F R A N C E 2 0 1 6

Diplomacy Commerce&

H.E. CHRISTINE MOROAmbassador of France to Serbia

DRAGOLJUB DAMLJANOVIĆPresident of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Belgrade

SANJA IVANIĆDirector of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Belgrade

Resilient in Economy,SUPERPOWER IN TOURISM

FRANCE 20162 Focus

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Still a worldwide country Nearly 20% of the territory of France lies outside Europe.

These regions are known as "DOM-TOM" (overseas departments and territories), where over 2.5 million

French citizens live.

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Oui? Oc! The 45th parallel north, which marks the theoretical

halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole, is said to be the limit between Northern France, where the Oïl dialects are spoken, and Southern France, where the Occitan dialects prevail. It is also the boundary between

the butter and olive oil cuisines. In a wider European context, the 45th parallel roughly marks the division

between northern and southern Europe, a division that may date back to the Neolithic.

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Eat well, drink well and be thin According to the WHO (2002 stats), French men have the lowest incidence of obesity in the EU (women come 2nd

after Denmark).

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The language of diplomacy. And commerce

French used to be the language of the nobility and diplomacy all across Europe and in the Ottoman Empire,

then the world's first real international language until English replaced it in the mid-20th century. However, Metropolitan France counts several native regional languages: Alsatian and Lorraine German (both High

German dialects), Occitan (incl. Gascon and Provençal), Oïl dialects (such as Picard and Poitevin-Saintongeais),

Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican and Franco-Provençal.

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Well that is luxury According to a 2008 study published by Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank, the municipality of Saint-Jean

Cap-Ferrat, between Nice and Monaco, is the world's most expensive peninsula, and the world's third most

expensive place for real estate - after London and Monaco. Prices per square metre were found to be

twice higher than in Tokyo and three times higher than in Paris.

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Melting pot of Europe 4.9 million foreign-born immigrants currently live

France (8.1% of the country's population), including 1.2 million of other Latins (Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese),

1.5 million of Maghrebans (Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians), and 570,000 from sub-Saharan Africa. Recent immigrants and their offspring (foreign-born + first and

second generations of immigrants) make up over 10% of the population of France, including 8.7% of Muslims. 40% of all immigrants live in the region of Paris. 60% of sub-Saharan African immigrants live in the region of Paris.

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The Wine Country There are 450 different wine appellations in France.

There are tens of thousands of small wine-producing domains, but only 15% of all French wines enjoy the

marketing benefits of AOC designations. France is the world's first producer of wine and liquors.

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Cheese, cheese! In one of his memorable witticisms, General de Gaulle

once quipped "How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?" Now the estimation goes

between 350 and 450 varieties.

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3FRANCE 2016 Focus

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FRANCE 20164 Focus

We CanDO MOREBilateral relations between our two countries are very good and we see this as satisfying and as an incentive to go further in developing cultural, educational and linguistic cooperation, as well as furthering economic and business relations. We see that the expectations of our Serbian interlocutors are heading in the same direction

In early July, Paris will be a focal point for the leaders of the Western Balkans, but also for businessman, the youth and members of civil society organisations.

We spoke with H.E. Christine Moro, Ambas-sador of France, about this important event within the Berlin Initiative, bilateral rela-tions between France and Serbia, and op-portunities for better cooperation in many

fields, such as security in the region, French assistance to Serbia’s EU accession process and economic prospects.

Please tell us what you expect from the upcoming 2016 Balkans Summit in Paris?- The Paris Balkans Summit, which takes place on 4th July, is intended to maintain the European and regional dynamic in favour of

regional stability, reconciliation and eco-nomic development in the Western Balkans. It is the continuation of the Berlin Initiative that was launched two years ago and fol-lowed up in Vienna last year. It shows the strong commitment of France to support and develop this movement.

The Paris Summit will focus on two main topics in which a lot of (continuous)

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H.E. CHRISTINE MORO

Ambassador of France to Serbia

5FRANCE 2016 Focus

work has been invested: interconnectivi-ty and youth.

As far as interconnectivity (in transport and energy) is concerned, our priority is to find ways and means to finalise and imple-ment infrastructure projects selected in Vienna. Besides this, we will also try to identify some news projects. Our strategy is to have a pragmatic and concrete ap-proach. It is important that these projects come to fruition.

In the framework of the Summit, a Busi-ness Forum will also be hosted, which will gather many businesspeople and operators from the Western Balkans, France and Europe. Businesspeople are not only direct-ly interested in interconnectivity projects, but rather they are also part of the econom-ic and human exchanges we want to boost; it is very good to note that they are already taking these issues into their own hands.

In Paris a special event that I think is of historical significance will take place: the of-ficial launching of the RYCO, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office. Young people in the region are, indeed, major actors in rec-onciliation and building the future. It is therefore of crucial importance to provide them with the relevant tools and means to do so. RYCO takes inspiration from the OFAJ (Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse- French-German Youth Office) and the OFAJ has actually provided assistance to help set up RYCO. Since its creation in 1963, OFAJ has intensified relations between French and German youngsters and I am confident that RYCO will deliver the same results in the Balkan region. Signing the agreement on RYCO will, thus, be among the top achieve-ments of the Summit.

A Civil society Forum of the region, pre-pared intensely during recent months, will be organised by a platform of NGOs from the region. They will discuss – together, but also with European colleagues, European MPs and ministers – a wide range of topics which mirror their concerns and priorities. It is excellent that civil society from differ-ent countries also share their views.

The fight against terrorism, security issues and the migrant crisis dominated the meeting of foreign ministers of the countries of the Western Balkan region and EU and French diplomats in Paris this May. What are the expectations from the region and Serbia in that respect?- During the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Paris on 24th May, the topics you are referring to were not the only ones raised, but they were thorough-ly discussed. Generally speaking, it was noted that the global challenges faced by EU member States and the Balkan coun-tries are similar, and that more coopera-

tion is needed. Cooperation should be in-tensified, for instance, in the fields of border control and the struggle against criminal groups and networks implied in trafficking migrants. The ministers also agreed on the need to join forces to combat terrorism. This implies a joint approach, a better exchange of information and good practices, as well as increased coopera-tion, in particular to prevent terrorist actions and combat radicalisation.

How would you assess the progress

Serbia has made in the EU accession process?- Serbia has taken many steps towards fur-thering regional stability and good relations with its neighbours. Talking together, meeting and discussing, has become a routine and this is a big step forward. The Dialogue with Pristina is of great value and should be pursued, despite its ups and downs. Implementing what has been agreed is a duty; there have been too many post-ponements on both sides. As regards rela-tions with other neighbours, the multiplica-tion of bilateral relations at the highest level between officials from Tirana, Saraje-vo and Zagreb is encouraging, as are con-tacts between businesses and civil society from different countries. Of course, further steps are needed, but the good will from Belgrade is visible.

The EU integration process is indeed a matter of reforming the country to adopt a model of society which is at the core of the European culture, based on the rule of law, human rights, freedom of the media, eco-nomic stability and development. Progress in those fields is a matter of logic, as Serbia has set its own priorities.

I would like to stress how impressed I am by all the work done in 2015 (leading to the opening of two negotiation chapters) and during the first half of this year. Of course, we are all expecting the opening of chapters 23 and 24, and we regret that this has not been possible to date. But discus-sions are on the way for many other chap-ters and this shows that the bodies in charge of European integration (The Office for European integration, the negotiating team, the Minister in charge of European integration, with the backing of the whole government, the national assembly and also many parts of civil society) are working hard and are committed. How is France supporting this process through bilateral relations between our two countries?- Supporting the efforts of Serbia on its Eu-ropean path is the “red thread” of our coop-eration. At the request of the Serbian gov-ernment, we provide technical assistance, bilaterally or through IPA programmes in various fields: economic governance, public administration, agriculture, environment, transport, the fight against corruption and criminality etc... We also work with the min-istries and with other institutions, universi-ties for instance, and civil society – often through the “Institut français de Serbie” – to share and diffuse European values.

