“The past year was not easy at all, but we had a clear goal in front of us, a clear policy that we implemented and that followed the measures of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, we respected the suggestions from the Fiscal Council and managed to make the first step towards the stage that the City of Nis could smoothly function and fulfill its obligations. The revenues in the budget are the highest for the past five years and we managed to stabilize public finances, “said Mayor Darko Bulatovic at an annual press conference held at Nis City Hall.

“The year that passed was marked by the reduction of unemployment, the investment in science and the beginning of the construction of the Scientific Technology Park. There are currently 27,200 unemployed people in Nis, but this number will decrease next year because we expect to open new factories. The construction on four new factories started this year: Zumtobel, IMI, the new Johnson Electric Factory, Leoni. We opened Aster Textile factory. At the beginning of next year a public invitation will be launched for the construction of Aqua Park in Niska Banja. We will continue with the preparation of the project for construction of wastewater treatment plants, the biggest environmental project in Serbia; the renovation of facades on more building in Nis is also awaiting us. We expect to continue work on the construction of the railway bypass around Nis. It is a unique project of reconstruction and electrification of the Dimitrovgrad-Nis railroad section, and the construction of a roundabout around Nis, 21 km long, with two railway stations at the Airport and Pantelej is part of this project. We will work on the reconstruction of the pedestrian bridge and the new looks of King Milan Square”, Mayor Bulatovic added.

The Mayor stressed that this was only part of the activities that were being implemented or whose realization is expected to be realized at this moment. “We are taking care of the roads in the city, we are working on increasing the safety of all traffic participants, our institutions are successfully implementing cultural events, we are allocating more funds for cultural events, for social care programmes. There is a lot of work ahead of us and we are going to work hard and every kind of criticism and suggestion is welcome because it is the common goal for all of us to make our city a better place for the life of all citizens”, concluded Mayor Bulatovic.

29Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic extended his New Year’s greeting to all Nis citizens for the forthcoming 2018 with the wish for them that the following year would be happier than all the previous ones. “I wish to toy good health, success and happiness, for our families, for our children. I wish for all of us to have lot of work and to do more than in the previous year. The City of Nis will be facing great challenges next year. For this reason we have to come together with the common goal of a better life in our city. The first steps for the City of Nis to function without major problems have been made by stabilizing public finances in the city, and we have to work more to create conditions for improving living standards and a better future for our children. We leave another difficult year behind us, but in spite of all the difficulties, I want you to remember that optimism is a prerequisite for success. My dear fellow citizens please receive my congratulations on the upcoming holidays with my wish for you to celebrate them with your families and with those whom you love the most, to share joy with them, nurture friendship. In the next year, I want to us to work even more and to build our city, to make it better, and not to lose hope despite the difficulties and challenges. Happy New Year!

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic met with the Macedonian sports delegation that was visiting the city as a guest of the Section of Sports Journalists in Nis, on the occasion of the event of the presenting the award to the athletes of the year from Nis, organized by the Section of Sports Journalists. The delegation was comprised of the leaders of the Association of Sports Journalists of Macedonia, Mr. Bosko Trpeski and Mr. Dejan Tanevski, as well as the Macedonian football legends Mr. Koco Dimitrovski and Mr. Blagoj Istatov. Mayor Bulatovic pointed out that the two countries had good diplomatic and sports relations, and especially emphasized that both nations achieved significant results in the collective and individual sport. He announced that the City of Nis had new plans related to the improvement of sports infrastructure in Nis, which would greatly affect the future goals of Nis clubs and their achievements. He announced that City of Nis would try to find the suitable location  for the construction of a multifunctional hall, which would create all the necessary conditions for maintaining the world’s highest sports ranking in Nis.

Nis City Mountaineering Association, which brings together four renowned mountain hiking and mountaineering clubs, has achieved remarkable results in the field of mountaineering, sports climbing and promotion of healthy habits of our fellow citizens this year, which once again confirmed its high status in this field of sports in our country. On this occasion, this association presented more than 20 recognition-and-thank-you notes to the Nis mountain climbers who conquered peaks over 4,000 meters, as well as to the best athlete from Nis Stasa Gejo, who won the first place at the European championship in climbing in the category of bolder and the fourth place in the overall placement. According to the Deputy Mayor Milos Bandjur, who greeted the members of the Mountaineering Association and Head of the Mountaineering Association of Serbia Isa Planic at the City Hall, the mountaineers were excellent promoters of Nis as well as of healthy lifestyles. Nis Mountaineering Association presented recognition-and-thank-you note to the City of Nis for the successful cooperation and contribution to the development of mountaineering.

