“Italy in Belgrade 2005”
RECEPTION AT THE WHITE PALACE

Belgrade, October 9, 2005 – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine gave a reception this evening for the members of the Italian government and the most successful business leaders of Italian companies who are participating in the ‘Italy in Belgrade’ event.

Mr. Adolfo Urso, Minister for the Foreign Economic Relations in the Italian government, his Serbian counterpart Mr. Milan Parivodic, and HE Mr.Antonio Zanardi Landi, the Italian Ambassador to Belgrade with his wife joined over 700 businessmen who attended the reception.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander II warmly welcomed the guests, saying: “This is the place to invest. There are great opportunities and we will like to see you back. We have very close ties and we are very proud to have you here.”

Minister Parivodic said he was delighted that the businessmen gathered at The White Palace thanks to kindness of Their Royal Highnesses. “This country is changing fast, the investors’ climate is improving day by day, and we work on a daily basis to improve and simplify the red tape to ease the procedure for foreign investors.”

Minister Urso said that our city was a heart of Europe and that he hoped it would confirm such a role. “I hope that when we meet here for the fifth or the sixth time, Belgrade will be a member of the European Union and that is the future I wish the Crown Prince Alexander for his country.”

Mr. Dragomir Acovic, a member of the Advisory Bodies of the Crown, briefed the guests on the history of The Royal Complex and the White Palace, the site of tonight’s meetings and talks, which will continue in the next few days in Belgrade during the ‘Italy in Belgrade’ event.

The event is a business and cultural manifestation which the Italian Embassy in Belgrade  and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) organised for the second time with the aim of improving the economic and cultural cooperation between Italy and Serbia and Montenegro.