Debate “The role of Presidency of the Council of the European Union”, promotion of Erasmus+, new EU programme in the field of education, and presentation of the book “Prone to Love” by Tijana M. Djerkovic marked Tuesday, 28 October, at the European Union stand within International Belgrade Book Fair.
Presentation of Erasmus+ programme was organised in cooperation with Tempus Office. Visitors, mostly young people, talked to representatives of Tempus Office, in charge with implementing the new EU educational programme in Serbia, as well as to previous alumni who conveyed their experience of participation in the programme.
The novel “Prone to Love” by Tijana M. Djerkovic, published by Albatrosplus, was presented to visitors in the presence of the author and the publisher. “Prone to Love” is a Balkan saga about three generations of the Montenegrin Vukovic family during 120 years of Serbian history.
The novel brought Tijana M. Djerkovic the 2014 Award of the Community of Cuneo (Piedmont) for her first novel published in Italian language.
Ambassador Michael Davenport Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia and Giuseppe Manzo Ambassador of Italy, as of the EU presiding country in this Semestre, talked to students of the Diplomacy and International Relations Forum of the Faculty of Political Sciences on the role of the EU presidency.
Speaking about the role of EU rotating presidency, Davenport said that the presidency was “the driver” in terms of enlargement policy, whereas the European Commission represented “the engine.”
Ambassador Manzo explained that Italy, being the EU presiding country, stood ready to help Serbia open the first negotiating chapter in the EU accession process in December.
“Italy, as a country presiding the Council of the EU, stands ready to help Serbia open the first chapter in the talks with the EU. It is on Italy’s agenda and it is the issue that will be put on the table,” said Manzo.
Italian Ambassador noted that his current chief, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, would in three days officially take office as head of European diplomacy and thus become Davenport’s chief, and Mogherini was the right person whose phone number ought to be dialled in order to “talk to Europe.”
