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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Creative industries great potential of Serbia

Belgrade, 2 February 2018

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke today with founder of the music festival "EXIT" Dusan Kovacevic and Chairman of the Managing Board of the festival Ivan Petrovic, who agreed that the creative industries have great potential for the Serbian economy, job creation and additionally raise Serbia's reputation in the world.

Prime Minister Brnabic congratulated the "EXIT" team on the recently won prize for the best European festival in the Netherlands, the second in less than five years.

She added that it is a great success for the organizers and Serbia that a festival from our country, which competed with 350 festivals from more than 35 countries, received support from several million fans, and then from a jury composed of the biggest names of the world music industry.

I am proud of everyone in the "EXIT" team, because their efforts, knowledge and ideas have won even those who have a much higher budget, she said.

The Prime Minister pointed to the significance of creative industries in Serbia, which the World Bank study estimated as one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy and which, according to their contribution to economic development, represent the fifth biggest industry in our country.

Creative industries not only have great economic potential, but also influence on our people to stay in the country, to freely express their creativity and develop their business here. I believe that the development of creative industries will enable the redefinition of our cultural diplomacy and the building of a different image of Serbia in the world, Brnabic said.

Founder of "EXIT" festival Dusan Kovacevic said that the success belongs to the whole country and that the satisfaction for winning the award is even greater because of that.

The delegation of the "EXIT" Festival and Mayor of Novi Sad Milos Vucevic presented the idea of reconstructing Novi Sad’s Chinese quarter into a "Creative District", which is one of the projects of the broader initiative "Novi Sad - Capital of Culture 2021".

Kovacevic thanked the Serbian government for its support and added that now is an opportunity to strategically develop creative industries and tourism, as two engines of economic development of our country.

He dedicated his victory to all citizens of Serbia and the Balkans, adding that he believes that "EXIT" festivals in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania and Montenegro will build new bridges, especially among young people who are the main chance to build a better future for the entire region.