The international lighting company Zumtobel Group officially opened a new luminaire and component production facility in NiS, Serbia, with a ceremony on 28 September. Alfred Felder, CEO Zumtobel Group, Jürg Zumtobel, Chairman Supervisory Board Zumtobel Group, and Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia, jointly opened the new production facility. From the political side, the opening ceremony was attended by Gernot Blümel, Austrian Chancellery Minister for the EU, Art, Culture and Media, Nikolaus Lutterotti, the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Serbia, Erika Teoman-Brenner, Austrian Trade Commissioner in Serbia and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatović.  “Our new plant in Niš, located in the heart of Central Eastern Europe, plays a vital role in paving the company’s way to the future and get back on track. We are convinced that Niš contributes to strengthening our competitiveness while at the same time allowing us to react more flexibly to changing market requirements and to better supply our core European markets as well as the emerging markets in this region,” says Alfred Felder, CEO Zumtobel Group.

“I congratulate the Zumtobel Group to its impressive new production facility in Niš. The company’s decision to choose Serbia for a major investment of 30 million Euros certifies the efforts of the government of Serbia to establish the country as an attractive investment location. Such investments also strengthen the close relationship between Serbia and Austria. Companies like Zumtobel are the business card of Austria and help driving progress in the countries in which they operate. As one of the biggest Foreign Direct Investors, Austria will continue its efforts to further deepen the close political and economic ties with Serbia as well as its support in the EU-accession process,” states Gernot Blümel, Austrian Chancellery Minister for the EU, Art, Culture and Media.

On the occasion of the opening of the plant in Nis I would like to thank the Zumtobel Group management and all colleagues from Austria and Serbia. Thanks to the efforts of our Austrian friends, as well as the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Niš plant was completed only within one year and today officially opened,” concludes Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia.

The site consists of two production areas: Production Area 1 for components (Tridonic) started serial production with one line by the end of July 2018; Production Area 2 for luminaires started the ramp-up at the beginning of September. With a total investment volume of EUR 30 million on a surface of 40,000 square metres, the new Zumtobel Group plant is an important addition to the existing group-wide production network. The production facility in Nis will be supplying products such as LED luminaires and LED drivers. The products that will be produced in Serbia will mainly be intended for Central and Eastern Europe as well as Middle East export markets.

The construction of the Zumtobel Group factory in the southern industrial zone of Niš started in mid of 2017. Currently, the Niš plant employs around 260 people. The Zumtobel Group has developed a long- term plan for its investment in Serbia that will involve the gradual build-up of the local workforce to 1,100 employees according to the growth plans of three to five years. The headquarters in Dornbirn will stay the heart of the company with its R&D centre and the biggest workforce (currently around 2,100 employees) of the group-wide production network.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that this was another wonderful day for the City of Nis, and that in the last two years there were many such days. He pointed out that the City of Nis as local self-government provided full support to the state policy and that the introduction of measures for incentives for micro, small and medium enterprises, and employment subsidies, whereby Nis was leading in Serbia, were the contribution of the city to the state. “The state is helping the City of Niš through projects with 50% or 100 %t grants and direct help to the budget. We all invest our efforts and capacities, and we will continue to invest in order to build the city and south of Serbia, “Bulatovic said. The mayor points out that the magnificent Zumtobel plant will provide earnings for 1100 families, as well as that the revenues to the budget of the City of Nis.

 His Excellency Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia Mr. Amr Aljowaily and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic met today at Nis City Hall on the occasion of the Ambassador’s visit to Nis and participation at the Round Table organized at Nis Regional Chamber of Commerce as the part of the activities within Week of Egyptian economy. The Ambassador presented to the Mayor details related to this round table which would be dedicated to the possibilities of economic cooperation between business communities in Egypt and Serbia. It has not been a month since the first meeting between the Ambassador and the Mayor and some initial steps in cultural cooperation had already been made with the organization of the guest lecture by well-known Egyptian painter and expected visit of the well-known Egyptologists and experts for the ancient history of Egypt. The Ambassador also invited the Mayor of Nis for an official visit to Egypt on the occasion of the biggest economic fair which was held every March in Cairo.

The European Conference – The Initiative for the Unique Approach to the Treatment of Orofacial Clefts and Other Craniofacial Deformities is the first conference within the COST European Cooperation in Science & Technology project 16234, the Horizon 2020 Framework program. The conference was opened on behalf of organizer Julija Radojicic, MD who emphasized the importance of organizing such scientific meetings so that doctors could get acquainted with new methods in this field, but also exchange experiences with colleagues from other countries. On behalf of the City of Nis the audience was greeted by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, who welcomed all the participants of this prestigious gathering and emphasized that within the framework of European medicine, there was no common position on the treatment and socialization of children with certain craniofacial deformities, and that such gatherings were the opportunities to jointly adopt new knowledge and methods in treating.