- In which areas can these bilateral rela-tions be improved further?- Generally speaking, we are satisfied with

I am impressed by all the work

Serbia did in 2015, in terms of the EU accession process, which resulted in

the opening of two negotiation chapters.

Of course, we are all expecting the

opening of chapters 23 and 24 and we

regret that this has not been possible to

date

FRANCE 20166 Focus

the progress of our relations in all fields, but our satisfaction is an incentive to go further – we see the expectations of our Serbian in-terlocutors. Developing further cultural, ed-ucational and linguistic cooperation is one of our shared commitments. Developing further economic and business relations is also a priority. This would be a win-win achievement. We have the feeling that our potential is underused. In particular, French companies could contribute to upgrading the quality of Serbian infrastructure, with a view to strengthening the attractiveness of the Serbian market. Following the strong bilateral partnership that France and Serbia built last year, in terms of environmental issues on the occasion of the COP21 (the UN International Climate Change Conference in Paris), we could develop our relations around green and clean industries (renew-able energies, energy efficiency, etc.)

We already have a hundred or so of French companies present in the country and they provide jobs for 10,000 Serbian people. We could do more. French compa-nies could create new jobs for talented local people. A number of young Serbs are going to study in France. Their talents and exper-

tise are paving the way for the future of Serbia, once they return.

What can we learn from France when it comes to freedom of the media and de-mocracy?- It is kind of you to ask. To be sure, in no way can we claim to be perfect. But it is true – and we are proud of the fact – that we have a longstanding tradition of democracy; we

have principles and ideals that we try to stick to, and when we err we try to correct the situation. If I had to mention some of our assets, I would choose the separation of powers; a public service based on political neutrality, which allows benefit to be drawn from the long-term professional compe-tence and experience of civil servants; the transparency of public life and sharp con-sequences when the rules are infringed; the freedom of expression and respect for the press even when what they say is not very pleasant… We also have a tradition of inte-gration of French citizens who, even though they come from various origins, know that they belong to one community based on shared principles. Two of those principles are solidarity (which we express through our attention to the equality of chances and support for the weakest individuals) and secularism, which means the separation of public life – which is neutral in terms of re-ligion – and private life, in which you are free to choose your religion (or lack thereof). The French are in general very much self-criti-cal, which can lead to an unfairly severe self-evaluation, but is also an incentive to improve the situation when needed.

We already have a hundred or so of French

companies present in the country and they

provide jobs for 10,000 Serbian people. We

could do more. French companies could create

new jobs for talented local people

7FRANCE 2016 Focus

T igar Tyres has been developing dynamically in the last few years. With the realization of invest-ments worth 215 million euros in

the period 2013-2015, a new warehouse for raw materials, another plant for production of car tires, another mixing shop were built, and a new warehouse for finished products is being built.

With the realization of these high-tech investments, new equipment and machines of the latest generation have been installed, the factory is now capable of very quick pro-

duction and delivery of the required prod-ucts to the final customer. More than 95% of total production is for export markets. The largest part of exports is for the mar-kets of Western, Central, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Tigar Tyres employs 3,200 employees. 500 new workers have been employed in the last three years, 70 of them being engineers. TigarTyres has an integrated technological process, from the laboratory for raw mate-rials testing to the laboratory for final prod-uct testing, as well as its own product de-

velopment and engineering sector. The company owns and meets the ISO 9001 and ISO 14 001, ISO 17025 standards.

In the forthcoming times, the main com-pany goal is fulfilling the plans, primarily production and sale of 12 million passenger tires, 2 million tires for scooters and motor-cycles, and 5 million inner tubes for bicycles and motorcycles.

A satisfied customer, market flexibility, operational capacity and financial success, together with continuous increase of the environmental performance and our ongo-ing commitment to the local community, are a formula for sustainable growth and devel-opment of the company Tigar Tyres.

At the same time, we remain true to our core values we share with the group Michelin, and Growing Together initiative (a project to support the local community) further strength-ens the leading position of Tigar Tyres.

Dynamic Development for Success CO

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Serbia on the Map of Strategic Destinations of FRENCH COMPANIES

In the period ahead we can expect great

infrastructure and privatisation projects

with French companies, as well as more French

SMEs coming to Serbia as a result of the

following two factors: French government

incentives and Serbia’s inclusion on the map of strategic destinations

French companies view Serbia as the regional centre not only because of its geographical position, but also because of its realistic market po-

tential and positive measures devised by the Serbian government – says Dragoljub Damljanović, President of the French-Ser-bian Chamber of Commerce.

New opportunities for networking between the two economies will present themselves at the Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit on 4th July, followed by the Day of Serbia event in Paris, to be held in Septem-ber. Here we talk to the president of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce about these and other important aspects of

cooperation between the two countries.

What do you expect from the Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit in Paris, in terms of infrastructure and economic connections between the two countries?- We have two important meetings in France ahead of us that should boost our econom-ic cooperation – the first is a conference for the Western Balkan countries that will take place in Paris on 4th July, with meetings between companies organised by Business France. At this event, the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce will be Serbia’s rep-resentative for cooperation with other com-panies. Ministers of the economy from the

Our Chamber’s priority in the period ahead

will be stepping up our activities on the French

market, which also entails the Chamber being more present

at important business events in France

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DRAGOLJUB DAMLJANOVIĆ

President of the French-Serbian Chamber of

Commerce, Belgrade

9FRANCE 2016 Focus

countries of the region and representatives of the EU and European financial institu-tions will participate in this business forum and the main topics will be reforms, the business climate, project funding, transport and infrastructure, energy and environ-ment, and the digital age. Various compa-nies will also participate in the forum, and our Chamber is in charge of providing them with detailed information about our market, in addition to operational support.

The second important event, also organ-ised by Business France and the Chamber, is the Day of Serbia in Paris, which will take place on 15th September and will have the goal of developing bilateral economic rela-tions. Both of these events demonstrate just how interested French diplomats, busi-nesspeople and companies are in cooper-ating with Serbia. We should utilise this to the maximum and present our potential to the best of our abilities. We expect these events to boost both bilateral and econom-ic cooperation.

How appealing can these trends be to French investors and what can you tell us about your experience of working on these markets?- Our Chamber’s priority in the period ahead will be stepping up our activities on the French market, which also entails the Chamber being more present at important business events in France, and especially meeting with companies directly. In this way we actually want to help French companies by giving them detailed insight into the po-tential of our local market. On the other hand, we also want to improve the visibility of

Serbian companies and facilitate their entry into the French market by giving them tan-gible support in networking with French partners, doing market research, organising B2B meetings and participating in business fairs. Our Chamber has sufficient capacities to be active in both directions of trade coop-eration. We also think that it is of crucial im-

portance for us to be present and well-con-nected to relevant business stakeholders from both countries. The business meetings in Paris in July and September are great op-portunities to develop this cooperation.

To what extent can French diplomatic and economic experience help Serbia when it comes to building a functional market-based economy?- There is no doubt that French expertise is among the best in the world in most in-dustrial and economic sectors. Add to this

the diplomatic support, as validated by mutual visits of the two countries’ prime ministers, and you can see how important a partner France is to Serbia. This cooper-ation will continue to be developed through further bilateral visits planned for this year and cooperation agreements that the two countries have signed. Serbia should rely the most on French expertise in pri-vate-public partnerships, because the French side has 200 years’ worth of expe-rience in this area. Then there is the exper-tise in large-scale infrastructure projects in ecology and environmental protection, industry and the overall promotion of a market-based economy.

