VISIT OF THE HIGH LEVEL DELEGATION OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO TO INDIA

A delegation of Serbia and Montenegro headed by H.E. Dr. Predrag Ivanovic, Minister for International Economic Relations of Serbia and Montenegro visited India from 7-12 February 2006. The delegation, including H.E. Mr. Milan Parivodic, Minister for International Economic Relations of the Republic of Serbia, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense of Serbia and Montenegro and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, had official meetings with Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Finance Shri P. Chidambaram, Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Anand Sharma, Minister of State for Defense Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister for Science, Technology & Ocean Development Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister for Tourism Smt. Ambika Soni and Minister for Agriculture Shri Sharad Pawar.

The delegation, including the representatives of the Serbian companies, also met with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and   Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

During the visit, agreements on Trade and Economic Cooperation and Avoidance of Double Taxation were signed between India and Serbia and Montenegro . A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the ASSOCHAM providing the platform for exploring business opportunities in the areas of IT, pharmacy, engineering, textiles and plastic products. An Agreement was signed between the Subotica Chamber of Commerce and the Punjab , Haryana and Delhi Chambers of Commerce (PHDCC) for promoting cooperation between the two regional Chambers of Commerce.

SERBIAN MOVIE “PREMIDATED MURDER” AT THE FESTIVAL “LITTLE EUROPE” IN NEW DELHI

Serbian movie “Premeditated Murder” (“Ubistvo s predumisljajem”, dir. Gorcin Stojanovic, 1995) has been screened at the Festival “Little Europe” organized by the Department of Slavonic and Finno-Ugrian Studies, University of Delhi in February 2006. The theme for the 2006 Festival of films from Eastern and Central Europe has been “Literature and Cinema”. The Indian audience has shown a lot of interest in the movie “Premeditated Murder”, as well as in the book by Serbian writer Slobodan Selenic, after which the movie was made.

SERBIAN BAND “SANJA ILIC&BALKANIKA” IN INDIA

In November 2005 Serbian band “Sanja Ilic&Balkanika” visited India . The Embassy, in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), organised a concert of “Sanja Ilic&Balkanika” on 17 November 2005 in New Delhi in Shri Ram Center . Indian audience expressed great interest and appreciation in Balkan traditional music and rhythm which were presented in a new, modern way.

            Members of “Sanja Ilic&Balkanika” are famous and talented ethno musicians, singing and performing on traditional old Balkan instruments the music based on spiritual and traditional Balkan tunes, with the modern rhythm, feeling and sensibility. Old music from Balkans with splendid musicians playing traditional instruments conjures the atmosphere of the Balkans region. Basic idea of this project is whether it is “possible to build, for a new millennium, new house on Balkans, a house made out of all of our differences which are becoming a unifying material. Is it possible to build into that house all the energy of art and knowledge of both East and West “. “Sanja Ilic&Balkanika” is the Serbian group of the year 2002.

The group is led by Sanja Ilic, one of the most successful modern composers of pop and rock music in ex-Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro . He also composes music for film, theatre and TV, has won many prizes at different music festivals and has participated at the Eurovision Song Contest.

The details about the group are also available on the Internet site http://www.sanja-balkanika.net