THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES AT THE OPENING OF AVALA TOWER

Belgrade, 21 April 2010 – Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine attended today the official opening of the Avala Tower, the symbol of Belgrade which was destroyed during NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. Ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Boris Tadic, President of Serbia, H.E. Dr Mirko Cvetkovic, Prime Minister, His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia Irinej, H.E. Dr Jovan Krkobabic, Vice Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, Minister of foreign affairs, H.E. Dr Zarko Obradovic, Minister of education, H.E. Mr. Nebojsa Bradic, Minister of culture, H.E. Ms. Jasna Matic, Minister of telecomunications and information society, H.E. Dr Slobodan Milosavljevic, Minister of trade and services, H.E. Mr. Goran Bogdanovic, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija, Mr. Dragan Djilas, Mayor of Belgrade, Mr. Aleksandar Antic, President of the City Assembly of Belgrade, Mr. Zoran Alimpic, deputy President of the City Assembly of Belgrade, Mufti of Islamic community of Serbia ef. Jusufspahic, and numerous citizens. Avala Tower is 204.5 metres high, and is currently the tallest structure in the Balkans.

At the height of one hundred and twenty meters there is a restaurant, and above there is an vantage point with a beautiful view of City of Belgrade and Sumadija.

Avala Tower was built again mainly thanks to a campaign “Let’s build the Avala Tower”, and works started in 2005 and finished in November 2009. Many famous people from Serbia joined the campaign, and gave donations. Two hundred of them imprinted their palms in the concrete in front of the tower, like painter Olja Ivanjicki, Serbian Academicians Matija Beckovic, Milorad Pavic, Dusan Kovacevic, Tone Serafimovski, Vladimir Velickovic, tennis players Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic, and many others.