What are the advantages and weakness-es of this market and how do your members view it?- Our experience has shown that, when it comes to the Balkans, the French are usually focused on Serbia, even when their ultimate goal is to develop their business regionally. This means that Serbia has re-gained a sort of leadership position on the regional market, due to its geographical position in relation to other Balkan coun-tries and the realistic potential of the Serbian market. We should not forget the Serbian government’s measures for at-tracting foreign investors, favourable fiscal conditions, relatively low cost of doing business, exceptionally competitive workforce etc. All of this is backed up by the relevant statistical data. Serbia is France’s main economic partner in the Western Balkans, even ahead of Croatia, which is an EU member, and as such it

We want to use this tide of interest in

Serbia among French companies in the best possible way, and to

help them come here, whether they want to

open a company or find Serbian partners

FRANCE 201610 Focus

absorbs half of all French investments in the region. This speaks volumes about the potential of the Serbian economy and we should use that to ensure its further devel-opment. When it comes to weaknesses, Serbia can appear a small or insufficiently developed market to big global economies and, in that respect, we should fully utilise our position as the Balkan leader that we undoubtedly represent.

What do you expect from the Govern-ment regarding reforms and improving the business climate?- The election came and went and we do hope that the new government will be formed as soon as possible, in order for the reforms to continue. Undeniably, the work the government has done so far on improv-ing macroeconomic stability and attracting investments has yielded results, as seen in the World Bank's growth projections for Serbia of 2.3% in 2017. Bear in mind that this is the time when large global economies are struggling with lower growth rates. In terms of improving the business climate, I would just like to mention French company Hutchinson, which early this year had only a couple of employees who were working from our offices at the Chamber. By Febru-ary the company had opened a production facility in Ruma with over 170 employees.

The economic growth trend is obvious and we need to continue implementing structural reforms, keep attracting foreign investments, create new jobs and support the national economy, primarily SMEs.

How can economic relations between the two countries improve even further?- Apart from implementing large-scale in-frastructure and privatisation projects with the French, which we have been expecting for some time now, we also expect more French SMEs to come here, as well as for their interest in the Serbian market to in-crease. The French government devised a

set of export support measures for French companies and Serbia is on the map of their strategic destinations. Furthermore, as an EU candidate, our country does provide certain guarantees for French companies in terms of the stability of our market.

What are your Chamber's priorities in that context?

- We want to use this tide of interest in Serbia among French companies in the best possible way, and to help them come here, whether they want to open a company or find Serbian partners. We do hope that we will have a much greater number of French companies operating in Serbia soon.

How does the Chamber support young and educated people in Serbia?- It is a well-known fact that, since its in-ception, the Chamber has been motivating young people, especially students, to get involved with issues like sustainable devel-opment and corporate business through various activities. Each year we present the Student Award to students who write the best essays on the topic of sustaina-ble development. This year, the theme was the cyclical economy as a new economic approach to climate change and higher demand for resources. We received over 30 excellent essays and the best three were awarded with cash prizes (of €1,500, €1,000 and €500 respectively). I think that this is a great incentive for students. We also have two youth events during French Week in November – a student debate about corporate business topics and the virtual employment fair, which lasts for a week. Additionally, the Chamber often takes student interns with a view to pre-paring them for the business world and providing them with their first work expe-rience. Generally speaking, we are very open to cooperating with young people and young entrepreneurs alike.

The new Serbian government should

continue with structural reforms, keep attracting

foreign investments, create new jobs and support the national economy, primarily

SMEs

FRANCE 201612 Focus

Positive TrendsIN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Encouraging trends in trade with France indicate that we might surpass the magic number of €1 billion, while the satisfaction among French companies already operating in Serbia heralds a possibility of new investments

France is one of the most important trading partners of Serbia and an important investor in the manufac-turing and service sectors. The

stable political and economic situation, and Serbia's commitment to the EU integration process, provide a good foundation for the further improvement of economic relations between the two countries – says Miroslav Miletić, Vice President of the SCC.

What are the latest trends in Serbia's trade with France?- France is one of the 15 most important economic partners of Serbia, both in terms of the trade volume and FDI. Foreign trade,

as the dominant format of economic coop-eration between the two countries, has been growing constantly for the past six years. Last year it amounted to €850 million, which is €100 million more than in 2014. The Serbian foreign trade deficit has been constantly decreasing and the export to import ratio reached 77% in 2015. Con-sidering the genuine interest among Serbian and French businesspeople to ac-tively cooperate, and the greater involve-ment of the Serbian Chamber of Com-merce on connecting the two business communities, we expect the positive trend in economic cooperation to continue. Three per cent of total Serbian exports end up in

Trade between Serbia and France has been growing constantly

for the past six years. The Serbian foreign

trade deficit has been constantly decreasing

and the export to import ratio reached 77% in 2015

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MIROSLAV MILETIĆVice President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC)

13FRANCE 2016 Focus

France, while 2.9% of our total imports are sourced in France.

Last year Serbia mostly exported to France raspberries, car and motorcycle tyres, propylene, seats, vehicle parts, circu-lator pumps for heating systems and cars. We mostly imported medications, herbi-cides, cars and car parts, maize hybrids and cosmetic products from France.

Why haven't French investors invested more in Serbia?- French companies have implemented a lot of investment projects in Serbia and France is one of the leading investors here. Most of these investments were made in the automobile and food processing indus-tries. There are around 90 French compa-nies operating in Serbia and they employ 11,000 people. Some 55% of workers in French companies here like Michelin, Lafarge, Bongrain, Lactalis, and Soufflet are working in the industrial sector, while 45% operate in the services sector (in companies like SG, CA, Axa, Veolia Trans-port and ATOS). In order for France to in-crease its investments in Serbia, it is nec-essary to step up the promotion of Serbia's advantages as an attractive business and investment destination. It is also impor-tant to mention that the French companies which have already invested here are sat-isfied with their operations in Serbia. Quite a few of them have even extended their ca-pacities, which is an excellent reference for new investors.

What are your expectations of the meeting of the regional chambers of commerce in Paris and contacts with French investors?- The participants of the Western Balkan Summit, which will take place in Paris on 4th July this year, have almost identical expec-tations – they hope that this year’s summit will bring the political decision makers and representatives of business communities even closer together. The chambers of com-merce from the Western Balkan countries agree that the Berlin Agenda created a new future for the region, considering the role that economic and social issues play in this political initiative.

We also expect adoption of the recom-mendations of the Western Balkans Chamber Investment Summit (WB CIS), which comprises the chambers of six Western Balkan countries plus Croatia and Slovenia. These recommendations pertain to a more active role that the chambers should play in the implementation of the goals set out in the Berlin Process and more efficient involvement of our member com-panies in multilateral projects of regional importance – from transport and energy to

the digital agenda. During the summit’s of-ficial segment, and in the presence of Western Balkan economy ministers and in-ternational financial institutions, the CIS members will present the results of their work carried out in the period between the

two Summits and joint projects for faster economic development for next year.

Top managers from the most renowned companies, who are attending the summit as members of the delegations of individ-ual chambers of commerce, will have an opportunity to participate in roundtable discussions and have one-on-one talks with representatives of the French busi-ness community. As a result of these bilat-eral meetings on the margins of the Summit, we expect the existing business arrangements to expand, for French com-panies to invest more in the regional coun-tries and for regional companies to enter the French market.

