Warm meeting with Kerry at the margins of the event

I know the State Secretary since he was a senator

Washington, Belgrade

The Prayer Breakfast in Washington is a good opportunity for leaders from all over the world to meet with American officials. There was lot of guests at the Hilton Hotel where the prayer breakfast took place – presidents, vice presidents, senators and congressmen from more than 100 countries. The mood was cordial, and no politics was discussed there, says Prince Alexander Karageorgevitch for “Danas”, who has with others been representing Serbia with Crown Princess Katherine the day before yesterday at the National Prayer Breakfast, hosted by the Unites States President Barack Obama.

Alexander Karageorgevitch says that was fifth time he was attending this traditional American gathering, and that the Karageorgevitch’s were the only Royal family present at this year’s prayer breakfast. He didn’t meet with the United States President Barack Obama, but he was part of delegation of Serbia together with Prime Minister Ivica Dacic that met with the United States Secretary of State John Kerry.

– We met briefly. It was extraordinary and warm conversation. I have known Kerry for many years, since he was a senator, and I met him many times in his office. Before the prayer breakfast, Prime Minister Dacic, my wife and I, as representatives of our country, met a group of around thirty congressmen and senators in a separate meeting room, he explains.

Serbia was represented by a huge delegation, with Dacic. Asked whether the Serbian delegation met with representatives of Kosovo, led by Prime Minister Hashim Tachi, Prince confirms, adding that it was all about shaking hands.

– The hosts want to make friends with as many people from all around the world as they can. The Senators from Pennsylvania and Wyoming were good company at our table. The American President made an excellent speech about human and religious rights. He advocates for respecting every religion. He spoke about the situation in Israel, Palestine and people arrested in North Korea, Iran and other states and emphasised they should be released, says our interviewer.

He says that friendly attitude of foreign politician’s and representatives of United Sattes towards our country made the greatest impression on him, although some of them don’t  know much about Serbia.

– One of the foreign representatives shook hands with me and asked “where do you come from?” I said “from Belgrade, Serbia”. He replied “nice, but it must be very cold in Siberia”. It is up to us to explain that we live in a beautiful country in Europe, and not in Antarctica, emphasise Alexander Karageorgevitch.

He says he would continue his “American programme” in New York after Washington, and he plans to organise a conference for the promotion of Serbia, after the Serbian parliamentary elections.

At the 62nd National Prayer Breakfast in Washington as part of Serbian delegation there were also present the President of Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) Vuk Draskovic, politicians Zoran Babic (SNS) and Vladimir Marinkovic (SDPS), as well as Dusko Knezevic, President of Atlas Group.

The National prayer breakfast has been organised traditionally since 1953 on first Thursday in February. Invitees from all over the world have been regularly addressed by the President of the United States.

By Jelena Tasic