Vojvodina has become a member of Chatham House

Novi Sad, 18 January – The Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, through the Office for European Affairs, has become a member of Chatham House, the UK’s Royal Institute of International Affairs, a world-leading institute for analysis of international affairs. ”For the first time the administration of Vojvodina will be able to change the picture of our country and present Serbia as a peaceful, predictable and reliable partner through Chatham House, one of the leading lobby institutions. Moreover, we are getting a chance to contact the world’s leading companies in one place, and thus, provide support for the increase of foreign investment, as an important factor for higher employment rate, better living standard and more rapid development of the country”, said Predrag Novikov, Director of the Office for European Affairs. Chatham House was founded in London in July 1920, as a response to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 with the aim “to study international problems with a view to preventing future wars”. The institution undertakes analysis of policy, business, security and other key issues of international importance. It forms opinions on political relations in the world, international relations, security, development, military issues, conflict areas, energy, EU’s internal relations and its relations with the USA, etc. There is almost no major world’s institution that is not a member of Chatham House. Today, Chatham House has more than 4,500 members. The Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina has joined the ranks of countries, in addition to the members of the Security Council, Belgium, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, etc., furthermore, companies, such as American Express, Amnesty International, Citibank, Development Bank of Japan, European Bank for Research and Development (EBRD), Financial Times, Lloyds of London, Mitsubishi Corporation, Rolls Royce, Times Newspapers, World Bank London, etc. Membership at Chatham House allows presence in an organisation which has hosted high-profile speakers, such as Tony Blair, Mijail Gorbachov, ViktorYushchenko, Vladimir Putin and a lot of other important persons, under its roof over past years.