Is there any chance of Serbia attracting more French investments in the automo-bile, IT and food processing industries?- It is important to mention that French companies require full political and eco-nomic stability, and this is where Serbia has made the greatest progress in the last few years. The proof of this can be seen in praises coming from international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, as well as from the leading credit rating agencies. We can expect an increased influx of FDI in Serbia as we draw closer to EU membership. This was the case with almost all Eastern Euro-pean countries that have joined the EU in the last few years.

Most of the French investments here were in the automobile industry. However, Serbia's potential in the food processing in-dustry is certainly going to appeal to more investors. New laws adopted in the previ-ous period are conducive to creating an at-tractive business environment that is going to facilitate and expedite new investments.

What has the Serbian Chamber of Com-merce been doing to boost economic re-lations between our two countries?- The Serbian Chamber of Commerce is rec-ognised as an important promoter of the Serbian economy in the world, a reliable partner and a supporter of Serbian compa-nies in their efforts to advance their foreign business operations and increase sales of their products and services. In the first half of this year, we organised a meeting between Serbian footwear manufacturers and top managers from the Auchan retail chain. In cooperation with Business France, we are planning to send a Serbian business delegation to Paris to meet with their French counterparts and present the po-tential of individual sectors of the Serbian economy. Every second year, the SCC par-ticipates in the EU food industry exhibition SIAL, where we have our national stand with exhibitors from Serbia.

In order for France to increase its investments in Serbia, it is necessary to step up the promotion

of Serbia's advantages as an attractive business

and investment destination

Every second year, the SCC participates

in the EU food industry exhibition

SIAL, where we have our national stand

with exhibitors from Serbia

FRANCE 201614 Focus

Serbia’s EuropeanFUTURE ATTRACTS INVESTORS

Ever since the EU opened accession negotiations with

Serbia, the number of French companies

showing interest in Serbia has doubled.

Most of the inquiries relate to the agriculture

and food processing sectors, as well as

construction, textile production and the IT

industry.

The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce strongly supports its members and those French com-panies contemplating coming to

the Serbian market. The Chamber is also working on linking French and Serbian companies that are interested in mutual cooperation. Furthermore, the Chamber is very active in the corporate social re-sponsibility segment, especially in sup-porting young people with a keen interest in sustainable development and environ-mental protection. Here we talk to the di-rector of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Sanja Ivanić, about this and many other topics.

How many members does the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce have and in which sectors do these

members have the biggest presence?- The Chamber has over 120 members. They are predominantly French companies, but

there are also several Serbian companies, mainly from the service sector. There are over 100 French companies operating in Serbia and almost all of them are our members. More than half of the French companies that have come to Serbia have launched production operations here and they collectively employ around 10,000 people. We have companies from the food sector (Maltinex malt plant, Somboled, Ml-ekoprodukt, Axereal, Lesaffre), banking and insurance (Société Générale, Crédit Agri-cole, Findomestic BNP Paribas, AXA Insur-ance), energy and water (Schneider Electric, Total, Veolia Water, SADE), industry and en-gineering (Lafarge, Hutchinson, Tigar Tyres – Michelin, Egis, Streit Nova), IT and tele-communications (Atos, Alcatel Lucent), transport (Alstom, SKY Partner, Air France), pharmaceutical companies (Sanofi, Les

More than a half of the French companies

that have come to Serbia have launched production operation

here and they collectively employ

around 10,000 people

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SANJA IVANIĆDirector of the French-

Serbian Chamber of Commerce

15FRANCE 2016 Focus

Laboratoires Servier) and companies from other branches of the economy (L'Oreal, Louis Berger). In the period ahead we will work on increasing the number of Serbian companies we have as our members and, to that end, we can say that we are very happy that Diplomacy & Commerce Magazine re-cently joined our ranks.

What kind of demands do member com-panies have of you and which economic topics interest them the most?- Our members are mostly interested in net-working with other companies, business meetings, thematic workshops, and meet-ings with representatives of public institu-tions and ministers, which we organise reg-ularly. They are mostly focused on topics related to French-Serbian economic coop-eration: from bilateral visits, new invest-ments and French expertise, to improving the Serbian legal framework and general business environment.

What activities was the Chamber engaged in during the previous period?- We were very active in the previous period, whether we are talking about staging events for our members or supporting French companies. We are very glad that we started this year with quite an interesting working lunch with National Bank of Serbia Governor Jorgovanka Tabaković, with whom we discussed current bilateral cooperation, the stability of the banking system and the insurance sector, which has great potential in our opinion.

One of the most important activities at the end of last year was the visit to Serbia of 25 companies from Northern France. We presented them with the potential of this market and are continuing to work with them this year as well, with the aim of getting some of them to start implement-ing projects here. Apart from our standard activities, like Speed Business Meetings, technical workshops, training courses and informal gatherings, we also participated in the Agricultural Fair, where – in collabora-tion with the French Embassy's Economic Affairs Section – we organised a seminar about the model of utilisation of agricultur-al machinery in the context of cooperatives, and – with the Business France Agency – B2B meetings for French companies.

How often do French companies ap-proach you with requests for more infor-mation about the local market?- We receive inquiries every day. We are happy to see that the number of French companies interested in Serbia has doubled, which we think is a result of the EU opening accession negotiations with Serbia, and thankfully this trend is continuing. Lately we

received a lot of inquiries about agriculture and the food industry, construction, textile production and the IT industry. Companies often turn to us to find out more about the relevant regulation in certain segments, es-pecially when it comes to import and export.

What has the Chamber been doing to boost trade between the two countries and French investments in Serbia?- In order to achieve that, we have been net-working with various institutions. We have excellent cooperation with the French Embassy in Serbia and its Economic Affairs Section, which is involved in all issues per-

taining to large-scale investments. In France we are cooperating with the French export and investment promotion agency, Business France, with which we signed a co-

operation agreement stipulating support for French companies in Serbia and Bos-nia-Herzegovina. Furthermore, as a member of the union of French chambers of com-merce worldwide – CCI France Internation-al, we are the first address to be contacted by any French company contemplating op-erating in Serbia. We have also been active-ly cooperating with regional chambers of commerce in France and together we have been organising regional B2B meetings with the goal of presenting Serbia to these com-panies, as well as the opportunities offered by the Serbian market. This year we have already been to Grenoble and Amiens, where we met with ten or so companies. We are also trying to be as proactive as possi-ble and to provide targeted expertise to French companies by looking for the sectors, areas and opportunities that have the biggest trade potential.

Could you tell us more about the Grand Prix 2016 award?- At this year's Gala, the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce presented three Grand Prix awards. Seven of our member companies submitted eight projects and the voting was conducted via the Chamber's website. The Atalian Global Services Mopex Company won the Grand Prix for innovation, for their i-Report project based on a web application used for service quality control and which was especially developed for the company's clients. The Coface Company was the winner in the corporate social re-sponsibility category for their programme of certification of SMEs and the results they achieved in SME networking and cre-ating a safer market for business. A Special Grand Prix for exceptional contributions to the development of bilateral relations went to Nedeljenik Magazine for the Serbian edition of Le Monde Diplomatique.

In which CSR segments is the Chamber most active?- Our CSR activities are geared towards sus-tainable development and environmental protection. Each June we hand out Student Award and this year's competition theme was the circular economy. Our member companies, Veolia, Schneider Electric and Lafarge, awarded the best projects with €1,500, €1,000 and €500 respectively. With this award we want to raise awareness among young people about the necessity of sustainable development, as well as to try to encourage them to develop ideas and projects of their own, while focusing on the place of corporate business in sustainable development. The Chamber also cares about young people, graduates and young entrepreneurs, for whom we organise several events a year.

