October 13^th

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic announced today the relocation of the railway from the center of Nis and added that those works, worth 80 million euros, would begin in 2018 at the latest. A new 22-kilometer long line, which will be built from Prosek towards the northern city area, will be dual-track and electrified since it will be the part of the Railway Corridor 10. The negotiations with the European Investment Bank for providing money for the project have already commenced. Deputy Prime Minister Mihajlovic said that the land expropriation would be completed in 2017 and that after that, the relocation that had been discussed for 30 years would begin. The Minister pointed out that it was very important that this line was moved because of the safety of the citizens, “We detected all the points of risk at the road and railway crossings throughout Serbia. We started investing money in their removal, and we are building a new dispatch center that will completely manage the railway infrastructure and all transitions, “said Mihajlovic. The City of Nis will expropriate land and provide part of the funds for the implementation of the project, added Mihajlovic. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that this railroad has been threatening people’s safety for decades. He pointed out that the city will do everything within the stipulated deadline. “It is a project of national and state interest, and it is the Corridor 10 route, not the bypass. Mayor Bulatovi concluded by thanking Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Minister Mihajlovic for all the support.

October 13^th

Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Transport, Construction and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic arrived today in Nis ahed of the rest of the RS Government and visited Nis Airport Constantine the Great. Together with Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic Minister Mihajlovic held a meeting with the management of the Nis airport to get acquainted with the business operations of this company. This year Nis Airport records a number of departures to various European destinations, and the construction of a new control tower in cooperation with the SMATSA, which will modernize airport infrastructure, is also planned.

October 13^th

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic announced tonight in Nis increasing pensions and salaries in the public sector until the end of the year, and added that the poorest part of the population would be able to count on a better standard of living. Vucic said at a press conference held after the meeting with chiefs of five districts, mayors and presidents of all municipalities of Nisava, Toplica, Pirot, Jablanica and Pcinja districts, that the salaries for doctors, social workers and health institutions, the army and police would be increased. He announced opening 5,000 new jobs in Nis, which is excellent news for the city, where in two days a contract with the company Leoni, which will employ 2,200 people, will be signed. According to Vucic, the government plans to build a motorway to the Macedonian border, while next year the construction of the motorway Nis-Pristina will be launched. By coming to Nis we are showing that Serbia is not only Belgrade, said the Prime Minister. He announced that in two days 28 EU ambassadors will arrive in Nis, because the government wants to show them the city.

October 12^th, 2016

On the occasion of the “Venezuelan Culture Week” in the City of Nis, the Chairman of the Assembly of the City of Niš, Mr. Rade Rajkovic organized office reception for the Ambassador of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venuzela in Serbia, Her Excellency, Dr Dia Nader de El Andari.

The Chairman of the Assembly of the City of Niš, Mr. Rajkovic, on behalf of the citizens of Nis, thanked Her Excellency, Dr Dia Nader de El Andari, for her efforts to organize this event in Nis and to enable our citizens to better learn about the culture of Venezuela. This will certainly contribute to the rapprochement of our countries and to the creation of better prospects for cooperation.

As far as cooperation is concerned, said Mr. Rajkovic, it can be developed primarily in the fields of culture, education, tourism and sports, whereas a mutual interest is to find a way for cooperation in the field of economy.

Showing gratitude for the welcome, Her Excellency, the Ambassador Dr Dia Nader de El Andari also pointed out to a number of areas in which the cooperation could and should be developed. She also emphasized that her mission is to help Serbia establish its Embassy in Caracas as soon as possible and pleasurably accepted to organize the exchange of cultural and artistic programs in the future.

Apart from the Chairman of the Assembly of the City of Niš, Mr. Rajkovic, The Chairman of the City Municipality Mediana, Mr. Milan Krstic and the Director of the Tourist Organization of Nis, Mr. Uros Parlić, also welcomed Her Excellency, Dr Dia Nader de El Andari; they also had the chance to present, in general outline, the values of Nis, which the guests from Venezuela could find interesting.

October 12^th

Nis City Mazor Darko Bulatovic met today with the head of the Islamic Community in Serbia, Sead Nusufovic, and the mufti of Nis, Eldin el Asceric.  During the meeting the situation of the Islamic community in Nis was discussed as well as the future steps regarding the preservation and restoration of the cultural and historical facilities of the Islamic community. The Mayor emphasized that Nis was a city of diversity and that this was its advantage. He expressed the readiness of the city to help the Old Mosque in Sumatovačka Street, which is in a very bad condition, be restored and put into operation so that the members of the Islamic community in Nis could use it. Mayor Bulatovic pointed out that if there was understanding and will there was not any problem that could not be solved, and that the aim was to have the members of all religious communities in Nis livingequally well.

October 12^th

On the occasion of the celebration of the Nis City Liberation Day in the First World War, the flower wreaths were laid on the monument dedicated to the Duke Petar Bojović in the park across the City Hall. The respects on this day were paid by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, Deputy Mayor Prof. Dr. Milos Bandjur and President of the Assembly of the City of Nis, Rade Rajkovic. The wreaths were also laid by the delagations of the Nisava District, the Police, the Army and associations that nurture recollection of the liberation wars and their victims. On December 12, 1918, units of the First Serbian Army, led by the Duke Petar Bojovic, were wiped out in Nis. After three days, the troops of the allied armies arrived in the city. From July 1914 to October 1915, Nis was the seat of the Government and the National Assembly, the war capital of Serbia in the First World War. The government was placed in the building of the district authority (the current University of Niš), and the National Assembly occupied the Officers’Mess Building.

