September 7^th

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic today announced, during the opening of the Start-Up Centre at the Faculty of Electronics in Nis, that the government will support such projects all over Serbia, as our goal is to be among the fastest growing countries. Brnabic said that the launch of the Nis Start-up Centre for Innovative Youth Entrepreneurship is an opportunity to capitalize on the great knowledge and potential existing in Nis and to bring young people even closer to the opportunities open for the fourth industrial revolution. She said that the government of Serbia financed the establishment of the center with more than RSD 50 million, and that this is only the first phase. The Prime Minister praised the project, pointing out that the job of the government is to recognize the potential and then help and support such ideas. You then need to go further, to see young people develop their ideas and to market their products and have income for their families and states, Brnabic said, adding that this money will then be placed in the development of new innovations. The Prime Minister said that the team spirit is important, because only joint forces can compensate for what was missed and become more competitive.
The center will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, which will enable young people in Serbia to work in the same conditions as their peers in the world.

The opening of the center was also attended by Mayor of Nis Darko Bulatovic, who reminded that the idea for the center came from former Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and that it is now being implemented. Bulatovic said that this marks the end of the first phase of the science and technology park, while the second phase will be the building of a “lamella” and the third one will be the formation of a science and technology park in Nis.
He stressed that there have never been so many visits by senior state officials to the University of Nis. The Dean of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Nis Dragan Jankovic emphasised that young people should provide a place that will be inspiring for work, where they will learn about entrepreneurship and innovation.

September 1^st

The 52^nd Art Colony was officially opened in Sicevo. With its entire existence for more than half a century Art Colony followed and in a certain way encouraged the development of contemporary art in this region continuing the tradition of Nadezda Petrovic.
According to the proposal of the Artistic Council of the Art Colony Sicevo, whose president is Miodrag Daja Anđelković, Master of Graphic, this year 11 participants from Serbia (Belgrade, Nis, Pančevo), Sweden, Hungary, Macedonia and Montenegro were invited to take part in the colony.The participants of this year’s colony are Miomir Vemic, Toni Catleski, Martin Due, Milan Djuric, Dusan Mitic, Snezana Manasic, Slobodan Milosavljevic Gane, Sinisa Zikic, Aleksandar Milanovic, Mirjana Andjelkovic and Aleksandar Devic.

September 1^st

On the occasion of the beginning of the new school year Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic visited the elementary schools Ivo Andrić and Emperor Constantine, where the students of the higher grades welcomed the new ones who were starting their education today. At the elementary school Ivo Andric the gathered first grade students and their parents were greeted by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, Nis City Municipality President and the Principle of the School. “ Today is the wonderful day because a new generation of students is starting school and it is the joyous time for all of us because the new generations are always a new challenge and a new hope for better times”, Mayor Bulatovic said congratulating the first day of the school day.

September 1^st

On the occasion September 1^{st –} Nis City Youth Day the session of Nis City Youth Council was held in the large hall of the City Assembly, attended by the Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatović, the President of the Nis City Assembly Rade Rajković, and numerous representatives of the youth and non-governmental sector. Mayor Bulatović, in his address to young people, first congratulated the day on which the city honors the young in its community who were an important segment of the society, because they represented the driving force, but also the future of this city and country. “We want to emphasize your importance for the city and for the society as a whole, but we want to show by concrete actions with increased financial assistance that we care about our young generations”, Mayor Bulatovic said announcing significantly higher funds for organizations and projects dealing with the young.

September 1^st

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic congratulated to all first grade primary school students the starting of the school year with a message for them to be hard working, to learn and listen to parents and teachers diligently. “From my heart, I give you my best wishes for the future. That you always feel good at school and to set up a solid foundation for your house of knowledge for the entire future. School is not just education but also upbringing. I am sure that you will grow into good young girls and boys and this is what this city needs. “

August 30^th

The construction of the railway bypass around Nis should start in early 2019 as it was announced by the city representatives. The member of the working group of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Ljubivoje Slavkovic, said that an international tender for the selection of contractors should be launched by the end of the year, and that it was expected to be completed by the middle of next year. “The contractor will determine their dynamics, but the works should not last longer than two years. The removal of the railway that is now passing through Nis is planned for 2022”, “Slavkovic said. He pointed out that the two-track bypass would be a little over 22 kilometers long and would extend from the village of Prosek to the village of Popovac. “The construction of the bypass is part of the reconstruction of the railway from Nis to Dimitrovgrad, which will cost 300 million euros. The construction of the bypass will be about 80 million euros,” Slavkovic added. According to him, the construction of the bypass will be financed by the European Investment Bank. Nis City Council Member Milos Milosevic emphasized that land expropriation would begin in the coming months. “The expropriation will be carried out by the City of Nis, and the state provided 1.8 million dinars for this purpose. On the route there are 1660 plots and 47 facilities. A working group of 15 members was formed and we expect the work to be completed in time, “said Milosevic. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic pointed out that the construction of the bypass was mentioned by all previous authorities, since the 1990s, but until the last year, nothing was actually done. He stressed that numerous preparatory actions on the construction of the bypass have been completed, and that construction can be expected in accordance with plans, at the beginning of 2019.