We are also trying to be as proactive as possible and to provide targeted

expertise to French companies by looking for sectors, areas and

opportunities that have the biggest trade

potential

FRANCE 201616 Focus

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Total trade between the two countries reached a ten-year peak last year, when it amounted to €848.9 million, which repre-

sents a 13.9% rise relative to 2014. Apart from both import and export growing, trade has also become more balanced. The value of Serbian exports amounted to €368.5 million, which is 17.5% higher y-o-y, while imports amounted to €480.5 million (a 11.3% hike). Concurrently, the deficit stood at €112 million, with an ex-

port to import ratio of 76.7%. The aforementioned results are merely

the continuation of an upward trend that started back in 2005. In the last ten years, Serbian exports to France grew almost threefold, while imports from France nearly doubled. The total trade value multiplied by 2.2 times, while the export to import ratio in 2015 was up by over 50% compared to 2005.

In the period from January to April 2016, the value of trade between the two coun-tries stood at €300 million, which is up 2.3%

Over the last ten years, the trade between France and Serbia has been growing continuously, thanks primarily to French investors who are simultaneously among the leading exporters in Serbia and the leading importers in France

In the period from 2005 to 2015, Serbian exports to France grew almost

threefold, while imports from France nearly

doubled

Decade of Increscent ECONOMIC RELATIONS

17FRANCE 2016 Focus

compared to the same period in 2015. Ser-bian exports (valued at €119.2 million) are somewhat lower compared to the same period last year (3.3% drop), while our im-ports went up by 6.5% to €180.8 million. There is also a trading deficit of €61.6 mil-lion and a somewhat lower export to import ratio of 66%.

In 2015, France ranked 11th on the list of Serbia’s biggest foreign trade partners, as the country’s 10th biggest export partner and 9th biggest import partner.

In 2015 Serbia exported frozen raspber-ries to France valued at €50.6 million, rep-resenting 13.7% of the total Serbian export to France (a 31.3% increase compared to 2014). Serbia also exported a significant quantity of car and motorcycle tyres to France, valued at €52.6 million, which marks growth of 17.6% compared to last year. We additionally exported furniture, trailers and semi-trailers, as well as motor vehicle parts and equipment and imported machinery and transport devices (total value of €160.4 million, which is represents 10.6% growth compared to 2014), as well as chemical and related products (€153.8 million), medications, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics products.

In 2015, the following Serbian companies were the biggest exporters to France: TI-GAR TYRES from Pirot, Streit Nova from Stara Pazova, NIS from Novi Sad, Grundfos Serbia from Inđija and LOHR from Bačka Topola, while the biggest importers were EVROPA LEK from Belgrade, HEMOFARM from Vršac, SYNGENTA AGRO and FAR-MALOGIST from Belgrade and Grundfos Serbia from Inđija.

Exporting and importing agricultural and food products to and from France con-stitutes 14.4% of our total trade and amounted to a value of €122.3 million in 2015. Agricultural and food products make up 21.5% of our export to France. Last year saw Serbia export €79.4 million worth of

these products and import goods to the value of €42.9 million, which generated a surplus of €36.5 million.

As per SITC sector, a third of Serbian exports to France in 2016 comprised man-ufactured goods classified as per material used (€36.3 million, which is 20.6% lower in relation to the same period last year), while machines and transport devices also made

up almost a third (€32.1 million; 0.5% in-crease) and a fifth was accounted for by food and live animals (€26.1 million, an in-crease of 12.7%). In our import, almost two-thirds are chemicals and related products (€64.2 million; 7.8% increase), machines and transport devices (€52.6 million, a 4.7% increase), and manufactured goods classi-fied as per material used – 6.7% (€12.1 mil-lion, 9.3% decrease).

According to data collated by the Na-tional Bank of Serbia (NBS), the country exported €99 million worth of services to France and imported €113 million worth. In Q1 2016, Serbia exported services valued at €221 million and imported €27 million worth.

From 2005 to 2013, France was one of Serbia’s most important investment part-ners in terms of total net investments, which amounted to €380.3 million. This ranks France 12th on the list of the biggest investors in Serbia. According to NBS data, France invested a total of €132.6 million in 2014 and 2015.

French investors in Serbia have invest-ed in industry, the agriculture & food pro-cessing sectors, retail, services and the banking sector. Close to 90 French com-panies operating in Serbia employ over 11,000 people. French companies are ac-tive in both the industrial (55%) and ser-vice sectors (45%).

The biggest investors are also the big-gest Serbian importers and exporters in trade with France. The biggest exporter is TIGAR TYRES from Pirot, which exported goods valued at €63.9 million to France in 2015, accounting for 17.3% of total exports to France. In 2015, TIGAR TYRES was the third biggest exporter in Serbia, with export value totalling €291 million.

The biggest French investors here are LAFARGE, Michelin, L Belie, Lohr, Streit Group, Tarkett, Bongrain and Lactalis. French banks operating in Serbia usually finance production and export segments.

Close to 90 French companies operating

in the Serbian industrial and service sectors employ over

11,000 people

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The French economy is again on the right track, according to the re-sults of the first quarter of this year. Solid private consumption

and investments are promising that the estimation of the French government of the 1,5% rise in GDP will be fulfilled. According to the data released by the Statistical Of-fice (INSEE), growth in the first quarter was revised upward to 0.6% over the previous quarter in seasonally-adjusted terms.

Analysts are estimating that the eco-nomic growth is projected to reach 1.4% this year (slightly less than the government) and 1.5% in 2017 thanks to lower energy prices, tax cuts on labour and businesses and low interest rates, while fiscal deficit is projected to be 3% of GDP in 2017.

According to the latest OECD report, employment is expected to gradually in-crease, supported by lower social security contributions and new hiring subsidies for small and medium-sized firms.

France's real GDP increased by 1.2% in 2015. Compared to its peers, the French economy endured the economic crisis rela-tively well. Protected, in part, by low reli-ance on external trade and stable private consumption rates, France’s GDP only con-tracted in 2009. However, recovery has been rather slow and high unemployment rates, especially among youth, remain a

growing concern for policymakers.The unemployment rate (including over-

seas territories) increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 10.4% in the fourth quarter of 2014. Youth unemployment in metropolitan France decreased from a high of 25.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 24.3% in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Lower-than-expected growth and high spending have strained France's public fi-

nances. The budget deficit rose sharply from 3.3% of GDP in 2008 to 7.5% of GDP in 2009 before improving to 4% of GDP in 2014 and 2015, while France's public debt rose from 68% of GDP to more than 98% in 2015, and may hit 100% in 2016.

France’s economy is the fifth largest in the world and represents around one fifth

of the Euro area gross domestic product (GDP). Currently, services are the main con-tributor to the country’s economy, with over 70% of GDP stemming from this sector.

In 2010, Credit Suisse's Global Wealth Report ranked France the wealthiest Euro-pean country with 2.6 million dollar-million-aires, and the world's 4th wealthiest nation in aggregate household wealth.

With 31 of the 500 biggest companies of the world in 2015, France ranks 4th in the Fortune Global 500, behind the USA, China and Japan.

In manufacturing, France is one of the global leaders in the automotive, aero-space and railway sectors as well as in cosmetics and luxury goods. Among par-ticularly robust sectors of machinery, chemicals, metals, electronics equipment, textiles, and foods.

Agriculture plays a larger role in France than in the other comparable economies. A large proportion of the value of total agri-cultural output derives from livestock (es-pecially cattle, hogs, poultry, and sheep). The country's leading crops are wheat, sugar beets, corn, barley, and potatoes. Fruit grow-ing and wine production are important parts of the economy. The best-known vineyards are in Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône and Loire valleys, and the Bordeaux region. The centers of the wine trade are Bordeaux,

With 31 of the 500 biggest companies of

the world in 2015, France ranks 4th in the Fortune Global 500, behind the USA, China and Japan

19FRANCE 2016 Focus

France’s economy is the fifth largest in the world and represents around one fifth of the Euro area gross domestic product (GDP). Analysts are estimating that the economic growth is projected to reach 1.4% this year and 1.5% in 2017

Gradual RECOVERY

Reims, Épernay, Dijon, and Cognac.France's tourism industry is one of the

strongest components of the economy, while France keeps its rank as the most vis-ited destination in the world. With more than 84 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest in-come in the world from tourism.

