European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the Serbian President's offices in Belgrade on Friday morning (29), one day ahead of the World Cross Country Championships which are being held in the Serbian capital.
Accompanying the European Athletics President was World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, Athletics Federation of Serbia President Veselin Jevrosimović and Athletics Federation of Serbia General Secretary Slobodan Brankovic
“It was a pleasure to meet Mr Vučić again and, on behalf of European Athletic, I took the opportunity to thank him for Serbia’s support and enthusiasm for our sport and its commitment to staging continental athletics events,” commented President Karamarinov.
“Belgrade remains the only city in the world to have staged the European Athletics Indoor Championships and then a World Athletics Indoor Championships as well as a SPAR European Cross Country Championships followed by a World Cross Country Championships.
“We at European Athletics believe that organising a continental championship followed by a global event has proven to be the correct sequence in terms of transferring the knowledge and experience gained.”
Belgrade staged the 2013 SPAR European Cross country Championships and the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
“We will have a lot more investment in athletics [in the future]. Thank you for always being happy to come to our country and showing respect for our country,” President Vučić.
Among the topics of discussion was Serbia hosting world and European athletics events in the future.
President Vučić promised that the works on Serbia’s national athletics stadium will start by the end of this year, and its completion is expected in 2027. He also expressed a desire to bring the World Athletics Championships and European Athletics Championships to Serbia.
Belgrade staged the 1962 European Athletics Championships when Serbia was part of the former Yugoslavia.
“I know that the Serbian government and athletics federation have big ambitions withing our sport, and I look forward to seeing them realised in the near future,” added President Karamarinov.