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NIS AIRPORT GROWTH TREND CONTINUED

August 16

The press conference held at the Nis City Hall highlighted the role and importance of Nis Airport in the aviation world, as well as the importance of the City of Nis as the regional center of Serbia. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, as well as Director of PE Serbian Airports Mihajlo Zdravkovic and the director of Nis Airport Constantine the Great Dusan Knezevic emphasized that positive trends in the number of airlines, passengers and goods transported that confirmed that the decision to cooperate with the Government of Serbia and the line ministry and state institutions was justified and right. “The criticism that we want to close Nis Airport and banish the low cost airlines has simply proved to be political and completely incorrect. The arrival of the national airline, which opened 12 new routes, not only did not and will not drive other airlines out of Nis, but caused the opposite effect. The number of passengers is increasing, as well as number of destination that you can fly from Nis and the number of regular flights which again is proved by Ryanair which will start flying from Nis to Malta on November 8,”said Mayor Bulatovic. The director of PE Serbian Airport Mihajlo Zdravkovic said that, in recent months, it has been clearly shown that the existing capacities of the airport are in every sense exceeded and that the number of employees has to be increased quickly, as well as the technical capacity for accepting aircrafts, and it is already being intensively worked on. In addition he announced the reconstruction and significant expansion of the departure/arrival building to give passengers greater comfort and much better conditions at the airport. The introduction of a new flight from Nis to Malta confirmed the trend of air traffic development, said also the director of Constantine the Great Airport Dusan Knezevic, who emphasized that in July alone more than 35,000 passengers went through the Nis airport and that, according to current indicators, the number of passenger in August would reach 50 000. He added that in addition to 12 Air Serbia flights and the new Ryanair flight to Malta, Wizz Air would increase the flight dynamics from 2 to 4 to Malmo from April next year. “In addition to the arrival of new airlines, new flights are being introduced by airlines with whom we have long-standing cooperation, which proves that the development of air traffic at this airport has a positive growth trend, and that the projection of about 420,000 passengers annually in 2018 will be realized.” said Director Knezevic.




CITY OF NIS TOGETHER WITH 210 EUROPEAN CITIES FIGHTING AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

August 14

City of Nis has joined a group of 210 cities across Europe, representing 62 million citizens, whose mayors and leaders demanded that the European Council and Member States intensify EU commitment to climate change, show global leadership and take an ambitious approach to lead rapid advances in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The open letter, signed by the leaders of cities from 21 EU member states and 7 neighboring countries, was published ahead of the Future of Europe conference in Sibiu, Romania (https://energy-cities.eu/policy/cities-call -for-a-more-sustainable-and-equitable-european-future/). Their demands include: developing a fair and inclusive European long-term climate strategy that will increase resilience to climate change and ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are more than halved by 2030 by 2020 and reach zero net emissions by 2020 2050; advance the EU climate and energy targets by 2030 and targets set at national level to ensure a rapid, equitable and climate-resilient energy transition in line with the above objectives; aligning the next long-term EU budget with this strategy, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and making climate action a priority in all funding programs; obliging all EU Member States to set binding zero net emission reduction targets and other targets above. “As Nis City Mayor I am extremely proud to add my name to this letter signed by mayors from all over Europe,” said Darko Bulatovic, Mayor of Nis. “Our citizens have the same concerns as citizens of all Europe, concerns for their children and for their future. The City of Nis is ready to lead by example the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future, but we need the support from our government and from all levels of EU to ensure that these ambitious but necessary goals are met. “