France explores coal, iron ore, bauxite, and other minerals. Sophia Antipolis is the major technology hub for the econo-my of France. Furthermore, France has a highly educated labor force and the highest number of science graduates per thousand workers in Europe.

In the external sector, France’s closest trading partner is Germany, which accounts for more than 17% of France’s exports and 19% of total imports. Belgium, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, and the United States are the main trading partners.

Leading exports are machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, and beverages. Leading imports are ma-chinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, and chemicals.

The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. However, the government main-

tains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries.

French corporations rank amongst the largest in their industries such as AXA in insurance and Air France in air transporta-tion, L'Oreal in the cosmetic industry and LVMH and PPR in the luxury product seg-ment. In energy and utilities, GDF-Suez and EDF are amongst the largest energy com-panies in the world, and Areva is a large nuclear-energy company; Veolia Environne-ment is the world's largest environmental services and water management company; Vinci SA, Bouygues and Eiffage are large construction companies; Michelin ranks in the top 3 tire manufacturers; JCDecaux is the world's largest outdoor advertising cor-poration; BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale rank amongst the largest in the world by assets.

Carrefour is the world's second largest retail group in terms of revenue; Total is the world's fourth largest private oil company; Danone is the world's fifth largest food company and the world's largest supplier of mineral water; Sanofi Aventis is the world's fifth largest pharmaceutical com-pany; Publicis is the world's third largest advertising company; PSA is the world's 6th and Europe's 2nd largest automaker; Accor is the leading European hotel group; Alstom is one of the world's leading conglomerates in rail transport.

Along with Paris important industrial cities are, Metz, Strasbourg, Roubaix, Lil-le, Lyons, Saint-Étienne, Clermont-Fer-rand, and Grenoble, Marseilles, Toulouse, Nice, Nîmes, Bordeaux and Nantes. Other important cities are Orléans, Tours, Troy-es, and Arles.

France has an extensive railway system, the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF). The first of a number of high-speed rail lines (TGVs) was completed

in 1983, linking Paris and Lyons. Subsequent lines connected Paris to several other French cities, as well as Belgium, the Neth-erlands, Germany, and, via the Channel Tun-nel, Great Britain.

The chief ports are Rouen, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Brest, Saint-Nazaire, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulon, Dunkirk, and Marseilles.

France's tourism industry is one of the strongest

components of the economy, while

France keeps its rank as the most visited destination in the

world

FRANCE 201620 Focus

The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (FSCC) is the first stop to acquire information for any French businessman interested in

the Serbian market. The Chamber receives inquiries on a daily basis and they mostly pertain to relevant laws, custom clearance regulation, contacts with potential part-ners, market studies or just general infor-mation about the business environment. The Chamber says that the number of in-quiries from French companies has dou-bled since Serbia embarked on accession negotiations with the EU. The Chamber's publication called “To Succeed in Serbia”, written in French, is the perfect guide for any Francophone company wanting to do business in Serbia.

After the year 2000, the French were the first foreign investors to come to Ser-bia. Over 50% of these French companies are engaged in production, like Michelin, which has over 3,000 workers at its Tigar

Tyres subsidiary. The global leader in ce-ment production, Lafarge, which opened its Business Park in Beočin, has 270 work-ers. The French are also present in the en-ergy and water sectors (Schneider Electric, Total, Veolia, SADE) and in Vojvodina they are among the leading foreign investors in the agriculture and food processing sec-tors (Maltinex-Soufflet malt plant, Som-boled-Lactalis, Mlekoprodukt-Bongrain, Lesaffre Belgrade, Axereal, Sanders SH). The French are also important market play-ers in the banking and insurance sectors (Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, Findo-mestic BNP Paribas, AXA Insurance), and there are many other famous French com-panies operating here - Atos, Alcatel-Lu-cent, L’Oréal, Sanofi and Renault. French companies operating in Serbia employ over 10,000 people and, according to state-ments given by French officials during their visits to Serbia, this number could increase substantially in the near future.

The Chamber organises a number of different events for its members through-out the year. One of the most attractive is definitely the Gala in June, which is attend-ed by over 200 guests, mostly diplomats, businesspeople and public figures. This year saw the Chamber’s guests entertained by magicians and illusionists. At this year's Gala, the FSCC presented three Grand Prix Awards. Seven companies submitted eight projects for consideration and the voting was conducted via the Chamber’s website. Atalian Global Services Mopex Company won the Grand Prix for innovation for their i-Report project, a web application used for service quality control that was especially developed for the company's clients. Com-pany Coface was the winner in the corpo-rate social responsibility category for their programme of certification of SMEs and the results they achieved in SME network-ing and creating a safer market for busi-ness. The Special Grand Prix for exception-

There are many opportunities to develop French-Serbian business. The Chamber’s employees regularly seek partners for French companies, as well as opportunities for Serbian companies to penetrate the French market

Best Address for FRENCH-SERBIAN BUSINESSES

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al contributions to the development of bilateral relations went to Nedeljenik (Weekly) Magazine for the Serbian edition of Le Monde Diplomatique.

The second important event is French Week, during which the Chamber also pro-motes French products, expertise and cul-ture through various activities. This year’s French Week will start, as always, on the third Thursday in November and will be marked by the arrival of the Beaujolais Nou-veau young French wine. Graduate students and young professionals will be able to participate in an online employment fair, along with French companies. The Chamber has also been preparing other activities for the wider public.

French expertise is also promoted through the traditional Student Award, which is presented to the best student es-says on the topic of sustainable develop-ment. This year we asked young people to give us their thoughts about the circular economy and we awarded the three best essays with cash prizes (of €1,500, €1,000 and €500 respectively) provided by our sponsors, Veolia, Schneider Electric and Lafarge. Belgrade Faculty of Economics student Tatjana Vujović won the third prize, while Niš Faculty of Mechanical Engineering student Jovan Milić came second and the first prize was won by Mihalj Bakator, a stu-dent of the Mihailo Pupin Technical College from Zrenjanin.

French companies in Serbia employ over 10,000 people and,

according to statements given by French

officials during their visits to Serbia, this

number could increase substantially in the

near future

FRANCE 201622 Focus

The French-Serbian Chamber of Com-merce also organises thematic workshops, seminars, employee training and other types of training for its members and other Serbian companies. The offer is diverse – from learning soft skills (like team, time and stress management, training for executive assistants, public speaking) and financial skills (analysing financial reports, company restructuring, investment management) to IT skills (working in Microsoft Office, Goog-le business applications) and project and entrepreneurial management, which the Chamber holds online with the help of French experts.

The Chamber’s members gather once a month on the premises of one of the mem-ber companies, which is a great opportunity to present their companies, particularly if they are newcomers. Since the beginning of

this year, Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Roo-sevelt Street, Atalian Global Services com-pany, which bought Serbian office cleaning company Mopex, and Lafarge have all played host to other member companies. Lafarge also took the Chamber’s members on a tour of its cement plant in Beočin.

