Belgrade, 20 March 2024 - Promotion of the new international collection of works on Serbian-Romanian relations called "New Cultural and Political Perspectives on Serbian-Romanian Relations" was held today at the Royal Palace in Belgrade, under the patronage of HRH Crown Prince Alexander's Foundation for Education and Culture.
TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine welcomed the guests in the home of the Royal Family of Serbia and hosted a very successful promotion of the book, published by Peter Lang, New York, and edited by Aleksandra Djuric Milovanovic, Jovana Kolundzija, Mircea Maran, Otilia Hedesan, and Cristene D'Anca.
"I do not think there is a better and more symbolic place to have this presentation and discussion, than this Palace. This is the Palace that my grandfather, King Alexander I, built as a home for his family, after his marriage with Princess Maria of Romania, later Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, my grandmother. Their matrimony started as a state marriage, very often to many European Royals of the time, but it was much more than that. Many testimonies which remain from that time, also say that when my grandparents met each other, it was love at first sight. Love that outgrows the boundaries of state interest. It also became one of the strongest bridges between the two countries and the symbol of sincere friendship between the nations of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Kingdom of Romania", stated His Royal Highness.
The promotion was opened by the Crown Prince, followed by the address of HE Mrs Silvia Davidoiu, Ambassador of Romania in Serbia. Speakers at the panel were: Prof. Slobodan G. Markovic, PhD, Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and a member of the Crown Council, Aleksandra Djuric Milovanovic, PhD, Dragan Bakic, PhD, and Anemari Sorescu Marinkovic, PhD, all from the Institute for Balkan Studies of SASA, and Ionut Nistor, conf. uni. dr. from the Faculty of History, University Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Iasi.
HE the Ambassador of Romania emphasized that "friendships are like flowers, we need to cherish them". Her Excellency also reminded of the old saying, by Nicolae Iorga, that "Romania has only two true friends - the Black Sea and Serbia".
"These brotherly relations have persevered during our history, and they are equally strong today, with my grandparents' marriage remaining as a symbol of sincere friendship between Romania and Serbia. For every nation, it is important to have a true and honest friend in the international community. We should all work together so that these ties remain strong, and to be even firmer in the future. We owe it to our ancestors, but also to future generations", concluded HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
