DELEGATION OF MINISTERS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE TRAVEL TO ATHENS FOR “GREECE-SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO CONFERENCE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE”

Belgrade, 8 February 2005 – A press conference took place at Belgrade airport regarding the conference and exhibition “Greece-Serbia and Montenegro Partnership Initiative”, www.partnershipinitiative.gr that will be held 8 to 11 February in the Athens Hilton. Ministers and distinguished business people gathered at Belgrade Airport prior to departure.

HE Milan Parivodic, Minister of International Economic Relations pointed out the importance of this conference, and emphazised that today’s trip to Athens is a journey that has been planned for a long time, and that it gathers a great number of business people, Ministers and their Deputies.

“We are going to visit to our friends to show them what we can do and to try to convince them that we are one of the best competitors in the surrounding area. We hope that the conference will be successful and that it will be a stimulus, a fly-wheel for intensifying the commercial relations between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro, relations that are already at a good level”.

HE Radomir Naumov, Minister of Mining and Energy mentioned that this is not the first visit to the representatives of the Greek Commerce, and that we already have very reliable partners and friends among them.

“As far as the Energy sector is concerned, our expectations are high, because we are going to face a long period in which the basic directives and strategies of development of this section are to be realized, a period with several priorities. I think that we can have good partners and interlocutors among the Greek business people”.

Mr. Slobodan Milosavljevic, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce emphasized in his addressing the present representatives of the media the importance of the delegation, which is traveling to Athens today, and which will be participating at the conference “Greece-SCG Partnership Initiative”.

Mr. Slobodan Milosavljevic, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce said “The expectations of the business people, participants at the conference, as well as of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, are that the presence of the highest officials of our country, under the auspices of The Royal Family Karadjordjevic, there will be contribution to the rekindling of old contacts of our companies that will make the Greek companies interested in investments in our country, that the doors will be opened for the sale of our products to the Greek market, and that traditional friendship and good neighborly relations of our two peoples will be put on a higher level through the economic cooperation. The presence of HE Boris Tadic, President of Serbia points to the fact that this is the visit of the highest possible level, and that we have all the reasons to expect the best possible results”.

This evening the official opening dinner will be held in the Hilton Hotel in Athens. Beside Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Princess Katherine, also will be HE Boris Tadic, the President of Serbia, as well as distinguished representatives of the Greek Government, Ministries, and a large number of business people and members of the Advisory Bodies of the Crown.

On Wednesday, 9 February HE Mr. Dimitris Sioufas and HRH Crown Prince Alexander II will greet the participants of the conference, and the conference will be officially opened by HE Mr. Boris Tadic, President of Serbia and Mrs. Anna Psarouda Benaki, President of the Greek Parliament.

In the schedule of the conference, the first day will include the Leaders Council, where a large number of officials and representatives of the relevant ministries will be present, as well as the opening of the Expo, an exhibition where a large number of the companies from Greece and Serbia and Montenegro will have booths.

During the next three days, plenty of discussions, meetings, presentations and workshops are going to happen, and the Public Relations Department of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II Chancellery will regularly report to the media.