The exhibition of paintings by a Slovak author, Milosav Dvorak, was opened at Synagogue Gallery in Nis. The exhibition was jointly organized by the National Museum of Nis, the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Belgrade and the Honorary Consulate of Slovak Republic in Nis. The opening ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Dagmar Repcekova, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Serbia, Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic in Nis Stela Jovanovic. Ambassador Repcekova said that she visited Nis for so many times that she no longer felt like a guest, and once again thanked Nis citizens and the host city for outstanding hospitality sincere friendship. She said that the cooperation so far in all areas was excellent, and that she was convinced that it would be even wider and better in the future. Mayor Bulatovic said that rarely a country turned out to be such a good and faithful friend to Serbia as Slovakia was, and that this exhibition was another proof of that. The author himself, Miloslav Dvorak, said that he was immensely happy about the opportunity and honor to exhibit his works in Nis and that he was thrilled with the fact that his paintings were in the extraordinary ambience of the Nis synagogue and that the Serbian audience would have the opportunity to see them. Otherwise, Milosav Dvorak is a Slovak mid-generation author. He is a

a doctor, specialist in neuroscience, by vocation  while painting  is a hobby and love from an early age.

 This year the City of Nis through the Office for Youth supported the implementation of 18 projects of non-governmental organizations aimed at improving the position of youth in Nis, and for this purpose, 3 million dinars were allocated from the budget. In addition, another million dinars were allocated for helping informal associations through the formation of the Resource Center with the organization Young Ambassadors. On the occasion of the City of Nis Youth Day the contracts were awarded at Nis City Hall by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic who said that Nis was the city of young people and that the city adminsitration would continue to help the young in every way. He pointed out that the biggest problem was the lack of jobs in Nis and stressed that, in only two years in Nis, the number of unemployed decreased from over 37,000 to around 26,000, while at the same time the number of employed citizens increased from 61 000 to around 77 000, and that most of those newly employed were young educated people. The coordinator of the Youth Office, Stevan Zivkovic, pointed out that at the time of the establishment of the Office in 2012, the City allocated RSD 500,000 from the budget for projects for youth, and this year this amount was eight times higher. Zivkovic pointed out that a total of 18 projects were accepted by the same number of non-governmental organizations and citizens’ associations, and that the approved funds ranged from 100,000 to 200,000 dinars per project. This year the competition did not specify the theme of the projects, and the largest number of received ideas was, according to Živković, related to the improvement of youth safety, raising the awareness of youth about ecology, media and information, EU integration and employment of young people.

At the press conference held at Nis City Hall Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic that the companies Zumtobel and IMI would open their factories in Nis in the following two months and that the construction of the first phase of the apartments for members of the security forces would start. “We are expecting new jobs because we have the opening of IMI and Zumtobel. President Aleksandar Vucic will attend the opening of these factories as well as the beginning of construction of apartments for members of the Army and the Police. This two-year period was marked by the strong support of the Government of Serbia and President Vucic to the City of Nis because without state aid we would hardly be able to realize such significant investments, “Bulatovic said. Mayor Bulatovic pointed out that the new employment would further reduce the unemployment rate in our city. At present, there are about 26,000 unemployed people in Nis, according to the mayor, and the number of newly employed increased by 16,000. Bulatovic stressed that the number of tourists has increased by almost 100 percent, and that this was the result of the overall economic environment and the atmosphere in the city. When it comes to the housing construction project, Nis and Vranje are the first cities in Serbia where the implementation of this state project will begin. “We are fully committed to the first phase in which 198 apartments will be built, and we are also working on the preparation of a new location for apartments,” Mayor said. He said, referring to the report he submitted to the members of Nis City Assembly, the previous two years were difficult and that the City managed to repay 2,6 million debts inherited from the previous period, stabilize public finances, regularly service current obligations without any new borrowing. The Mayor pointed out that the state gave 330 million dinars to the City of Nis, that the money was in the city’s account and that it would be used in the event of unforeseen expenses. Mayor Bulatovic reiterated once again the City Hall was open to all citizens for their questions, proposals and suggestions.

