REVEALING OF THE MONUMENT OF KING PETER I IN THE SQUARE OF LIBERTY IN ZRENJANIN

Belgrade, 17 January 2006 – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II revealed the monument of His Majesty King Peter I in the central square in Zrenjanin.

The ceremony was opened by Mr. Goran Knezevic, Mayor of the Municipality of Zrenjanin who expressed his pleasure and honour to be in presence of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Mr. Dragomir Acovic and author of this magnificent art work, Mr. Zoran Jezdimirovic.

The mayor in his speech said: “The returning the monument of HM King Peter I the Liberator, which was demolished in the vandal way during an insane war, our town demonstrates that we are going back to those eternal human values from the past without which the historical people could not be imagined”. He recalled ideas that lead HM King Peter I and fact that he was a most popular sovereign, and then called for The Crown Prince to address the gathering and reveal the monument.

Crown Prince Alexander greeted the gathered citizens at the Square of Liberty and stressed:

“Today, when thanks to you, citizens of this town, and thanks to the skill and inspiration of the sculptor who gave a new life to the statue of Valdec, it is my duty to thank everyone and wish you that the ideas that were leading my grand-grand father become again the source of peace, tolerance and progress for the country and the people who knows who it is, where does it come from and where does it wish to go.”

After revealing of the monument HRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Mr. Dusan Kovacevic, President of the Board for Reconstruction of the monument of King Peter I laid the wreaths on the monument. Afterwards The Crown Prince mingled with the crowd and shook many hands and spoke with the citizens that were gathered in a large number in the square for this occasion.

Crown Prince Alexander attended the opening of the exhibition about the reconstruction of the monument in the National Museum, which was organised for this occasion and the ceremony ended with a cocktail in the Blue Saloon of the Municipality.

Returning to Belgrade Crown Prince Alexander visited the company “Rodic MB”  in Novi Sad, and was introduced to the most high-tech processes of production of beer in the world by the management of the company, who gave him a tour through the Serbian brewery which is the biggest one in the continental and south-eastern part of Europe.