1. You are wrapping up your third year in Serbia. Two years, to a great degree, were marked with pandemic, and now with the War in Ukraine. Challenging and uncertain times, but at the same time an opportunity to make an impact. What are some key professional highlights you would like to share with our members? And, what is your expectation for the remainder of your term? 

The pandemic certainly has made a significant impact on our work, as it has done on society as a whole for several years now. I am particularly proud that we managed to reallocate significant funds for urgent health needs in the first part of 2020, in particular by procuring respirators to Serbia and neighbouring countries in a time of dire need. We followed up with deliveries of protective gear for health workers and also PCR-testing equipment to alleviate some of the pressure on the health sector. This year we are continuing these efforts by reconstructing the floor of the Institute for Mental Health in Ulica Milana Kašanina (former Palmotićeva) where genetic laboratory, biochemical laboratory and a pharmacy will be constructed and equipped, rebuilding the psychiatric ward for family therapies of Institute’s department in Paunova street where adolescents who suffer from alcoholism and gambling are treated ,and supporting community-based mental health services for young and vulnerable groups throughout the country. Even though the pandemic is receding, we see across the globe that the impact on mental health is still very significant. This requires and deserves our full attention.

On the more recent events and Putin’s war on Ukraine which is causing a devastating humanitarian crisis, as well as insecurity and instability in almost all sectors for Europe as a whole, this has truly shocked us all. My compassion lies first of all with the Ukrainian people, who have stood up and demonstrated immense bravery against a barbaric assault. We already see long-lasting impact on the security architecture in Europe, many countries, including Norway’s neighbours in the Nordic region, have taken historic decisions in a matter of weeks and months. The war has also impacted Serbia, and I must say that I am happy to

witness that Serbia has stood together with Norway our European allies in many important arenas and taken a firm stance against the Russian aggression.

On the bilateral agenda I am very happy to see that our focus on the energy sector in the past year is advancing. The renewable energy conference that we hosted in cooperation with the Ministry of Mining and Energy in December has created a lot of interest from Norwegian investors and businesses. We are also doing our utmost to follow up on our Prime Minister’s promise to President Vucic to assist Serbia in its efforts to strategize and further develop its energy sector. I hope to see a team of Norwegian energy experts in Belgrade soon, and that we together with our Serbian counterparts can contribute to advancing the green agenda, improve resilience in the energy sector and reduce the dependency on both specific energy sources and suppliers. All this to the benefit of Serbia.

2. You are very passionate about sustainable economic development fuelled by innovation. Aside from being the cornerstone for the strong SME sector and for job creation, one should not underestimate the social impact of innovation. Can you share with our readers your perspective on what individuals, companies and government can do to better embrace the “innovation mindset”?

Sustainable growth is increasingly related to our capacity to innovate and transform. We have to adapt to an increasingly dynamic and competitive environment. This means that greater efforts need to be put into creating an eco-system that encourages innovation, research and development as well as entrepreneurship. Innovation is nothing less than the key to a wide range of priorities such as the Green Deal, an economy that works for the people, and the society’s preparation for the digital age.

In the post-pandemic recovery, governments have an opportunity to steer the direction of the growth towards a greener, more innovative and future-orientated economy. This current period is therefore particularly important. Policy should be developed to incentivize technological innovation and investments, not at least the green transition.

I have to say that some of my most memorable experiences in Serbia are meetings with representatives from SMEs in innovation hubs and science and technology parks. I have met young people who are extremely forward-leaning, full of energy and creativity to find solutions and new ways to produce and create.

3. Where do you see Serbia’s biggest potential for sustainable economic growth? How can the Nordic embassies and businesses in Serbia accelerate this growth?   

I think the green agenda opens up a lot of opportunities for Serbia, in particular for businesses. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, we need to change a lot of our production and consumption patterns. If you’re able to find solutions in these areas, there will almost automatically be a global market for those solutions.

As representatives of the Nordic region, we are quite active in promoting best practices and expertise to Serbia. Last fall, we had a number of conferences on circular economy in Kragujevac, Nis, Novi Sad and Belgrade where this was our main focus. The aim was to share Nordic experiences and to connect Serbian and Nordic experts, companies and policy makers. With concrete examples, we believe that showcasing the best practices from the Nordic experience we can serve as inspiration for progress also in Serbia.

