INTERVIEW: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia - By Balkans.Com Business News

Royalty paves the road for business in Serbia

You have been like an ambassador for Serbia, travelling to many places around the world to enhance business ties for Serbia. What are the most interesting places you have visited, and what has the general response been?

I am delighted to mention that I have received positive interest in Serbia wherever I have been. Sadly the current global recession has not helped too much to draw investors, but that does mean that we can not move ahead and plan ahead.

I would say the most interesting places that want to know more about Serbia are the members of the European Union, Russia, and the United States. In addition, our government has been very good with incentives for attracting foreign companies to Serbia since they are treated as Serbian national companies with free transfer of financial and other assets, a low corporate profit tax of 10%, a low flat income tax rate of 12%, and a ten-year tax holiday for fixed-asset investments of above $7 million, and the creation of 100 new jobs.

You are called a very ardent defender of democracy and human rights and your work has been widely recognized. Could you please tell us about the symposiums that helped to bring democracy to Serbia?

Since 1989 I was glad to make many introductions internationally for our democratic politicians. My aim was also an important one to unite our democratic opposition to get rid of the regime. A strong united opposition was very important. I also convened three conferences one in Budapest at the end of 1999, Banja Luka in January 2000, and Athens in April 2000. The Athens one was followed by a symposium at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. The conferences were very well attended and I convened them using email since the telephone system in Serbia was at the time very difficult. Attendance and team working was exceptional and the results were excellent in bringing understanding and unity among the diverse elements of the democratic opposition, they had to be prepared for the forthcoming elections. The elections took place in September 2000 and the united opposition won, the regime cancelled the elections just like they did before with the local elections. Since the democratic opposition was united thanks to the contributing factor of the conferences the 5 October revolution was a success. I was glad to have helped finally bring democracy.

Your contacts extend worldwide to the most prominent people in diplomacy, business and other spheres. How are you using them to promote Serbia?

It is important to help Serbia with global contacts and introductions. Serbia needs good public relations, a positive image and more business. Serbia has a lot of natural resources, a solid intelligent workforce and good opportunities for investment. I believe strongly in bringing investors and businesses to help the development of the country through new jobs, experience and much needed capital. I made many meetings and introductions throughout the world to accomplish this. I have spoken at many events and universities worldwide. I have also had meetings with many heads of states to foster business relations. In addition, with the excellent help and knowledge of my daughter Alison, the Greek – Serbian Partnership conference took place in Athens and that brought Serbia many investors and interest. It was followed by a conference in London. I continue to host dinners in London and New York with prominent business people.

I have also used the palace as a meeting and networking place for the benefit of Serbia, hosting investors and business people. On my 60th birthday I was pleased to have Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden (His Majesty is the Head of State of Sweden), His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (Head of State of Luxembourg), Their Serene Highnesses Prince Philip-Erasmus and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein (His Serene Highness is the brother His Serene Highness Prince Hans-Adam II the sovereign of Liechtenstein), Their Royal Highness the Duke and Duchess of Bragança (Portugal), Her Royal Highness Princess Chantal of France and Baron Francois-Xavier de Samboucy de Sorgue, Her Royal Highness Princess Katarina and Mr Desmond de Silva QC (Princess Katarina is the daughter of Prince Tomislav), Their Royal Highness Prince and Princess Serge (Prince Serge is the son of Prince (Knez) Alexander Paul), Former President and Mrs FW de Klerk of South Africa, The Hon Sir David and Lady Gibbons (Sir David is the former Premier of Bermuda), Lord Janner of Braunstone QC (House of Lords (Labour), United Kingdom), Lord and Lady Renwick (Lord Renwick House of Lords (Labour), United Kingdom) and Mr James D. Wolfensohn (Former President of the World Bank) among many others. This was a great opportunity to show them the opportunities and the beauty of Serbia.

I cannot tell you the exact figure, but there has been several thousand business people a year coming to the palace for meetings, receptions or dinner. It is very important to welcome foreign investors and make them feel comfortable. A lot of those who came are doing business in the country and some of them with the local business people we have introduced them to. This makes me very proud that I was instrumental in bringing serious business and investment commitments which has also led to more jobs in Serbia.

