09.05.2012.

PROJECT NEW ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY – OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLANGES

CIVIS Association in cooperation with the Ministry for Economy and Regional Development of the Republic of Serbia successfully implemented the project New Economic Diplomacy – Opportunities and Challenges. The project was supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Belgrade Office), the Swiss Peace and Crises Management Foundation, and the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

General objective of the project was to increase the information, education and motivation so that the values of economic diplomacy and new establishment of the network of Economic Counsellors of the Republic of Serbia could be perceived on micro, mid and macro level (state and economic) in order to achieve better positioning of Serbia on the world map.

Publication with the title New Economic Diplomacy – Opportunities and Challenges was written during this project. The publication has 5 initiatory texts by prominent authors who answered the questions about the definition, content and significance of economic diplomacy, then about the rules of functioning, plurality of benefits and transparency of the functioning; as well as its advantages in comparison with classic diplomacy. Authors are:

• Dr. Dusko Lopandic
  Assistant Minister in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia;
• Mrs. Jelena Marjanovic
  Assistant Minister in the Ministry for Economy and Regional Development of the Republic of Serbia, in charge of the work of Economic Counsellors;
• Prof. Dr Vlado Gligorov
  Researcher at the Institute for International Economic Studies from Vienna;
• Mr. Zoran Stanojevic
  RTS Journalist and Editor of the OKO Magazine;
• Mrs. Mirjana Prljevic
  project Author and the International Secretary General of the CIVIS Association.

The partner, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development of the Republic of Serbia, which is in charge of creation of network of Economic Counsellors and that monitors their achievements, engaged 15 of them with the assignment to make analysis of the opportunities and challenges concerning the improvement of economic cooperation in the countries where they work. They gave huge contribution to this subject by writing valuable texts which presented concrete advantages of the Economic Diplomacy for the state and economy functioning, both on macro and micro level, through multilateral and bilateral relations. Also, they presented their experiences and advices serving in the following countries: Austria, Belgium–Benelux, France, Croatia, Italy, Japan, Canada, Macedonia, China, USA, Slovenia, Germany, Romania, Russia and Turkey.

Promotions of the Publication were held on several levels: state/institutional level, regional level, for academic audience within the interested academic institutions, for business sector, in cooperation with Chambers of Commerce and professional associations, for broader public via media. Promotions were held in:

• Novi Pazar (March 22nd 2012) at the Novi Pazar Cultural Centre - Multimedia Centre: Novi Pazar Municipality together with the State Faculty in Novi Pazar;
• Nis (March 26th 2012) in Media Centre Nis and at the Faculty of Economics, University of Nis;
• Kragujevac (March 28th 2012) at the Kragujevac Regional Chamber of Commerce and at the Faculty of Economics, University of Kragujevac;
• Novi Sad (April 24th 2012) at the Novi Sad Regional Chamber of Commerce and at the Higher School of Professional Business Studies;
• Belgrade (April 26th 2012) at the Institute of Economic Sciences and in the Media Centre.

Promotions had an excellent attendance in all five cities. Many questions and comments were brought up to speakers at the promotions by students and their professors at academic institutions as well as by entrepreneurs and media at the Chambers of Commerce.

On the promotions spoke: Mrs. Jelena Marjanovic, Assistant Minister in the Ministry for Economy and Regional Development of the Republic of Serbia; Mrs. Mirjana Prljevic, project Author and the International Secretary General of the CIVIS Association; Mr. Javanshir Majidov, Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan First Secretary; on behalf of the City of Novi Pazar, Mr. Ramiz Paljevac, Head of Economy Section; Mrs. Jagoda Lazarevic, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development representative; Mr. Manabu Shoji, Embassy of Japan Second Secretary; Mr. Milos Tomic, on behalf of the Novi Sad Regional Chamber of Commerce; Mrs. Dragica Tomic, representative of the Higher School of Professional Business Studies in Novi Sad; Mr. Jovan Njegic, Lecturer at the Higher School of Professional Business Studies in Novi Sad; Mr. Petar Vasilev, on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Mrs. Aleksandra Bradic Martinovic, on behalf of the Institute of Economic Sciences; Mrs. Bojana Mazarak Popovic, Secretary General of the CIVIS Association.

Publication extract available only in Serbian language >>

back to the top