August 10^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic submitted a two-year report on his work and the work of the City Council to the members of Nis City Assembly. The most significant result was the stabilization of city finances, regular settlement of all financial obligations, and repayment of debts from the previous period in the amount of 2.6 billion dinars without taking any new loans from the banks, neither for current liquidity nor for the allowed bank overdraft. Also, according to him, this period was marked by the great support from the President of the Republic and the Government, both in financial and investment segments, facilitating the city to become a major regional center of this part of our country, through the implementation of the projects such as: completion of highway corridors, reconstruction of the railway line, investment in the airport, completion of the Clinical Center, activities on the construction of a roundabout and reconstruction of the railway line from Nis to Dimitrovgrad, a new plant for wastewater treatment, 6 new factories, reconstruction of schools, support for reconstruction of facades. Bulatovic pointed out that both the President and the Government were in Nis several times, as well as numerous ambassadors, whose visits aimed at providing support for the development of this part of Serbia. “New jobs, employment, a better standard of our fellow citizens, more satisfied people, this is all what we striving for,” Bulatovic said. The Mayor said that there were things he was not satisfied with:” “The debts that we inherited from the previous period, which we had to return, burdened us, and at the same time we had to settle regularly the current bills and financial commitments.  Until this moment we have successfully dealt with this, and I am confident that we will continue to solve these problems successfully. Never before has the City of Nis had such big investments, big projects. In solving the communal problems for Hum, Brenica and other parts of the city, in the next year, we will allocate at least one billion dinars more than this year, and that is why we need more project designers. We have allocated 6.5 million dinars for projects design outside the jobs entrusted to the Institute for Urban Planning, so that we would be more prepared for the projects that are ahead of us,” the Mayor concluded.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovc visited today the Nis fortress where the final preparations for the start of the main program of this year’s International Jazz Festival Nisville were in progress. The mayor, together with the Director of Nisville, Ivan Blagojevic, visited the newly opened Jazz Museum in the building of the former Turkish Bath where the history of the Festival and the development of jazz culture in Nis was exhibited. On this occasion the Mayor emphasized the great importance this museum had, as well as Nisvillle in general, in creating a more complete and richer tourist offer in Nis. “The city recognized the significance of Nisville and included it among the public events supported by the city, the Jazz Festival was a cultural treasure and unique brand of Nis, after which this city became recognizable and far beyond the borders of our country. This can be seen at every step. The city is crowded with people from all over the world, and I expect estimated 200,000 people to see some of Nisville programs during these ten days, which will be a huge success for the city, “Bulatovic said. Nisville Director Ivan Blagojevic expressed satisfaction with the support provided by the city to the festival without which Nisville could not have been one of the top ten music festivals in Europe, according to the British Guardian. Blagojević hopes that the ministries of culture, youth, and tourism will also recognize the significance of this event, and provide support that will enable Nisville to progress, both technically and program related, primarily through the arrival of the world’s greatest names in the world jazz scene. Mayor Bulatovic emphasized that the support from the city increased from 20 million in 2016 to 28 million dinars this year, which testified that Nis was aware of the value of this festival and was ready to support it in the coming years and in the future.

Mayor of Nis Darko Bulatovic met today with the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E.Mr Amr Aljowaily, the first diplomat from this friendly country who visited our city after more than 15 years. The meeting, agreed a few months ago, coincided with the evening performance of the modern ballet ensemble of the Cairo State Opera at Nisville Theater Festival, so the issue of expanding and enhancing cultural cooperation was imposed as one of the main topics of discussion between Mayor Bulatovic and the Ambassador. The Ambassador said that cooperation should not be limited to Belgrade and Cairo, as the two main and largest cities. On this occasion he also invited Nis folk ensembles to be guests at one of the numerous ethno festivals in Egypt. Also, the initiative for closer connection, and the twinning of Nis with some of the larger cities in Egypt, was initiated, which was accepted mutually. Mayor Bulatovic pointed out that Nis was a city with a rich but insufficiently investigated archaeological heritage and there was the need for establishing cooperation with Egyptian experts who had vast experience in the field. He emphasized that the National Museum in Nis was ready to connect and collaborate with some of the Egyptian museums or archaeological institutions. Ambassador Aljowaily said that he was familiar with the rapid development of Nis Airport Constantine the Great and pointed out that it would be good to launch an airline, regular or charter, between Nis and airports in Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh, and that this would be important not only for citizens of this part of Serbia, but also Bulgaria and Macedonia, and would enable a much larger tourist exchange in both directions.

The Tourism Organization of Nis presented the business results for 2017, as well as activities aimed at increasing tourist traffic in 2018. According to statistical data the number of tourists in Nis increased by 26% in 2017 compared to the same period of the previous year, with the number of domestic tourists increased by 16% and foreign tourists by 34.5%. If the average estimated spending per tourist is 70 euros, it is concluded that the total income of the city from tourism is about 14 million euros, or 1.6 billion dinars, which, for a period of four years, represented the increase of almost 70%, as the director of Tourist Organization of Niš Uroš Parlić said, adding that over RSD 26 million was the income from the residence tax. According to him the trend of growth continued this year, so in the first five months the number of tourists increased by 19%, and the number of foreign tourists by as much as 25%  which showed that investments in being present at international fairs, the promotion, marketing and improvement of the tourist infrastructure brought the result. Nis has become the third destination in Serbia, after Belgrade and Novi Sad, popular for city tourism. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatović said that the positive trend of increase of tourists, which is counted in dozens of percent, indicated that the city, in cooperation with the Nis Tourism Organization, recognized the importance of tourism and tourist economy as the basis for the overall economic growth of the city. The Mayor pointed out that the City would continue to support the activities of Nis Tourism Organization and to invest in the creation of new and improving the existing tourist facilities and events so that these positive trends would continue, and Nis would become recognizable on the tourist map, and the city with increasing revenues from tourism.