RECEPTION FOR THE AMBASSADOR OF SWEDEN

August 13th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic met with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden in Serbia Mr.  Jan Lundin at Nis City Hall and on this occasion the two officials discussed promoting co-operation and developing bilateral relations. The cooperation so far has been excellent, especially in the field of culture and environment, which is especially true of the project of preparing the tender and technical documentation for the construction of the Waste Water Treatment Plant, which has been supported by Sweden through Sida. Mayor Bulatovic and Ambassador Lundin also stressed the importance of maintaining 3 airline routes from Nis to cities in Sweden, Stockholm and Malmo and recently Gothenburg. According to Ambassador Lundin this will be of great benefit primarily to the numerous Serbian diaspora in this Scandinavian country, as well as to tourists from Sweden who want to get to know this part of Europe as well, because of the rich heritage of this part of Serbia, as well as the many attractive events and festivals, such as the just completed Nisville. It was also estimated that the improvement of air traffic, as well as all other types of traffic, significantly increased the capacities of Nis and this part of Serbia in attracting new investors from this friendly country, which, as agreed, would be the focus of future cooperation between Nis and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Serbia.




ANIMATED FILM COLONY AND FESTIVAL IN NIS

July 25

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatović visited the Children’s Library where the 13th International Colony of Animated Film for Children and Youth was being held. On this occasion Mayor Bulatovic greeted the children from country and abroad and thanked them for coming to our city, and said that he supported their artistic work and creativity and wished them a lot of success and rewards in the future. Over 30 talented students from 10 to 18 the country and the world traditionally spend several days with their peers from Nis in creative atmosphere, workshops and sightseeing of the city. During the workshops led by renowned lecturers and mentors the children discussed many topics. Along with the organization of the Colony the International Festival of Animated Film Coin of Constantine will be held for the 7th time According to organizers 894 films from 86 countries were enrolled for the festival. Of this number, after the selection, 84 films from 31 countries were selected for the contest. There are 45 films in the senior category and 39 in the Student category. The first prize at the festival was awarded to the film After the Rain from France, explaining that the film represented the perfect combination of animation, visual style, dramaturgy and sound. The same film was awarded with the first prize and in the category of seniors. In this category, the second prize went to China’s movie The Quintet of the Sunset, and the jury explained the decision with “the wonderful characterization and poetic sense of human life. The third prize in this category went to the Russian film Quiet for an aesthetic and nostalgic view of the relations between generations. In the student category, the first prize went to the film The Little Hero, which came from Romania. This is an educational story expressed through classical animation and beautiful graphics. The second prize went to the Israeli film Reviver, accompanied by a commentary that this was “an excellent example of a convincing story told using a complex stop-trick technique. The third prize went to Russia for the film Blanket Tale, for innovative and fun movie with great visual style and energy.




CITY OF NIS OPEN DATA

 

July 17

Since March this year the City of Nis has been working on the Open Data – Open Opportunities Project which has been implemented by the City of Nis Office for Local Economic Development and Projects in cooperation with the organization Palgo Smart. It is a project implemented nationally by the United Nations Development Program and the RS Office of Information Technology and Electronic Administration, supported by the United Kingdom Good Governance Fund (GGF) and the World Bank. By participating in this project the City of Nis contributes to the fulfillment of the strategic commitment of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in accordance with the Strategy of Development of Electronic Administration in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2015-2018 and the Action Plan for Implementation of the International Initiative Partnership for Open Government in the Republic of Serbia. At the press conference, held at Nis City Hall the results of the previous project activities implemented by the City of Nis were presented. Although the City of Nis, with this project, only makes the first steps in publishing data in open format, this project has achieved exceptional results, due to which the City of Nis has become the first local self-government in the Republic of Serbia that opened data sets of the entire City Administration, all organizational units at the secretariat level, a total of 17 secretariats and 12 public utility companies. By engagement of a working group formed of the representatives of all secretariats and public enterprises, 34 sets with more than 100 data sets are open and they are available for review, download and re-use on the National Open Data Portal (https://data.gov.rs ). From the large number of data published in open form, the public transport data are especially important for citizens which they can use through the Google Transit Service, then data on education, primary and secondary schools, agricultural land city heating energy data, water quality, parking zones and parking lots, spatial and urban plans, business premises owned by the City, construction and use permits, legalization and City of Nis Budget for 2019. All data sets were published with full respect for the rules regarding personal data protection, which is regulated in the Republic of Serbia by the Personal Data Protection Act as well as with the legal framework applicable in the territory of the European Union through the General Data Protection Act (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR). Upon completion of the activities in this project the City of Nis will continue to work on further opening of data from its own competence, their maintenance and optimization of their use through membership in the national working group for open data, together with other state institutions, technical community and civil society organizations, academic institutions and experts dealing with open data. In a wider context the City of Nis recognizes the huge potential that open data have to create new opportunities for the development of the economy and employment, as well as new values ​​through new information, analyses and services. Since more than 150 companies engaged in advanced technologies have been active operating in Nis since November 2018, open data will be of particular interest and importance to new generations of entrepreneurs, startups and new companies, for future residents of the Scientific and Technological Park, which will start operating next year, as well as teams working from other common working spaces in the city. Open data is a prerequisite and key component of the future concept of the City of Nis as a smart city, which will enable better quality of life for citizens, from transport and education to water, waste and energy management. Finally, with this project, the City of Nis continues its strategic commitment to position itself as a city of advanced technologies, and its citizens are recognized as actors and bearers of technical and technological changes in the world.




