Presentation about the business association The Forum Serbia Germany

2. What is The Forum Serbia Germany?
• Association of individuals, organizations and institutions
from Serbia and GermanyForm
• Development and promotion of Serbian-German
relations in the fields of politics, economy, culture,
education and science
Aim
• Different parts of the Serbian & German societies have the
opportunity intensively to exchange particularly important
topics and thus provide support to Serbia in preparation for
assuming the role of a reliable EU partner
Mission
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3. Why «FORUM»?
Serbian-German relations in the past have been substantial and
often complex. Always depended on the date of the political and
social situation in Serbia and Germany, oscillating from a variety of
valuables and intertwining of the two cultures to misunderstandings,
conflicts and wars.
Today there is almost no relationship between two countries in
Europe which is so filled with conflicting interpretations.
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4. Serbia vs Germany
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• „emotional and psychological" detachment
• sense of "undeserved abandonment“Society
• Germany: the most important Serbian economy & political partner
• Biggest donor to Serbia
• German companies amongst largest investors in Serbia, employing
+25.000 workers
• Serbian exports to Germany are in the value of 1,3 biilion EUR, 1st rank
Economy
• Serbian citizens show great ethnical distance towards Germans
• However, the majority of citizens would prefer to live, work or
study in Germany
Citizens

5. Germany vs Serbia
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• Serbia appears for Germans as territory with quality and capacity
in the European cultural area, nourishing and emphasizing its
otherness: Byzantine heritage and proximity of oriental cultural
matrices and systems
Society
• Serbian cultural duality and ambiguity, althought attractive for
Germans, are incomprehensible, with a tendency to see in Serbia
an unreliable and unstable future EU member
Mutual
understanding
• Communication took place primarily in the political arena: creation of
political stability and rehabilitation of the ex-YU war consequences
• Priority topics: stability and establishment of wider support for Serbia's
EU accession
Communications

6. Why «FORUM»?
Serbs and Germans are a bit familiar,
although considered to be very close to each
other because they are history several times
fatefully merged
Future ties between two nations will
depend to a large extent on whether countries
will be able to remove mutual
misunderstandings in favor of understanding
its cultural, economic and national
characteristics
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7. How to establish a Dialogue?
Development of network of
experts, institutions and
organizations to collaborate
intensively on improving mutual
relations
Formal & informal meetings of
decision makers in Serbia &
Germany, providing a dialogue
on most relevant topics in EU
integration process
Cultural exchange, promotion of
economic projects, charity events.
Particular attention: young people,
trainings, promotion of scholarship
programs, scientific research
cooperation, media initiatives
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8. Forum kick-off in Belgrade
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Bilateral meeting Schroeder-Vucic Ceremonial Forum Launch Serbian decision makers on the inauguration
ceremony
The Council Members Ruzica Djindjic Gerhard Schroeder- guest of honour

9. Forum kick-off in Berlin
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Signing in the book of DGAP honorary members German Minister of FA – WA Steinmeier
Serbian PM Alexander Vucic
on the Forum inauguration
DGAP is located in ex-YU Embassz where
Ivo Andric was located
250+ people were present on
the panel discussion

10. Who participates in The «FORUM»?
Honorary
Members
Council of
Experts
The Board
of Directors
Friends of
the Forum
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11. The Honorary Members
Ms Ružica Djinđić
President of the Dr Zoran
Đinđić Foundation
Mr Philipp Mißfelder
foreign rep. of the fraction
CDU/CSU
Mr Aleksandar Vučić
Prime Minister of the Republic
of Serbia
Mr Gernot Erler
President of SE Society,
German foreign policy
coordinator
H.E. Heinz Wilhelm
German Ambassador
in Serbia 11

12. The Councils of Experts
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13. The Board of Directors
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Marko
Čadež
Jelena Volić
Hellbusch
Bojan
Predojević
Daniela
Schily
Nikola
Janković
Nemanja
Žugić

14. Visit us in Belgrade
Str. Diplomatska Kolonija 22, 11000 Belgrade
+381 11 2641 369, +381 11 3676 501/502/503
office@forumsn.org
forumsrbijanemacka.org
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APPENDIX

16. Serbia at a Glance
Key Facts
 Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic
 Territory: 88,361 sq. km
 Capital: Belgrade
 Population: 7.1 million(1,2)
 GDP per capita: EUR 4,453(1,2)
 Nominal GDP: EUR 31.98 billion(1,2)
 Currency: Serbian Dinar (RSD)
 Credit ratings: S&P: BB-/Negative
Fitch: B+/Stable
Moody’s: B1/Stable
Vilnius
EU Non-EU
SERBIA
Nis
Kragujevac
Novi Sad
Belgrade
EU membership
application
Stabilisation and
Association
Agreement with the EU
Response to
the European
Commission’s
Questionnaire
20082006 2009 20112008 2009 2011 Mar 2012
EU candidate status
awarded
July 2012
Formation of the
Government after general
elections held in May
Jan 2014
Serbia officially started
EU accession process
Mar 2014
Early
parliamentary
elections held
Apr 2014
The new
Government
led by PM
Vucic in place
Recent Milestones and Progress to EU accession
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17. New Government Agenda – reforms, growth, FDIs
New legislation: Labor,
Bankruptcy, Privatization,
Construction
Comprehensive fight
against corruption &
grey economy
On-going EU accession
negotiations, full
membership expected
in 2020
Improvement of the
business climate as
one of key pillars
Economic
development, fiscal
consolidation
Generous incentives,
focus on additional
jobs
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Thank you
Danke
Хвала