THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES ATTEND RALLY AND PUBLIC PRAYER FOR KOSOVO

Belgrade, 21 February 2008 – Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine took part today in the rally and the public prayer for Kosovo. The rally in front of the Serbian Parliament was organised by ruling and opposition parliamentary parties and supported by the Government of Serbia. The public prayer was organised by the Serbian Orthodox Church at the Saint Sava Temple.

Crown Prince stood on the platform in solidarity with the political leaders and public figures. A huge crowd of hundreds and thousands of citizens were addressed by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, Deputy President of Serbian Radical Party Tomislav Nikolic, President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, students from Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Pristina, rectors of Universities of Pristina and Belgrade, Zdravko Vitosevic and Predrag Popovic, as well as director Emir Kusturica, basketball player Dejan Bodiroga, and tennis player Novak Djokovic through video link, since he is not in Serbia.

This very large public rally gathered bishops, archbishops and priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Ministers Bubalo, Naumov, Cvetkovic, Samardzic, Ilic, Cubrilo, Loncar and others, President of Serbian National Assembly Oliver Dulic, acting Mayor Zoran Alimpic, members of Serbian Assembly, as well as many public persons.

After the rally the huge crowd walked through Belgrade to St. Sava Temple. Crown Prince Alexander walked alongside Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Deputy President of Serbian Radical Party Tomislav Nikolic. At Saint Sava Temple on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the public prayer was led by His Eminence Archbishop Amfilohije of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral.

Their Royal Highnesses are deeply concerned about the latest developments in our country, and are at this difficult moment for the Serbs expressing support to their people. Kosovo is in the hearts of all Serbs.

His Royal Highness strongly condemns the violence and attack on foreign embassies and property in Belgrade. The Crown Prince said: ”Such violence and attack on foreign embassies and private property will only damage Serbia, the Serbian people and send the wrong signal across the world. We need the world to understand our plight for Kosovo and what it means to our Serbian people. We certainly do not need violence. The rally was peaceful with the exception of hooligans who broke the peace”.