CONTRACT WITH HELP ORGANISATION SIGNED

 

July 16

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and the manager of the German organization HELP-Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V. for economic development Ms. Maša Bubanj signed a new cooperation agreement for the project “Supporting Socio-Economic Stability in the Region of the Western Balkans 2019-2020”financed under the German Development Cooperation. The project objective is to increase the capacity of economically and socially vulnerable population groups and to improve treatment programs in institutions for the enforcement of criminal sanctions and reintegration processes and their full involvement in society. The value of the Project for the City of Nis is 72,000 euros, of which the City co-finances the project in the amount of 28,800.00 euros and the Government of the Republic of Germany with funds in the amount of 43,200.00 euros. The project will be implemented in the territory of the City of Nis until December 31, 2020. The project is based on educational and economic support to the local development of the City of Nis, with the implementation of mechanisms for strengthening the development of micro businesses in the city. The main activities will concentrate on the direct opening of new jobs, through the help to small businesses in the form of grants, organizing business and vocational training. HELP-Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V. will support the implementation of existing local development strategies and support the sustainable development process as a whole. Within the project, at least 30 micro businesses in Nis will be supported in their intentions for starting or developing business activities. Support includes: donation in equipment or material with an average value of EUR 2,400.00; organization of business and professional training according to users’ needs.




AMBASSADOR OF INDONESIA VISITED NIS

 

July 15

Nis City Mazor Darko Bulatovic met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia in Serbia, H.E. Mr. Mochammad Chandra Widya Yudha. The Mayor welcomed the Indonesian ambassador and expressed his satisfaction with his first official visit to the City of Nis. He announced a new working meeting between the business delegations from Nis and Indonesia and possible concrete forms of cooperation. The Ambassador thanked the Mayor for hospitality and expressed his satisfaction with the good relations between the two countries. He stressed that he hoped that the fruitful cooperation of businessmen from the two countries would continue in the future as well, and that this would have a positive effect on the strengthening the cooperation in the tourism sector. The both officials expressed mutual interest in improving relations and establishing closer cooperation in the fields of culture, sports and economy. The Ambassador invited all businessmen from Nis to a large trade fair in Jakarta, which would be held in October this year.




RECEPTION ON THE OCCASION OF THE CONCERT AT MEMORIAL PARK BUBANJ

 

July 15

 

Nis City Council Member Jelena met with the participants of a big concert organized by the Youth Philharmonic Naisus from Nis, which would be held at the amphitheater in Memorial Park Bubanj.  “Such musical events are very important for our city and we always want to help when it comes to organizing them,” said Jelena Mitrovski. “The concert in Memorial Park Bubanj has already become traditional one and attracts the attention of the lovers of the classical music and the public at large. The City of Nis will try to support such events and make them happen as many as possible for the benefit of all citizens. The concert in Memorial Park Bubanj is almost a unique musical spectacle and the guests who will now present themselves to the audience make it even more unique. In addition to the members of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, the Belgrade Soloists will perform as well as special guests – soprano Sanja Kerkez, soprano Natasa Rasic, tenor Paolo Atogoneti and bass Federico Beneti.