The Office for Local Economic Development and Projects marked the completion of the year with a cocktail organized at the Nis Officers‘Mess Building, attended by numerous guests, representatives of local self-government, institutions, business community. After the welcoming addresses by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and Mr. Heskens, the advisor to the Serbian president for investments, the Head of the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects Mr. Milan Randjelovic and Deputy Head of the Office Mr. Ivan Petkovic, presented the most important investment and development projects that OLRDP implemented this year and was planning for the following year. The Office for Local Economic Development was established in February 2009 with the technical and professional assistance of the USAID MEGA Program in the form of a special section within the Office of the Mayor. In the period from 2009 to 2016, the departments of the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects functioned as separate organizational units, while the Office itself had from 3 to 7 employees. By amending the Statute of the City of Nis at the end of 2016, it was decided to improve the organizational structure of the city administration in order to improve efficiency. Thus, the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects of the City of Nis was formed. The office currently has 35 employees, a budget of 750 million dinars and thus necessary material and personnel resources, as the independent body of the City, to implement the most important city projects in close cooperation with the City Administration. Since its establishment until today, the Office has participated in or led the preparation and implementation of the most important projects and investments in the city, such as YURA CORPORATION, SHINWON, BENETTON, JOHNSON ELECTRIC, LEONI, INTEGRATED MICRO ELECTRONICS, ZUMTOBEL, followed by development projects, among which the most important were Waste Water Treatment and  Scientific Technology Park , but it also worked intensively to support the local business community and existing investors. All these projects are projects of national importance and their realization is successful primarily because of the excellent cooperation that the Office has with the Development Agency of Serbia – former SIEPA, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Serbia.

November 20^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and his associates met with the scout delegation led by the president of the European Scout Region, Kevin Camilleri. On this occasion, Mayor Bulatovic pointed out that the City recognized the value and significance of the City of Nis Scout Association. Through the planned implementation of the scouts’ activities, morally sensitive and socially responsible individuals are created, whose capacities can be of great importance to the local and wider community. The work of scout organizations is very important in the development of the intellectual, spiritual and social potentials of young people, and therefore their efforts to lead and educate the youth will have support and help of local self-government, said Mayor Bulatovic. During the discussion, the significance, success and continuity of the Scout Association of the City of Nis was emphasized. Through the 106-year-long history tens of thousands of young people passed through City of Nis Scout Association and today they are “professional, honest and responsible members of our community, but the most important thing is that they are good people.” President of the European Scout Committee, Kevin Camilleri, praised the work of the City of Nis Scout Association which fostered a very successful and long cooperation with the European Scout Committee. The success of the Scout Association of Serbia was also pointed out by the Head of the Scout Association of Serbia Tanja Jankovic.

November 20^th

The novel If You Look Long Enough into Abyss by Enes Halilovic was awarded with the prestigious literary award Stevan Sremac. The award-winning novel was selected by the jury as the best of the submitted novels, and characterized it as a real Greek tragedy in the Novi Pazar way. The writer Enes Halilovic described the biography of the heroine Neira Bugarin with the quill pen dipped in the torment and ruin of his native region. The book is written without the desire to calculate, or to humor, without the need to exaggerate this or that literary strategy on its pages. The testimony left in the novel If You Look Long Enough into Abyss is there to excite, shake and inspire to thinking. On behalf of the City of Nis the award was presented by Nis City Council Member for Culture Jelena Mitrovska. This is the second literary award for this writer, since in 2012 he received the Branko Miljković award for the book “Poems of Disease and Health”.

November 17^th

Nis City Council Member for Culture Jelena Mitrovski opened the second Nis Salon, a significant exhibition within which 12 artists presented their works. On this occasion Mitrovski emphasized that such cultural manifestations were a kind of confirmation that our city affirmed contemporary arts. “Culture is undoubtedly the best and easiest way to communicate among people, and the language of fine arts is universal. As a local self-government, we strive to nurture art, encourage young people to love it, but also, thanks to cultural events like this, reach all art lovers”. She added that the artists, whose works were exhibited, by the quality of their work, set a strong foundation for even more ambitious plans. “This is a good indication of the long and successful tradition of the Nis Salon. As the City, we give full support to the organization of such events, “concluded Mitrovski.

At the invitation of the Regional Center of the Ministry of Defence in Niš, the Chairman of Niš City Assembly, Mr.  Rade Rajkovic, in the barracks “Tvrdjava” attended the ceremonial farewell for the candidates from the territory of the city of Nis and Nisava district, who enrolled in the military schools throughout Serbia (military vocational schools, military gymnasiums and military academies).

At the meeting with the Head of the Regional Center of the Ministry of Defence in Niš, with the Colonel Markovic, the Chairman of Niš City Assembly commended the promotion of voluntary military service, as well as the activities in the open competition for admission to military schools. In addition, approximately out of 1,700 applicants from all over Serbia, nearly 30% were from Nis and the surrounding area, which reflects the significance of the Army and the inviolability of the Army and society in these areas.

The Chairman of Niš City Assembly, Mr. Rajkovic wished success and good luck to all the participants during their training program, emphasizing that their role in society is extremely important, that the city and the state will not forget them, and that their determination reflects the highest level of patriotism and courage. He pointed out that those young people had already made their parents and their country proud, with their sole need to be the part of the Army of Serbia.

Apart from the representatives of the Ministry of Defence in Niš and the Army, the ceremony was also attended by the representatives of the local self-governments, the enrolled candidates and by their parents and friends.

At the ceremony held at Nis City Hall young athletes from Nis received today scholarship contracts, whose monthly amount is 6000 dinars, and represent a symbolic way of expressing gratitude to talented athletes, who in different disciplines defend the colors of this city and our country. A total of 56 scholarships were awarded on the basis of a decision of the expert commission. On this occasion Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that Serbia was the country of sports and that it had been proven by the achieved results in many sports discipline. The City of Nis recognizes the needs of young athletes and wants to help their further development.