07.02.2011.

Minister Sutanovac awarded Gold Medal for the development of defence industry

Within the traditional selection event entitled Businessmen and Companies that have marked the year and marking the 10th anniversary of that event, the jury of the Club of Economic Journalists of Serbia have presented today Mr Dragan Šutanovac, the Minister of Defence, the Gold Medal for the development of the defence industry.

Minister Šutanovac, as specified in the award citation, which has been in that position since 2007, has invested a huge effort during the economic crisis to consolidate the Serbian economy. One of the main priorities in his foreign policy activities was promotion of the potential of the Serbian economy in the world and opening the new markets, primarily for the defence industry of Serbia. He also got engaged in providing all conditions for the restructuring and modernization of enterprises in that branch of national economy. In 2009, at the initiative of Minister Šutanovac, financial support was provided to the enterprises of the Serbian defence industry, which enabled their business consolidation, new product development and a technological base. At the end of the last year a blacksmith shop was opened in Valjevo.

At the same time, Minister Šutanovac worked on promoting the potential of the Serbian defence industry abroad what provided a better performance of that industry in the new markets, in Iraq, Egypt, USA, Libya, in Cyprus and Kuwait. The new contracted works enabled the domestic defence industry to become again one of the major proponents of the overall economic development of Serbia. This effectiveness of Minister Šutanovac was crucial for the defence industry enterprises in the period from 2007 until today to export goods worth about seven hundred fifty million dollars to the world market and the total value of contracts amounted to one billion two hundred million dollars.

In the ceremony at the National Theatre, Milorad Dodik, the President of the Republic of Srpska was awarded the Golden Plaque and the Golden Dinar of Tsar Dušan for the strengthening of economic and cultural ties between Serbia and the Republic of Srpska. The award was presented to him by Mirko Cvetkovic, the Serbian Prime Minister, who stated on that occasion that Milorad Dodik significantly contributed to the establishment and strengthening of political and economic relations between the two countries, which are the basis for good relations in the region.

By unanimous decision of the jury consisting of 15 prominent journalists, the Gold Medal for a Businessmen who marked the decade was presented also to Miroslav Bogi?evi?, the President of the Group Farmakom mb, Šabac, and the Gold Medal for the company that marked the decade to the MK Group company.

The Golden Award for the Businessman of the Year was presented to Goran Percevic, the General Manager Interkomerc a.d. company from Belgrade. The jury also decided to present the award of a Banker of the decade to Draginja Djuric, CEO of Banca Intesa Bank, a Gold Medal for business vision was given to Dusan Bajatovic, the General Manager of Srbijagas.

At the proposal of journalists covering the culture, the jury presented two gold plaques for creators that marked the decade to director Emir Kusturica and painter Vladimir Velickovic.

The jury unanimously decided to present the award of economic journalist of the year to Milan Culibrk, the editor in chief of Economist journal.

At today's event at the National Theatre, the first issue of the magazine Leaders - the Vision of Artists has been presented as a publication by the Club of Economic Journalists.