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Bogoljub Karić
Bogoljub Karić (Serbian Cyrillic: Богољуб Карић, pronounced [boɡoʎub kaːritɕ] ; born 17 January 1974) is a Serbian businessman and politician. Early life and educationBogoljub was born to Janićije Karić and Danica Kuzmanović. He earned a degree in Geography at the University of Pristina and his Master's Degree in economy at University of Niš.[1] He married Milanka Babić and has four children Nebojša, Nadežda, Jelena and Danica.[2] He is a brother of two siblings, Dragomir Karić and Olivera Karić Nedeljković.[1] CareerDuring the 1970s, Karić opened his own company Technicar which managed crop-growing tools. This led to the establishment of the first private factory in Eastern Europe under the name Kosovo Univerzum.[1] Afterwards, the Karić family grew their private company businesses into a large company known as The Astra (BK) Group. It encompasses numerous sectors including manufacturing, civil engineering and constructing, International wholesales export-import trading, telecommunications and electronic media, banking and finance, science and education and charitable activities.[1][3] In 1987 he established first private construction company in Moscow, in the then USSR.[4] In 2002, Karić created the Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Yugoslavia.[5] In 2006 he established another construction company named DANA HOLDINGS, a real estate, investment and development company of residential, industrial, commercial, educational and mixed-use projects as well as PPP investments in emerging markets.[citation needed] Karić has written several research papers published in his country of origin and abroad. He has also authored books on private business, finance, and financial management.[citation needed] In 2006, Karić fled Serbia to Russia after the Serbian Prosecutor's Office began an investigation against him for alleged fake investments through his mobile operator Mobtel. He returned to Serbia in December 2016 after the investigation was dropped.[6] Political and social activitiesKarić ran for President of Serbia in the June 2004 Presidential Election, polling nearly 20% of the vote.[7] Karić subsequently formed and registered his political party Strength of Serbia Movement (SSM) which participated in the local elections of September 2004.[8] At these elections, the SSM, although formed barely a month before the elections, had a surprisingly good showing, established itself firmly in the center of the democratic bloc of political forces in Serbia. Its representatives, in coalition with other democratic forces were part of many municipal councils (including that of the capital Belgrade), and it had several deputies and ministers in the Provincial Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. As a new law on political parties became valid, Strength of Serbia Movement re-registered itself again in 2010 under the name Strength of Serbia Movement - BK. At that moment, SSM was in coalition with Tomislav Nikolić's party, forming an opposition bloc for the next elections. In 2017, he endorsed Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in the Presidential elections.[9] International sanctionsOn June 3, 2022, Bogoljub Karić was sanctioned by the EU authorities because he is believed to have close ties with the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko; and his company, Dana Holdings, is said to be the only non-government owned entity that provides the Belarusian regime with economical benefits.[10] He is also blacklisted by Switzerland.[11] References
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