Ljubljana - Several associations hosted a Day of Slovenian-Serbian Friendship at Fužine Castle in Ljubljana featuring Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, and his spouse, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia. It was announced at the event that 12 June would probably be formally declared the Day of Slovenian-Serbian Friendship next year.

The event, which was attended by some 60 people, was hosted by the Serbian Cultural Centre - Serbian Library Mihajlo Pupin from Ljubljana, in cooperation with the National Council of the Slovenian Minority in Serbia, Slovenian Business Club from Belgrade and the Belgrade City Museum.

For the first time, the Day of Serbian-Slovenian Friendship was celebrated last year under the auspices of the local authorities of the cities of Ljubljana, Maribor, Kranj, Koper, Novo Mesto, Nova Gorica and Velenje.

The date, 12 June, has been chosen as Slovenian composer Davorin Jenko and Serbian composer Stevan Mokranjac performed together on this day in 1903 - the duo was also the central motif of this year's event, as it embodies the good relations between the two nations, the Serbian Cultural Centre said.

A ten-day exhibition on Jenko and Mokranjac and their friendship also concluded today, the centre noted, adding that in addition to the excellent cooperation, the composers had made a major contribution to cultural development and friendship between Serbs and Slovenians.

In addition to the royal couple, the event was also addressed by Bosnian Ambassador Milorad Živković on behalf of Republika Srpska President Željka Cvijanović, Aleksandar Gatalica of the Serbian Embassy, Divna Obrenović of the Mihajlo Pupin Library and Jelena Medaković of the Belgrade City Museum.

Obrenović noted the character and work of Mihajlo Pupin, a Serbian physicist who she said was a great humanist and humanitarian.

In this light, the organisers also hosted a fund-raiser for children's hospitals in Ljubljana, Belgrade and Banja Luka at which various works of art were sold.