November Activities of the Consulate of Serbia in Vancouver
On November 10, 2014, the "Vancouver Serbian Film Festival" opened at the prestigious VanCity Theatre in Vancouver. The Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Vancouver, Peter Vladiković, delivered the welcoming address and invited the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Ottawa, His Excellency Mr. Mihailo Papazoglu, to greet festival participants and visitors and officially open the seventh Vancouver Serbian Film Festival. The Ambassador highlighted the festival's significance for both the Serbian community and the city of Vancouver as a whole, noting that a considerable number of Canadian audience members attended. The festival opened with the film "Circles" (Krugovi) by Srdjan Golubović. Prior to the festival's opening, the Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Vancouver organized a cocktail reception for guests.
On the morning of November 11, the city of Vancouver marked Remembrance Day at Victory Square, honouring soldiers and participants of World War I. The ceremony was attended by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Ms. Judith Guichon, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, the entire diplomatic corps, representatives of all branches of the military and police, and a large number of Vancouver citizens. Following the appropriate addresses, wreaths were laid individually by all official participants; one wreath was laid on behalf of the diplomatic corps as a whole, while the Republic of Serbia, as a special guest, was the only one granted the honor of laying its own separate wreath. The wreath was laid at the war memorial jointly by Ambassador Mihailo Papazoglu and Honorary Consul Predrag Vladiković, bearing the inscription: "To Our Glorious Ancestors, from the Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of Serbia."
Ambassador Papazoglu's visit to Vancouver and British Columbia continues tomorrow, November 12, with an official luncheon with the diplomatic corps, after which the Ambassador and the Honorary Consul will be received at the Mayor's Ceremonial Office at Vancouver City Hall.
On November 13, a meeting has been arranged between the Ambassador, the Honorary Consul, and Member of Parliament Peter Julian, at his official office in Burnaby. Burnaby is a distinct municipality within Metro Vancouver, home to a large number of citizens of Serbian descent, and is also the location of the magnificent Church of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Serbian Cultural Centre.