Launching a new paper in a new market is an exercise fraught with perils. The workload is enormous and the learning curve is steep and difficult to negotiate. So there was an air of relief mixed with great satisfaction in the main hall of Pristina’s Hotel Grand on the evening June 23 when the people behind our new sister paper, The Kosov@ Post, finally had a chance to come up for air long enough to celebrate the paper’s launch after the third edition hit the streets earlier in the day.

The Post has quickly picked up a substantial and appreciative following in Kosovo. Close to two hundred guests, including members of Kosovo’s business, political, diplomatic and arts communities joined the Post’s staff to toast what all agree has been a job well done. There is a large presence of international citizens in Kosovo and the party was no exception, with guests from America, Italy, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Canada, Malaysia and the United Kingdom on hand.

Kosovo is the world’s youngest country and it has a very young population, so it came as no surprise that the majority of guests were under the age of 30. An entourage of American journalism students doing a summer work study in Kosovo mixed and mingled with young Kosovars, exchanging pleasantries and phone numbers.

A troika of teenage traditional Kosovar dancers entertained the crowd with a performance that brought smiles and cheer to all.

Hotel Grand manager, Frank Budde, who has fast become both a fan and friend of the paper, stepped up to the microphone and told the story of how he met, “two crazy guys,” in the hotel one day a couple months earlier. “They told me they were going to start an English language paper in Kosovo. I thought they were crazy. But after talking to them for three hours I started to change my mind. I didn’t hear from them for a few weeks while they were back in Montenegro, so I thought they were crazy again. But then they retuned and two weeks later they had the first edition of the Kosov@ Post sitting on the main desk in the lobby of the hotel. I was impressed. I think they have produced a fine product and I think it will get better and bigger.”

Frank Budde is a smart guy.

Montenegro’s loss is Brazil’s gain, as German Ambassador Thomas Schmitt has been asked by his government to take up residence the land of samba and soccer. A farewell party for the Ambassador was the most anticipated event in Montenegro last week, not just because guests knew it would be nothing less than a marvelous time but because the guest of honour rightly enjoys the universal respect and admiration of the country’s diplomatic community and, indeed, all who have had the pleasure of meeting him since he became the first fully credentialed Ambassador to take up official residency in Podgorica after independence was declared in the summer of 2006.

Every Ambassador in Montenegro was in attendance to wish Ambassador Schmitt a fond farewell, as were representatives of the country’s opposition parties. The government was represented by Ranko Krivokapic, President of Parliament. 

While the Ambassador will always be remembered for his candid diplomacy, he will always remember Montenegro for Skadar Lake where he loved unwinding while dining on a freshly caught dinner of trout fried with parsley and a bit of lemon.

Montenegro was the third Balkan posting for Ambassador Schmitt, having previously held posts in Serbia and Bosnia – Herzegovina.

The Montenegro Times wishes Ambassador Schmitt all the best as he travels the world in service to his country and just in case anyone in Brazil is reading the paper online, we repeat, Montenegro’s loss is your gain.

His Excellency Mr. Ambassador Kevin Lyne of the United Kingdom hosted a celebration of the 82nd birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Hotel Podgorica on June 11.
President of the Montenegrin Parliament, Ranko Krivokapic, was on hand to wish the Queen a happy birthday, as were the Foreign Minister, Milan Rocen and Minister of Defense Boro Vucinic. H. E. Mr. Roderick Moore, US Ambassador to Montenegro was in attendance, as was Head of OSCE Mission in Montenegro, H.E. Paraskeva Badesku.
Srdjan Milic leader of the Socialist People's Party was on hand, as were representatives of most opposition parties. The guest list read like a Who's Who? of Montenegrin society.

“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”

-Yves Saint-Laurent

The world of fashion, and in turn the world’s fashionistas, suffered a great loss this month.  On June 1st, designer Yves St-Laurent died at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer. Revered by the fashion world as the man who created some of fashion history’s most influential designs, such as his 1966 “Le Smoking” tuxedo for women. 
In fashion expert Caroline Rennolds Milbank's book Couture: The Great Fashion Designers, published in 1985, she wrote, "The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its Sixties ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable".
St-Laurent had worldwide impact with his work and was one of the key players in the Paris fashion scene for decades.  Montenegro’s famed designer Marina Banovic Nikolic voiced the loss to the fashion community. “Yves St-Laurent was a huge influence in fashion in the 20th century, he was a trendsetter. I personally prefer Paris fashion to the London fashion scene, and while other designers have influenced my work more, he was an important designer.”
Born Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent on August 1, 1936, in Orna Algeria, St-Lauren in Orna Algeria, St-Laurent began designing for his mother as a teenager. His mother remained his most devoted fan and always sat in the front row of his shows. At the age of 17 he had moved to Paris to study at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture but left after a few months, dissatisfied and “bored”. He then won a local competition with the design of a cocktail dress, which was seen by world famous French designer, Christian Dior.  Dior recognized the design as similar to one he was working on and hired St-Laurent as his assistant, often referring to him as “my right arm”.