TRH CROWN PRINCE ALEKSANDAR II AND CROWN PRINCESS KATHERINE VISIT CUPRIJA

Fully equipped “Yugo Florida” ambulance delivered to local Health Center

Visit to elementary school “Djura Jaksic” and School for musical talents

Belgrade, 1 November 2002 – TRH Crown Prince Aleksandar II and Crown Princess Katherine, after their visit to Jagodina, went to Cuprija municipality where they donated €7,000 plus worth fully equipped “Yugo Florida” ambulance to the local Health Center. During the visit to Cuprija , Their Royal Highnesses called upon elementary school “Djura Jaksic” as well as the School for special musical talents.

Upon their arrival in Cuprija, the Crown Prince and his wife met with the Mayor Mr. Dusan Trifunovic and his associates.

The reception was attended by the representatives of the local church municipality and a few dozen of businessmen and other citizens who showed great interest in talking to Their Royal Highnesses about the current social, economic and other issues.

Crown Prince Aleksandar II once again emphasized the need for having respect of all citizens, regardless of their ethnic or religious origin, respect of religious freedom, human rights and democratic principles, as condition for a better and prosperous life.

Princess Katherine was particularly interested in the condition of health care system and the status of refugees. She pointed out there were people in the world who wanted to help, but it is our people who must be more organized in providing information on their needs, because many donors, despite their good will, do not know where to send aid.

TRH Crown Prince Aleksandar II and Crown Princess Katherine then went to the local Health Center where they delivered the fully equipped “Yugo Florida” ambulance to the director, Dr. Miroslav Stojanovic.

The ambulance was provided with the help of pharmaceutical company “Galenika”, which was one of the donors in the great humanitarian event organized by the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine this June.

The representatives of “Galenika” company Mrs. Gorica Ceranic and Mrs. Slavica Lepojevic attended the ceremony of delivering the donation.

“I know this ambulance will be of great help in your everyday struggle for health and human lives. This is just a part of the activities of my Foundation, with its offices in London, New York, Chicago, Toronto and soon in Washington and Athens, so that we have more and more options to help everybody”, said on the occasion Princess Katherine.

Dr. Stojanovic thanked Their Royal Highnesses and took them to children’s and cardiology wards, and then the other wards of the hospital that used to be under patronage of HM King Petar I and today it is in very poor condition.

Their Royal Highnesses continued their visit by going to the elementary school “Djura Jaksic”. Eight hundred pupils of the school, the oldest in Cuprija, are attending school at the moment, in inappropriate classrooms, because the central school building was completely destroyed during the NATO bombing in 1999.

The Crown Prince expressed great worry about the lack of financial means and the inability of local authorities to renovate this school and enable the children to continue their education under the normal circumstances.

The visit to Cuprija was ended in calling upon the special School for musical talents, the only school of the kind in our country, and one of three in the world, where a short musical program was performed.

“My wife and I are very happy for having an opportunity to meet our future musical elite, the young and talented people who speak through their music in the only real international language, the ;language that knows for no barriers between people”, said the Crown Prince.