MOU SIGNED FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPROVING YOUNG ROMA EMPLOYMENT PROJECT

 

July 4

 

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic signed the MoU with the Roma Education Fund for the implementation of measures and activities related to the improvement of the position of Roma within the framework of the “Improving Young Roma Employment” Project, Phase II. The Project is supported by the German financial cooperation program and implemented by the German Development Bank KFW on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Germany-Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. The objective of the project is to promote employability and increase the competitiveness of members of the Roma national minority in the labor market. The project includes practical assistance, creating effective and efficient mechanisms necessary to combat discrimination and the creation of conditions in which Roma can exercise all rights with a focus on access to the education system and employment. The project includes 150 members of the Roma national minority from 76 local self-governments. Young Roma from Nis can compete for one of the 150 internship vacancies with 53 employers within the second phase of this program in all of Serbia. Education is free for students, including travel and accommodation expenses. Training courses will be held in Belgrade. Until now, in the first phase of this program, 780 boys and girls of Roma ethnicity participated, 186 underwent internships with different employers. 182 were paid during their internships. According to the last census, 6996 members of the Roma national minority live in Nis, while according to unofficial data, this number is much higher.




ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISION FOR SERBIA FOR 2019 PRESENTED IN NIS

July 3

The Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and the EU Info Corner in Nis presented the report of the European Commission on Serbia for 2019 at Nis City Hall. The basic conclusion reached by the Commission is that Serbia has progressed in the field of economics, but not enough in the area of the rule of law and media freedom. The aim of the presentation was to bring together relevant stakeholders at the local level, which implies the participation of representatives of the business community, academic community, institutions, civil society organizations from Nis and southern Serbia. The participants were able to ask questions and actively participate in the discussion on this year’s European Commission Report on Serbia. The key findings of the Report were presented in Nis by the Head of the European Integration Sector in the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ms. Radica Nursdorfer. The economic aspects within the process of European integration of Serbia were the focus of the presentation. “There are many areas that have been assessed as positive, but there are also areas that can be further advanced”,  said Radica Nursdorfer. “The economic assessment is positive and the figures show that Serbia has made significant progress in the field of economy. The areas where most work needs to be done is the rule of law and freedom of the media, as the smallest progress has been made here. Poor progress in the field of the rule of law in many ways slows the speed of accession. If we want to talk about statistics, there are more chapters in which Serbia has progressed this year compared to last year, and fewer chapters where it stagnated”, said Ms. Nursdorfer.  The speakers before the discussion were Ivan Pavlovic, from the City of Nis Office for Local Economic Development and Projects and Prof.dr Boban Stojanovic, the professor at the Faculty of Economics in Nis and the President of the Nis Society of Economists. “The report is mostly moderately critically oriented, but it is important for us that there is not a constant regression on this path to the European Union,” said Professor Stojanovic. “In the economy, it is essential that there is fiscal stability, solid maintenance of external debt, a surplus in the budget, and all other preconditions for Serbia’s stability and progress. However, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises could be faster and the stagnation of domestic investments has been noted. ” “The local level is very important for economic development, and City of Nis has the highest results regarding the raising capacity of local self-government units in the process of European integration, and thus adequately responding to the needs of the economy, and on the other hand there are investors who are looking for competitive local self-government like Nis. The number of open companies in the city has increased, the unemployment is reduced, and the economic growth rate has increased, “Pavlovic said. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and actively participate in the discussion on this year’s European Commission Report on Serbia. The most important conclusions of the report can be found on the website of the EU Delegation to Serbia.