Handke, Mikhalkov, Stoltenberg honorary citizens of Belgrade

BELGRADE - Austrian writer and screenwriter Peter Handke, Russian film director Nikita Mikhalkov and Norwegian politician Thorvald Stoltenberg were named honorary citizens of Belgrade on Wednesday.

Their nominations were backed by all groups in the City Assembly.

Handke, Mikhalkov and Stoltenberg were nominated by the Milos Crnjanski Endowment, the Yugoslav Film Archive and the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, respectively.

Twenty-seven Charters of The Honorary Citizen of Belgrade have been awarded so far, most recently to Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who paid a visit to Belgrade last December.

Introduced on July 19, 1954, the title of Honorary Citizen of Belgrade was awarded until 1985 to high-ranking foreign officials visiting Yugoslavia and was reinstated in 2006.

Under the decision, the title of Honorary Citizen of Belgrade may be awarded to a Serbian citizen, as well as to a foreign citizen, statesperson or an official of an international organisation or association, a NGO or other form of civil sector activity, a state authority or an authority of a local self-government unit, as well as to a prominent public figure or other individual.

The decision to award the title of Honorary Citizen of Belgrade is taken by the City Assembly at the proposal of the City Council or at least 20 assembly members.

Photo Tanjug, O. Toskic (archive)

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