jorgovanka tabakovi : transitions big and small introductory address by dr jorgovanka tabakovi, governor of the national bank of serbia, at the at the presentation of the european bank for reconstruction and development's transition report, belgrade, 31 january 2024. * * * ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the national bank of serbia! as usual, i will start my address at today's transition report presentation by saying that the national bank of serbia is not the organiser of this event. the european bank for reconstruction and development has organised it for decades, while we are merely the host. i would like to greet the representatives of the european bank for reconstruction and development mr colangeli and mr plekhanov. i congratulate you on the three - decadelong tradition of the report. such long history best confirms that the report has stood the test of time and retained its top quality. esteemed colleagues, the topic of the transition report 2023 – 24 " transitions big and small " is of vital importance. it also raises the question as to what is considered transition in the modern world. i believe that today, when we talk about economic transition, we mainly have in mind a structural shift of economies towards green technologies and digitalisation. a part of the transition process is also the redefining of supply chains, disrupted during the current multidimensional crisis, as well as changes in the labour market aimed at the acquisition of " green skills ", with all this unfolding in an environment of heightened geopolitical tensions and fragmentation. the question inevitably raised is – how can an ordinary person find his way in all that? how to live with dignity on the money earned at work, how should one be satisfied with his work and afford a decent and free life? those are the questions that the authors of the report sought to give answers to, focusing mainly on the ebrd region, which, judging by the analysis results to be presented today, has recorded significant progress on this front in the past ten years. we – the economic policy makers – must create and maintain conditions conducive to sustainable and inclusive growth even in such uncertain global circumstances, that is, particularly in the current global environment fraught with climate risks and challenges of the modern times epitomised in digitalisation and robotisation. the question, of course, is how. if it were easy, everyone would do it. the answer is always the same – by preserving

collective interests, and, on the other hand, a means to avoid mass litigations that hinder the normal functioning of courts and compromise citizens'access to justice. i must commend the organisers for not only selecting diverse topics but also bringing together speakers from the academia, legal practice, and regulatory bodies. i wish you a successful event, interactive presentations, and continued collaboration after this conference. i believe that while working, you will always keep in mind that you should strive for justice – strive for it because it exists, even if imperfect, and because it must be our ideal and our goal. i hope our guests will enjoy serbia and belgrade, and if this is their first time staying here, i hope that this will be just one of the first meetings in a series, right here in belgrade. thank you for your patience. our expectations from gatherings of this type are such that they should not burden you, but encourage you to achieve concrete results. 2 / 2 bis - central bankers'speeches