In cooperation with other chambers of commerce and business clubs, the FSCC organises speed meetings throughout the year. This concept was initiated in Serbia by the French chamber and has proven to be very popular with companies here. Speed meetings are business meetings that last only 10 minutes, during which businesspeo-ple can exchange contacts in a very short period of time with a view to establishing cooperation. This year has seen the FSCC organise two speed business meetings – one with the French chambers of commerce

The number of inquiries from French companies has doubled since Serbia embarked on accession

negotiations with the EU. The Chamber's

publication called “To Succeed in Serbia”,

written in French, is the perfect guide for any

Francophone company wanting to do business

in Serbia

23FRANCE 2016 Focus

from Hungary and Romania, and another with the Zagreb-based French-Croatian Chamber of Commerce.

The FSCC has had new management as of March this year. Dragoljub Damljanović from Schneider Electric is the Chamber's president, while the vice president is Eric Grasser from Hit Auto. They both say that they are going to work on increasing the number of the Chamber’s members among Serbian companies, in order to promote their synergy with French companies. Fur-thermore, the FSCC strategy entails boosting the visibility of Serbian compa-nies on the French market through B2B meetings with companies in France and participation in important business and industrial fairs. In February this year, the Chamber took representatives of the DIS supermarket chain from Serbia to meet French suppliers in Paris. A similar event will take place in Belgrade soon, though in the telecommunications sector. There are many opportunities for business develop-

ment. In terms of ongoing projects, the Chamber is looking for an exclusive distrib-utor in Serbia for a world-renowned swim-ming pool manufacturer; the Chamber is

also researching construction and the steel market in France for a Serbian con-struction company and is promoting Ser-bian agricultural products.

Regarding agriculture, it is a well-known fact that French companies are the second biggest investors in Vojvodina, which is why the FSCC participated in this year’s Inter-national Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad. In cooperation with the Economic Affairs Sec-tion of the French Embassy and Crédit Ag-ricole Bank, the Chamber organised a sem-inar about the utilisation of agricultural machinery in cooperatives. At the Fair, and also in cooperation with agency Business France, the Chamber organised B2B meet-ings with French companies visiting the Fair and domestic exhibitors.

When it comes to announcing upcoming international events, the Chamber will con-tinue boosting bilateral relations at the Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit in Paris on 4th July and at the Day of Serbia in Paris on 15th September.

FRANCE 201624 Focus

The French were the FirstTO SAY: LIBERTÉ!

For example, the French inclination towards revolutions is quite strik-ing for obedient Germans, who say: “The (Protestant) Reformation is

the German Revolution”, or sometimes “Mu-sic (classical, baroque etc.) is our Revolu-tion”. Indeed, apart from 1948 and 1918, there have been quite a few German uprisings. The English say that “putsch, coup d’état, guer-rilla, junta… are all foreign words, as these are foreign concepts”. But the French are disobedient. They never liked authority so much, tried many governments and de-throned kings and emperors. They were the first to say: Liberté, égalité, fraternité! They tried to “export the principles” of equality throughout Europe, through Napoleonic laws, cancelling the rights of the nobility and the Church. The Paris Spring of 1968 is still inspiring. Even now, the fiercest workers’ strikes are held in France. Every little change in social status is strictly opposed, and even PM Manuel Valls said that TTIP cannot be accepted because it would diminish the rights and standards of French workers and farmers. Michael Moore commented that France is a country which takes care of its

citizens superbly, and the 7-hour working week is supreme heritage of this social state that was brought, of course, by the libertar-ian and egalitarian spirit.

And it would all be quite different if the French were not so flamboyant in their joy of life, or “joie de vivre”: they enjoy wine, cheese, food generally, romance and art, and yet they manage to be a bit conservative

about their castles, farms, houses, vine-yards, opposing big concerns and multina-tional companies. Paris was the centre of every art 140 years ago and everybody spoke French. Nowadays a young artist might prefer Berlin and speak English. Per-haps something has been lost? Definitely! But France, although it has a lot to do to restore the No. 1 position it held in the past, has something that no-one can deny: a pleasant atmosphere. And the spirit of life-loving Prévert, deep-minded Sartre and Camus, the colours of the Impressionists, the idea that we work to live and not vice versa, and the idea that if we all don’t suc-ceed then none of us can do so individually.

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Two of France’s immediate neighbours – Germany and England – have views on life that are the complete opposite compared with the French, and they frequently tend to define themselves in contrast with the French people

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— Text —Žikica Milošević

25FRANCE 2016 Focus

© Atout France/Franck Charel

W hen a young team of copy-writers founded a small studio in Slovenia called Studio G3 to do audio pro-

duction for advertising campaigns, they couldn’t fathom how far their business suc-cess would take them. Back in 1987, Studio G3 started its journey towards becoming the leader on the Slovenian advertising market which, in itself was a great success achieved over a period of only few years. The compa-ny’s history shows that this was just a prel-ude that would unexpectedly take them into the segment of marketing and distribution of some of the most renowned and most ex-clusive alcoholic beverages in the world.

In 1991, for the first time ever, the compa-ny decided to join the niche of exclusive al-coholic beverages and found a market op-portunity that would make it possible to cooperate with the leading international brands only a couple of years later, following an expansion into the Croatian market, then to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and other regional markets. During this journey, the company changed its name to G3 Spirits

while definitely deciding to focus on market-ing and distribution of the top notch drinks.

Today, the company’s portfolio compris-es of brands that are synonymous with the top quality drinks in the world which can be found in the most exclusive bars, hotels, dip-lomatic offices and restaurants. The com-

pany also offers special direct sales incen-tives to all consumer groups.

The product portfolio of G3 Spirits in-cludes Glenfiddich single malt whiskey which is the best selling single malt in the world. The age of this whiskey ranges from 12 years (which has a dominant mild fresh taste) to 26 years which has a full-bodied flavour thanks to its maturation in cherry wood casks. If you want a more unique taste, Monkey Shoulder is definitely the way to go. This is the only triple malt whiskey available in Serbia.

Apart from the top quality whiskey, an-other star in the company’s portfolio is defi-nitely the Piper Heidseick champagne which has been produced in France for over 200 years. Then there is a huge variety of other champagnes from Cuvée Brut, made from the mixture of Pinot Noir grape variety from over 100 vineyards and Pinot Meunier from Grande and Petite Montagne de Reims re-gions, to the prestigious 2002 Cuvée cham-pagne which has a full-bodied fruity flavour.

Made from mainly Chardonnay grape vari-ety from the Montagne de Reims region and Pinot Noir from the same region, this cham-pagne is a combination of vines from 17 vine-yards that has been aged for 7 years in a wine cellar. The harvest year of 2002 is syn-onymous for richness and nobleness.

Refreshments don’t necessarily have to be alcoholic. G3 Spirits also sells Thomas Henry products in its portfolio, a Ber-lin-based pioneer in production of refresh-ing drinks with a wide range of tonics and bitters of high quality. This young brand is quite provocative to traditionalists while offering a great alternative when it comes to taste, price and design.

Apart from the mentioned brands, G3 Spirits is the only place in the country where you can find many other, quite unique and exclusive brands like Jagermeister herbal liqueur, Hendrick’s gin, Aperol, Campari, and Roberto Cavalli vodka.

It is very difficult to describe the compa-ny’s complete portfolio in words but if you want a taste of what we offer please go to www.g3spirits.rs .

The Finest Tastes Under

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How did a Slovenian company develop from a small studio into the leading distributor of the most reputable global brands of alcoholic drinks in the region

The product portfolio of G3 Spirits includes

Glenfiddich single malt whiskey which is the

best selling single malt in the world

FRANCE 201626 Focus

Culture Loved byEVERYONEC

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— Text —Žikica Milošević

27FRANCE 2016 Focus

TThe culture of France and the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal

forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, played an important role as a centre of high culture from the 17th century, first in Europe and then, from the 19th century on-wards, worldwide. Since the late 19th cen-tury France has also played an important role in cinema, fashion and cuisine. Who hasn’t heard about “French lovers”, “The City of Light”, the place where art, love, beauty, food flavours and everyday poetry all mix together like a low-level never-ending par-ty? What we like about French culture is that there is no such thing as “now we are dull and serious, but when a certain moment arrives we will break loose and go wild”.

