HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER AND SIR MALCOM RIFKIND QC VISIT THE SPEAKER OF THE SERBIAN PARLIAMENT AND THE FACULTY OF LAW

Belgrade 20 October 2006 – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea visited today HE Predrag Markovic, Speaker of the House of the Parliament of Serbia.

During the conversation HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and HE Predrag Markovic conversed about Serbia’s steps towards the European Union. This meeting was an opportunity to exchange points of view with a dignitary who comes from the country that stands for cradle of Parliamentarianism.

Sir Malcolm will spend three days in Belgrade he is the guest of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine. During his visit he will have the pleasure to meet several dignitaries from the Serbian Political, Economic and Cultural circles.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC is a highly respected Member of Parliament who builds his experience from numerous Political appointments. He became a member of the Cabinet in 1986 as Secretary of State for Scotland. In 1990 he became Minister of Transport and in 1992 Secretary of State for Defense. From 1995-97 he was Foreign Secretary.

He was one of only four ministers to serve throughout the whole Prime Ministerships of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major. In 1997 he was knighted in recognition of his public service.

After the meeting with the Speaker of the House of the Parliament of Serbia, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC went to the Faculty of Law www.bg.ac.yu/en_pravni.php where Sir Malcolm gave a lecture “Serbia and the European Union – transition of the legal system”.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind shared with Serbian students his abundant political experience which motivated many interesting questions that lead to a very informative discussion.

During the visit to the Faculty of Law Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine accompanied by Prof. Dr Dejan Popovic Rector of University of Belgrade, Prof. Miodrag Jovanovic Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law, Mrs. Leda Gofas Director of Foundation of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II for Education and Culture, Prof. Ljiljana Markovic Member of the Executive Board of Foundation showed to Ser Malcolm Rifkind the Career Development Centre of the University of Belgrade that will be launched November 2006. Establishing the Career Development Centre was initiated by the Foundation of HRH Crown Prince Alexander for Education and Culture in cooperation with the University of Belgrade and University of Nottingham.