August 28^th

There were 47 project applications submitted for the financing and co-financing of projects for young people this year, of which 2 projects did not meet the administrative and technical requirements. Of the 45 evaluated projects, the Commission decided to finance 21 projects in the total amount of 3.5 million dinars as it was said today on the occasion of awarding contracts to the organizations whose projects will be financed from the city budget. The public call was launched for projects in the areas defined by the City of Nis Youth Care Strategy 2015-2020 and the Local Action Plan for Youth. The priority areas are the information, employment and safety of young people in Nis. “As before, the City of Nis continues to lead an active youth policy aimed at improving the position of young people in the city and creating conditions for their work, training and employment. Young people represent a significant factor in our society and must be given serious attention. The City of Nis, by financing of youth projects, as well as creating the necessary conditions for the development of science in Nis, is trying to assist. The city has always supported, and it will continue to provide assistance and support in the coming period to young people. “The next year, the budget for youth projects will be 100 % higher than this year. Young talented people are a valuable human resource that needs to be presented and assisted in every way so that they will stay in their own city- Care for the young must be systematic and continuous in order to improve their position and ensure their active participation in society. The city is doing this to make it possible for an increasing number of young people to build their own careers in Nis and create their families here, “Mayor Darko Bulatovic said on the occasion of awarding the contracts for financing and co-financing youth projects at the vent held at Nis City Hall.

August 28^th

Nis City Airport Constantine the Great came out of the crisis and “it can stand on its own feet”. This city company has been financially and commercially recovered and it will not be subsidized by the City from next year. Since the beginning of 2018, it will not have any credit indebtedness, and the next year will present a new stage in the development of the airport, as it was said at the press conference at the Nis City House where the business results for last three years of this public company were presented. “We have come to such results with our joint work, primarily of the state, city and airport. From next year, the city will not subsidize the salaries and fixed costs as it is now, but will primarily provide support for investments, capacity expansion and the creation of conditions that can make this airport regional, “Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said. By 2021, 20 million euros will have been invested into the airport, of which 12 million by the state. It will be invested in expanding an airport building that will be three times bigger than it is now. It is expected that the installation of the ALS system in the amount of about EUR 2 million will be completed this year. From the beginning of the year, 207,000 passengers and two thousand tons of goods were transported in passenger and cargo traffic. The plan for this year is 330 000 passengers, in 2018, 400 000 passengers are expected, while the projected figure for 2021 of 650 000 passengers.

August 25^th

52^nd Nis Film Festival – The Actors’ Guild Award was officially opened at Nis Fortress Summer Stage with more than 50 actors who bowed to the Nis audience who greeted them with a thunderous applause. At the opening of the festival the award for the life achievement “Pavle Vujisic” was presented to the actress Svetlana Bojkovic. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic presented the keys of the city to the president of the jury, Jelica Sretenović, so Niš would be symbolically a city of actors until August 30^th. Before the opening of the Festival Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic hosted a reception for the actors and guests of the festival.

The Film Festival in Nis is a unique event which presents the achievements of Serbian actors. The festival started in 1966, on the initiative of Serbian actors guild with film screenings on the Nis Fortress summer stage which can accommodate nearly 4,000 spectators and it is the most attended festival of its kind in Serbia. The task of the festival is to present and promote film and acting achievements throughout the region. It is the only Festival that gathers in the same place all national acting elite, as well as all leading local film producers, directors, critics, journalists and other important people from film industry.

August 23^rd

The Members of the City Council for Culture, Sports and Youth and Education respectively, Jelena Mitrovski, Branislav Kacar and Bojan Krstic presented a set of tickets for the Festival of Actors’ Achievements to the most successful pupils, students and athletes who won one of the first three places in international competitions, as well as to the winners of the competition Serbia in the Rhythm of Europe, and to the members Academy Theater of Nis Student Cultural Center. “This practice was introduced last year, because, in this way, the City of Nis wants to show respect, honor and recognition for young children and young people who have represented their schools, faculties, clubs, parents, themselves. In this way, once again, we draw attention with this modest gift; it is our obligation to take care of those who are the future driving force of the development of this part of Serbia by creating conditions in Nis for them to develop and improve their knowledge and skills, “said Jelena Mitrovski. “These young people with their invested effort and energy, with the successes they have achieved, and the rewards they have won, deserve to be thanked in this way. I have no doubt that they will continue to be hard working and diligent “said Bojan Krstic.