September 18^th

Nis City Mayor of Darko Bulatovic and the Member of Nis City Council for Primary Health Care Sasa Zivic met today with the renowned medical doctors from China, Japan, South Korea, India and Indonesia who are staying in Nis at the invitation of the Nis Clinical Center on the occasion of the International Symposium of Shoulder and Elbow Disease Treatment that is being held in our city. In addition to these world-renowned doctors, the symposium will also include orthopedic surgeon from Serbia and Macedonia. For the first time in Nis a few days ago a complex operation of the shoulder was performed thanks to the experience transferred from the guests from far countries. Orthopedic surgeon Ivan Micic, who was staying in Seoul for further training, had just the opportunity to further improve his knowledge from this group of physicians. According to Professor In Ho Jeon from South Korea, the goal of their stay in Nis is to discuss with their colleagues about novelties in the field of orthopedics, in particular in the treatment of shoulder and elbow injury.

September 18^th

Within the Local Economic Development Program of the City of Nis for 2017, implemented by the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects of the City of Nis, a public invitation was sent to banks interested in short-term lending to business entities from the territory of the City of Nis, with the participation of the City through subsidizing interest on loans for procurement of working capital, costs of purchasing machinery and equipment. The Commission for the allocation of funds in the framework of the realization of this program, according to the criteria from the public call, chose the most favorable bid, submitted by Banca Intesa. The City Council accepted the recommendation of the Commission and today the Business Cooperation Agreement between the City of Nis and Banca Intesa was signed. The agreement was signed by the Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic on behalf of the City, and on behalf of the bank, the Director for the sale to small business in the Regional Center Nis Milan Bogdanovic and the regional director for business with individuals and small businesses in the Regional Center Nis Violeta Marjanovic.

“For the City of Nis, it is very important that such programs are implemented in order to stimulate the development of entrepreneurship and thus contribute to the further reduction of the unemployment rate in our city. Local self-governments need reliable partners for the realization of these plans, and I am therefore pleased that we will implement this program in cooperation with Banca Intesa. The city allocates 5 000 000 dinars for interest subsidy on loans that will be allocated to business entities and I sincerely hope that they will be interested in this kind of assistance, Mihajlo Zdravkovic, the Nis City Council Member for Economy said at the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation. “The agreement that Banca Intesa today signed with the City of Nis would enable us to provide legal entities and entrepreneurs in the territory of this city, which is a very important regional business center of our bank, to provide even more favorable loan terms and thus help them to improve their business and increase their competitiveness. The development of entrepreneurship is a key factor of economic growth, increased employment and a better quality of life of citizens not only in Nis, but also throughout our country, and it is therefore important that banks support this segment of the economy, Violeta Marjanovic, Regional Director of Banca Intesa Sector for individuals and small businesses in the Regional Center Nis said. The minimum loan amount for which the interest will be subsidized is RSD 100,000 and the maximum RSD 1,500,000.

September 12^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and the Nis City Council Member for Culture Jelena Mitrovska met today with Predrag Perunovic who has traveled 16,000 km from Nis to Vladivostok city on the Russian coast of the Pacific Ocean for 43 days. Perunovic spoke about his impression while passing through Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. On this occasion, the Mayor Bulatovic said that the City of Nis would be happy to support one of the following undertakings of this fellow citizen, and not only financially. He said that the City of Nis had good cooperation with many cities in the world and that Perunovic represented his country in the best possible way.

September 9^th

The hotel capacities in Nis will be increased from next year as the reconstruction of the Hotel Park and the Hotel Ambassador will be completed, as it has been announced by the owners of these facilities on the occasion of Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic visiting the construction sites. Both of these hotels were previously owned by the Company Srbijaturist, but due to the unsuccessful privatization of that company for years they were without guests and in a very bad condition. Andrija Radojicic, the new owner of the Park Hotel, announced that this hotel, which was built in 1936, would be returned to the old splendor most likely by the end of this year. He also announced new contents such as spa center, congress hall, sightseeing and panoramic elevator and this will be five-star hotel. Ivan Spasic, the owner of the company My Place Group who is the new owner of the Ambassador Hotel, emphasized that the reconstruction of this hotel would be completed next year, by the end of April, and that the opening was planned for May. It will be five-star hotel. Out of the former 140 rooms, after the reconstruction there will be 58 studios, 10 apartments and two presidential suites of 85m2. It will also have new facilities, such as a spa center, conference facilities and a billiard room, as well as a parking plot with 35 slots. According to the announcements of the owners, the renovation of both hotels will cost five million euros and will provide the opening of 200 new jobs. On the occasion of visiting the construction sites, Mayor Bulatovic said that the city needed new hotel capacities because Nis was the center of this part of Serbia. He pointed out that the local government helped with the construction permit for the Hotel Ambassador, because the usage permit was never obtained for the old building.