French culture and customs are always a bit loose and relaxed, and always a bit serious. Yes, it sounds like normalcy, not bipolarity.

The importance of French culture has waxed and waned over the centuries, de-pending on the country’s economic, political and military importance. French culture to-day is marked both by great regional and socioeconomic differences and by strong unifying tendencies. So, sometimes it is hard to ask “What is French?” Is it Provence, with the fascinating light that attracted the Im-pressionists? Or it is Normandy or Brittany, which look almost like Britain? Or it is Alsace, profoundly touched by the Germanic influ-ence? Well, everything is important. Without the French Heartland, like Angoulême or Burgundy, and without strong family ties, France would not be the same place. Without cosmopolitan cities like Paris, Marseille or Lyon, we would forget the fact that the French Empire held a large portion of the world. Without so many different pieces of the puzzle, there would be no France as we know it: Paris would not be so “rational” with-out Germanic Baron Hausmann, and the 1998 World Cup title would not have been possible without the “poster multicultural crew” that formed the team. After all, the nation that gave us Gothic art, Baroque and Classicism, wine in the south and beer in the north, and the relaxed attitude combined with econom-ic superpower, is so diverse that virtually anyone can be French, or be welcome in France. Many of us wondered how such a complicated language was accepted by Ar-abs and Africans, and many others. Maybe it is this: French culture, customs and people were, after all, that charming and appealing.

There are few cultures in the world that have been as

successful as the French. It emerged in what was the ancient Western periphery

of Europe, and yet, thanks to a geographical position

connecting Southern and Northern Europe, as well as

the central and western parts of our continent, everything blended into one attractive

mix that has it all

The nation that gave us Gothic art, Baroque and Classicism, wine in the south and beer in the north, and the relaxed

attitude combined with economic superpower,

is so diverse that virtually anyone can be French, or be welcome

in France

FRANCE 201628 Focus

Top of THE TOPS

Well, before we answer to that particular question, let the numbers speak for them-selves. France was visited

by 84.7 million foreign tourists in 2013, mak-ing it the most popular tourist destination in the world. It is more popular that Italy and more popular than Spain. Surprise? Not really. Simply France has more neighbours that the competitors, and lots of Germans and Londoners just… pop in from time to time. But somehow these tourist are... humm. Thrifty? France is, in spite of this huge number, only the third in income from tourism due to briefer visits. 20% more tourists spent less than half as much as

they did in the United States. For sure, those who visit America are lavish spend-ers. But the visitors to France perhaps have “fuller cameras with prettiest photos”. Wait,

what is the most photographed spot in France? According to the Italian travel mag-azine Gente Viaggi, in the the little church on the island in the small town of Annecy. Not, not the Eiffel Tower.

France has 37 sites inscribed in UNES-CO's World Heritage List and features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost, but also Toulouse, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lyon, and others). But it is not all abouyt the City of Light. Beaches and sea-side resorts, from Biarritz in Basque Coun-try, where the royal families enjoyed sun and Atlantic breeze, Normandy resorts with colder climate preferrend by young and re-silient, to the Côte d’Azur, perhaps the most famous strip of Mediterranean coast, ski resorts like Chamonix or Albertville, of Olympic importance, all the way to the rural regions and winemaking regions like Bor-deaux or Burgogne, many tourists enjoy France’s landscapes and human “interven-tions” like castles or pretty towns. Occitania is famous for their Cathar fortresses and mysticism, country is famous for its beauty and tranquillity (the significant rise in so-

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The "Remarkable Gardens" label is a list of

the over two hundred gardens classified by the

French Ministry of Culture

The most photographed, most visited, most loved.Well, finally we are there. On the top. France is the absolute

tourist superpower. Although we described previously countries like Austria, Germany or Italy, who are all in the Top10 Club,

France is, for many years, the ultimate leader. And what is the most photographed spot in the most photographed country?

29FRANCE 2016 Focus

called green tourism). Small and pictur-esque French villages of quality heritage (such as Collonges-la-Rouge or Locronan) are promoted through the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (litt. "The Most Beautiful Villages of France"). The "Remarkable Gardens" label is a list of the over two hundred gardens classified by the French Ministry of Culture. We can feel the spirit of musketeers and French nobility all around. Especially in thew Loire Valley chain of castles, so frequently imitated around the world. Imitated? Don’t fortget that Ver-saille was a raw model for the latter imperi-al retreats and palaces.

Some more figures: in 2012, travel and tourism directly contributed EUR 77.7 billion to French GDP, 30% of which comes from international visitors and 70% from domestic tourism spending. The total contribution of travel and tourism represents 9.7% of GDP and supports 2.9 million jobs (10.9% of em-ployment) in the country. Alhough hit by sensless terror, France’s tourism is so robust and resilient that will never fade away. Because everyone wants a kiss under the shiny moonlight on the banks of Seine. That is normal. Desirable. Can’t wait to happen.

France’s tourism is so robust and resilient that

will never fade away. Because everyone wants

a kiss under the shiny moonlight on the banks of Seine. That is normal. Desirable. Can’t wait to

happen

FRANCE 201630 Focus

"Out of many, one." Yes, that is the direct translation of the

Latin sentence in the headline. There is a reason why only a

few cuisines in the world have such popularity and glory

French Cuisine: E PLURIBUS UNUM

Okay, how many do you instantly know? Turkish, Arabic, Indian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese… and French? Yes, we thought so. The

French often mock the Brits for having “the worst food in the world”, and Turgenev deep-ly disliked German cuisine in his novels. Some might say that the Protestant countries, in their constant fear of “sin” and “luxury”, limit-ed themselves in their culinary endeavours, which is why the best cuisine comes from either Catholic or Orthodox countries, or those that are not Christian at all. Neverthe-less, it is still true today that France is a culi-nary superpower, and it is here to stay.

It all started in the Middle Ages, when the influence of Italian cuisine was preva-lent. Of course, France was a “younger Ro-mance sister” of Italy, the centre of the fallen Roman Empire. But in the 17th centu-

ry, chefs François Pierre La Varenne and Marie-Antoine Carême spearheaded movements that shifted French cooking away from its foreign influences and devel-oped France's own indigenous style. Cheese and wine became inextricably linked with French cuisine. Later, the fact that France has both Atlantic and Mediter-ranean coasts, and continental and mari-time traditions, united the country in a cu-linary way: the Gascon cuisine proliferated across the rest of France, while other di-vergent influences became convergent in a merry party for all five senses to enjoy. And the vast colonial Empire, with the ad-ditional influx of Spanish, Italian and Por-tuguese immigrants, added extra diversity. Many new dishes and techniques were in-troduced. This period is also marked by the appearance of “Nouvelle Cuisine”. In No-vember 2010, French gastronomy was add-ed by UNESCO to its list of the world's “intangible cultural heritage”. Bistrot à Vin is a special place where you can drink inex-pensive but superb wine, and brasseries are usually strong influenced by Al-sace-Lorraine, with beer and Riesling, serv-ing Choucroute and seafood dishes. Want it? Name it and you’ll get it in France!

Now French cuisine is unmistakably recognisable and the culture of dining out in restaurants (there are 5,000 in Paris alone!) and bistros are copied around the world. And nobody copies something that is not excellent, right?

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Now French cuisine is unmistakably

recognisable and the culture of dining out in restaurants (there are 5,000 in Paris alone!)

and bistros are copied around the world