in properties in Opatija and Istria, with a particular focus on the western coast,” explains Branko Papeš, director of Dogma Real Estate.

The catalyst for this increased interest remains unclear. Opatija, for instance, was once a popular locale among wealthy Russians for purchasing holiday homes. With Serbians having acquired 167 properties last year, the growing trend raises intriguing questions about the changing dynamics in Croatia’s real estate market as this year’s data looms on the horizon.

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This network comprises creative centers, organizations, and initiatives from Serbia (Ložionica), Slovenia (Rog Center), Croatia (Pučko otvoreno učilište Varaždin – Centar kulturnih i kreativnih industrija UPVŽ), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sklonište, Banja Luka), North Macedonia (UMPACI), Albania (Creative Industries Agency Municipality of Tirana), and Montenegro (CIM Forum Kotor, Kotor ART Festival).

The inaugural meeting highlighted the immense potential of creative industries and innovations for regional cooperation, cultural diplomacy, and the creation of a creative ecosystem. It also emphasized the importance of strengthening the region’s international positioning and fostering joint economic and technological progress.

Representatives from UNESCO, international experts from Denmark (BLOXKUB, Copenhagen), and France (Centquatre-Paris and BAAZAR from Lille) also participated in the first regional gathering. The participants were introduced to the project for the reconstruction and adaptation of the old Ložionica building into Serbia’s first creative industries center.

The event was organized with the support of UNESCO – Antenna Office Sarajevo, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Serbia, and the French Institute in Serbia.

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