September 9^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic signed today the contracts with 11 refugees from Bosnia and Croatia on grants in the amount of 200,000 dinars for starting their own business. The value of the project to help refugees and displaced persons is 4 million, and the city provides 10 percent. The signing of the contract was preceded by the competition, after which these 11 persons were selected because at this moment their projects were the most realistic ones. According to the Nis City Council Member for Social Policy Tijana Djordjevic Ilic the City of Nis is doing everything to help these people, and what is happening today is an indicator of these efforts. Today, we are implementing projects that were signed in 2015. We are implementing them today thanks to the good will of the Commissariat that has annexed all contracts so that persons who are in the status of refugees or IDPs will get a roof over the head.  This kind of assistance has been provided to 80 beneficiaries so far.

September 7^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, and Help Senior Program Manager for Economic Development, Masa Bubanj signed the Contract for the realization of the project “Support to Socio-Economic Stability in the Region”. In this way, the successful cooperation between the City of Nis and this German NGO is continuing. “This agreement is the basis of a partnership agreement that already exists and we are committed to effectively implementing the project today and thus achieving the planned results,” Mayor Bulatovic said. The project value for Nis is 120 000 Euros, and the City participates with 48 000 Euros. The project will enable 50 micro and small enterprises to receive grants in equipment. The project will include, according to the Mayor’s words, unemployed women, convicts, persons with disabilities and socially disadvantaged Nis citizens. They will individually get help in equipment in the amount of 2,400 Euros to start their own business. He stressed that he hoped the project would be successful and that we would all be able to visit future successful entrepreneurs together. The Mayor thanked the Government of the Republic of Germany for providing part of the funds, as well as the organization Help that recognized the potential of City of Nis as a partner on the project.

September 7^th

The participants of the 52^nd Sicevo Art Colony visited Nis City Hall where their hosts Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and Nis City Council Member for Culture Jelena Mitrovski welcomed the guests and reflected on the great significance of the colony itself, which represented a kind of Nis brand and they expressed great satisfaction with the number of participants of this year’s colony and wished the artists to come back to Nis again. The participants presented their impressions of Sicevo and emphasized that the quality of the artwork that was being created there was at an exceptional level and that it deserved a space for permanent exhibition. The Art Colony in Sicevo was founded in 1905, and Serbian painter Nadezda Petrovic inspired by the beauty of the Sicevo Gorge gathered her Slovenian and Croatian colleagues for the first time.

September 7^th

Dance Caravan aimed at presenting and promoting artistic dance through artistic, creative, and above all interactive programs in 15 cities in Serbia, was presented today in Nis in the presence of Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who was the sponsor of the project. The caravan is realized by the National Foundation 4 Artistic Dance and the Belgrade Dance Festival, supported by the Art Mentor Foundation from Lucerne and the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia. During the next four months, until December, the citizens of  Nis, Kragujevac, Pirot, Subotica, Vranje, as well as the citizens of Novi Pazar, Negotin, Kraljevo, Vrsac, Valjevo, Strpce, Uzice, Cacak, Zrenjanin and Smederevo will have the opportunity to participate in the Dance Caravan.

The director of National Foundation 4 Artistic Dance Aja Jung explained that the idea of the Dance Caravan was to offer numerous activities through a three-day program each city, popularize classic ballet and modern dances to all interested participants and visitors. The youngest will have the opportunity to get involved in educational workshops, talk to their peers who attend professional ballet schools in Belgrade and Pancevo, while parents will be able to consult with pedagogues and experts. All content is free, and the goal is to involve at least 3,000 citizens through three-day activities.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic pointed out that it was very important to start generating generations that will be creative and widely educated and would have developed political thought. “Research has shown that the main reason for moving people from smaller communities to larger cities, besides the economic, is the lack of cultural content. For this reason, the decentralization of culture, i.e. allowing access to cultural content in all areas, is of great importance for the Government of the Republic of Serbia. For these reasons, we are trying to bring the culture closer to everyone, and that is why we support projects like Dance Caravan. Brnabic added that culture and the creative industry had huge potential for economic development, employment and promotions around the world, and that the Government and the line ministry had several important cultural projects of national importance. “One of the priorities of the Government of Serbia is, opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art, in October, finally, after 10 years of waiting and the opening of the National Museum in the spring of next year. Their rich treasuries will again be available to the public, and young artists will eventually get space to exhibit their work. It is also important that the Museum of Contemporary Art will have its own space for children. For Serbia, it is also important that the City of Novi Sad is chosen to be the Capital of Youth in 2019 and the Capital of Culture in 2021. This will greatly help in the promotion of the culture of our country, “the Prime Minister said. She added that the Government would continue to support cultural projects because culture was an important segment of our society and perhaps we did not pay enough attention to it.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that this was a good opportunity for Nis to run  for a new, future capital of culture: “I thank the Prime Minister who is supporting all significant projects for Nis and South Serbia. I want this project to be successful and I promise that as a local self-government we will support projects in the field of culture within the limits of our possibilities and give a contribution to our country progressing in a cultural sense. The Prime Minister, accompanied by the Mayor and Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Philip Ge, visited the exhibition of photographs and thus opened officially the Dance Caravan. Nis will be the first city in Serbia, to have free ballet and modern dance classes for children, performances, lectures, as well as the film program. The caravan then moves to Pirot and Vranje.

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.