On that note, I am extremely pleased to announce to you readers that we have secured and even increased the funding for a continuation of these efforts for the second half of 2022. We have received a new and generous grant from the Nordic Council of Ministers for a project we have named “Nordic Green”. With the pandemic receding, I hope to see the Nordic business sector becoming both engaged and involved in this project through the coming months. Most certainly, we will engage with many of you in the time ahead in connection with these planned conferences.

4. Nordic countries consistently top the lists when it comes gender equality, among other elements of healthy economies and nations. Your Embassy actively supports initiatives to fight gender-based violence in Serbia. Can you share with our readers examples of your engagement when it comes to improving the position of women in our society.   

Norway has emphasised gender equality both in our domestic policies and our foreign policy for a long time. In Serbia, our involvement has been wide-reaching and has included issues like economic empowerment of women, change in gender stereotypes, strengthening of mechanisms for gender mainstreaming, as well as the prevention of gender-based violence.

In 2019, we partnered up with UN Women, the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality through the project “Improving Safety for Women in Serbia”. This project puts prevention of violence against women and girls at its centre, which gained a new dimension of urgency and importance during the pandemic. We supported 20 civil society organizations across Serbia to keep the SOS helplines open 24/7, so that all women facing the risk of gender-based and domestic violence could call or get an online advice. In that respect we also provided psycho-social and legal assistance. These organizations on average recorded a 30% increase in requests for assistance, demonstrating the need for this intervention.

We have also worked to strengthen the capacities of police officers and justice representatives in Serbia by introducing and implementing innovative practices for better realization of urgent measures for victim protection against perpetrator of violence. Also, with the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality we have a particular focus on strengthening the participation of rural women in economic activity. Lastly, we work with journalists to improve their knowledge and skills about risks of gender-stereotyping in reporting about violence against women and girls.

5. May 17 th is the National Day in Norway. What is the significance of this day for your country? How is it celebrated? Please share with our readers some unique customs and traditions. 

The 17 th of May, the day of the adoption of our Constitution in 1814, is the biggest celebration in Norwegian society. It represents both progress of democratic rights for citizens and a milestone on our path towards complete independence in 1905. Today it is also a day of reflection on Norway’s role on the international scene, and in particular our dependency on Europe and the global community. And the importance for us to reach out and engage pro-actively with others. As regards the celebration, it is most of all children’s day. Pupils throughout the country parade in villages and cities playing instruments and singing, and later in the day play games with their friends and eat ice cream.

One quite peculiar tradition is that seniors of high school dress up in all-red or all-blue overalls, that they wear from mid-April until the 17 th of May, the end of these celebrations. Everyone wears a hat, is given a nickname within small groups of classmates, and hands out personalised cards that are collected by younger pupils. Each school has a set of rules and list of activities that are rewarded with tokens attached to a string on the hat. This tradition is an important part of the transition into adulthood, and strengthening lasting friendship.

6. Finally, activities related to arts & culture have also been a priority in your bilateral cooperation with Serbia. You had a few fantastic Jazz concerts at your residence, and take an active personal interest in films, theatre, literature and visual arts. What are your impressions of arts & culture scene in Serbia? Please highlight the most memorable experiences. 

Music is existential. I personally value this very highly. As it happens, music and culture in general is also an excellent diplomatic instrument! Cultural events bring us closer together and provide excellent venues for good discussions. Also, Serbia has a fantastic jazz scene, the Belgrade Jazz Festival is one of my favourite periods of the year.

In September last year, for the launch of the Nordic initiative on circular economy in Serbia, we were successful in getting Vladimir Nikolov and Srdjan Ivanovic’ 11-piece jazz orchestra Undectet to play in the Norwegian residence. They are one of, if not the most exciting jazz ensembles in Europe these days, and having them play in the garden for several hundred guests was a great honour and privilege. This is probably the most successful event I have hosted so far, and I really hope that we can continue with similar events in the coming year!