HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEKSANDAR II AND PRINCESS KATHERINE AT THE OPENING OF BELGRADE BOOK FAIR 2002

Belgrade, 23 October 2002 – HRH Crown Prince Aleksandar II and Princess Katherine attended the ceremony of the opening of the International Belgrade Book Fair 2002, at Hall I of the Belgrade fair last night.

Accompanying Their Royal Highnesses were the members of the Crown Council academicians Matija Bećković and Milorad Pavić, Prof. Dr. Dragoljub Kavran and Mr. Predrag Marković.

The ceremony of the opening was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Dr. Zoran Đinđić, Serbian Minister of Culture Mr. Branislav Lečić, Minister of Science Mr. Dragan Domazet, Minister of Education Mr. Gašo Knežević and Minister of Justice Mr. Vladan Batić, who all joined the crowd of readers, as well as by the representatives of the diplomatic corps and Serbian Orthodox Church and other distinguished guests.

The guest of honor of this year’s Fair is the Kingdom of Norway, and the Fair was formally opened by the ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway His Excellency Mr. Hans Ola Urstad.

“Norway is very honored to be chosen as the guest country at this beautiful Fair. I am impressed by the size, quality and representation of this book manifestation, and the fact that it was Norway to be selected is based on the very old and special relationship between our two countries”, said the ambassador Hans Ola Urstad.

The present guests were then welcomed by Mr. Gary Pollen, chairman of Norwegian Writers’ Association and Her Excellency Mrs. Vida Ognjenović, our famous writer and the ambassador of FR Yugoslavia in the Kingdom of Norway.

After the opening, Crown Prince Aleksandar and Crown Prince Katherine, accompanied by the members of the Crown Council, called upon several book stands and looked at the latest editions.

Belgrade international Book Fair 2002 is open from 22 to 28 October at Hall I and Hall XIV of the Belgrade Fair.