October 12^th

On October 10^th the Nis Association of Pensioners celebrated its 70^th anniversary. Deputy Mayor Niša prof. Dr Milos Bandjur greeted everyone present at the ceremonial academy and pointed out that the city was proud of the fact that the Nis Association of Pensioners was one of the oldest in Serbia and that today marked the 70^th anniversary of its existence. “Seven decades is not a small period, and certainly the past generations of our pensioners are to be thanked for the stable and long-lasting work of the association. According to the latest statistics, Serbia has a total of 1.7 million pensioners and therefore it is very important to implement measures to prevent and combat poverty, especially the poverty of older people and pensioners, as well as measures that will ensure the quality, faster development and more even territorial distribution of social care institutions and the bringing closer services and capacity to users.The most adequate response, not only for a better life of pensioners, but for all categories of society, is the sustainable economic growth of the society. A fundamental economic issue is a fair and sustainable sharing of resources between the working people and the unemployed and every effort is made to ensure that economic growth and productivity are sustainable. It is important to enable all members of society to engage in creating a better and more humane attitude towards pensioners and creating a much more favorable position in the society of this extremely important social category of people, “said Deputy Mayor Bandjur. According to him, the times are difficult, but the City of Nis is ready to meet the needs of the pensioners according to its jurisdictions and to provide every kind of logistical and other assistance within its competences. We must not forget that this age requires certain obligations of the society and that the time that elderly people spend should be of equally high quality and content, as in the younger population.

October 7^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic opened today the 7^th Auto Show in Nis. This event is interesting not only for the citizens of Nis, but for all the inhabitants of southern Serbia who gravitate in this area. “The fact that we are here in the Sports Hall Cair for the 7^th time for the Auto Show is a success in itself, because in this way Nis can be compered to far richer and larger cities”, said Mayor Bulatovic. This year’s Car Show is the seventh in a row and will gather car and engine enthusiasts with a wide range of accompanying equipment. The world’s leading manufacturers of vehicles, parts and auto equipment will be presented on two thousand square meters. New models of passenger and cargo vehicles will be presented. Sellers of two-wheelers will present their latest motorcycles. Banks and leasing companies will offer more favorable loans and leasing. The general impression is that Nis has the potential to develop this aspect of the fair presentation of the auto industry.

October 7^th

On October 7^th, 1912, at dawn the Second Infantry Regiment Knjaz Mihailo started its war journey through the Balkans and First World War. In the First Balkan War, the regiment participated in the Kumanovo, Prilep and Bitola battles. In the Second Balkan War it took part in the Battle of Bregalnica, and due to the strength and vigor of its fighters, the regiment receives the “iron” epithet. In the First World War, the regiment participated in the Battle of Cerska and in 1918 it took part in the liberation of Nis, and on its war road the regiment arrived all the way to Timisoara. In honor of the Second Infantry Regiment Knjaz Mihailo, October 7^th is celebrated by the Army of Serbia as the Day of the Third Brigade of the Land Forces. Commander of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General Milosav Simovic, welcomed the guests and emphasized that the Third Brigade of the Land Forces successfully performed all the tasks in the previous period and underlined that the new duties of this brigade were securing the state border to Macedonia and Bulgaria. On the occasion of the Day of the Brigade, individual professional soldiers and technical staff received awards and recognitions.

October 5^th, 2016

A two-day conference of the Association of the European Cities of Culture (AVEC), whose full member is the City of Niš, was held in the Hungarian city of Szombathely (Szombathely)

From October 1^st to October 3^rd, the meetings of the Association were also attended by the representatives of the City of Nis, by the representatives of the Chairman of the Assembly of the City of Niš Office and the City Municipality of Mediana, which is a special member of the Association. AVEC has its own specificity, because it deals only with the areas that are of importance for the City of Niš, namely with the cultural and historical heritage and the sustainability of tourism in small towns. The concept of the sustainability of these areas is an important task for the future, through setting up and meeting the specific standards that lead to a better understanding of the historical and cultural heritage, as well as to the rapid development of tourism. The overall objective of all these aforementioned is commercial and economic well-being of the local governments that implement these standards.

Given the fact that the Association is working closely with UNESCO, the issues discussed about, at the conference in Hungary, included, among others, the possibilities for the City of Niš to apply for EU funds and UNESCO through bilateral or multilateral cooperation, within the network of the cities. Recently, the Association has expanded the area of cooperation on certain agricultural sectors which have tourism potential, such as wine-making.

The representatives of the City of Nis at this gathering had the active participation, through the presentation of the latest potentials of the city, bearing in mind the development of the air traffic and modernization of the work of the Tourist Organization of Nis. The appeal was lodged to make AVEC internet presentations and their following-publications also in the Serbian language.  The ideas and experiences were exchanged with the Mayor of Szombathely, with regard to improving the work of the museums and the cooperation of local self-governments with the Ministries of foreign affairs, culture and tourism, while the implementation of the project ideas would be especially enlarged on during the visit of the President of the Association of European Cities of Culture (AVEC), Mr. Christian Mourisard to the City of Nis, from November 1^st to November 4^th, 2016.