From thousands of opening ceremonies to London business seminars to a Greek – Serbian Partnership initiative that is said to have been the catapult for bringing Greeks to invest in Serbia, to the tens of thousands of business people you have welcomed in the palace through the many receptions you have hosted ... How significant were these initiatives in bringing business to Serbia?

The Greek- Serbian Partnership initiative in Athens was excellent and so was the conference in London. I would like to see the same initiatives take place in Frankfurt, Moscow, New York and Tokyo. To continue this type of initiative, I would also like to see and help as soon as possible put together a group of our Serbian government experts and our business people as a road show promoting Serbia to tour all these locations to attract investors to Serbia.

Foreign investment is an important part of developing the economy, creating more jobs, and increasing incomes. But what is being done about education?

Education is very important. I created a foundation for higher education and was very lucky to get over a million euros of scholarships from several universities for our young men and women. It has been tough getting more scholarships with the recession. I also founded career centres at our universities to help our graduates get jobs. I am continuing my effort by assisting our students' education in different different ways by having their education paid for, such as through grants. I also believe the annual top students awards where we have over 500 high school students may help in the motivation to do better. I appeal to all universities worldwide to help our students with scholarships. My education foundation and I are always available to discuss with the universities the opportunities they may have for our students.

What is your typical day like? Do you live like a king?

The hours are endless because the need is so great. I sometimes do not know when the night ends and the day begins. I spend every day promoting and helping for as many hours there are in a day. There are events to attend, interviews to give, I help my wife get humanitarian aid, many students to get to college, and hundreds of people to contact a day for further promotion of investment opportunities. I do not think this is the picture people have of “living like a king” but I am here to provide unity, continuity and support. I just returned from a trip to Washington and New York where I attended the Prayer Breakfast with President Barak Obama and I gave speeches at The Wilson Centre, Georgetown University and the United States Institute of Peace. I also met many investors who are interested, but all this needs follow-up to encourage them. I sometimes wish for longer days to accomplish more, as I know I am following my destiny “to help Serbia”.

What is your mission for 2010?

To continue promoting Serbia as a fine place for investment and tourism. To help create jobs.

Our readers are investors and executives worldwide. What would you like to say to them?

I would like to point out a few remarkable points that the country has to further entice your readers to consider Serbia. Besides our various grants and tax incentives, Serbia has a free-trade agreement with Russia, duty-free access to over a billion people, over 40% speak English, low overhead costs, and much more. We have an excellent airline, JAT, for sale and our telecom privatization is forthcoming as well as many other privatizations. Agriculture is a key investment area with over 6 million hectares of agricultural land with over 200,000 being organic. Actually, over one third of the world's raspberries come from Serbia, and it is one of the largest producers of corn in Europe. There are also many energy possibilities, especially for biomass, and over 300 mineral springs and thermo mineral water sources for spa and therapeutic facilities. Please come to Serbia.

We have many opportunities and will continue to recover during 2010.

Serbia's Royal Family

In 1944, King Peter II of Yugoslavia, the firstborn son of King Alexander I and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, married Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, the daughter of HM King Alexander of the Hellenes and Aspasia Manos. On 17 July 1945, while living in Claridge's Hotel, London, Queen Alexandra gave birth to a son -- HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Yugoslavia. Heir to the throne, the Crown Prince was born on Yugoslav territory as the British government under Winston Churchill declared hotel suite 212 to be Yugoslav territory. His Holiness Patriarch Gavrilo of Serbia baptized Alexander in Westminster Abbey. The newborn's godparents were King George VI and HRH Princess Elizabeth, now HM Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1991, Crown Prince Alexander II, accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Katherine, Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander, travelled to Belgrade where they were enthusiastically received by hundreds of thousands of people, who saw the Crown Prince as the embodiment of the best in democracy and constitutional parliamentary monarchy.

Crown Prince Alexander and his family have lived in the Royal Palace in Belgrade since 2001, continuing their mission to help their Balkan country.

Source: Balkans.com Business News