The President of the National Assembly’s Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Sovereign Order of Malta Nenad Prokic and group members Gorica Mojovic, Vuk Dincic, Zlata Djeric and Borjan Agatonovic talked to the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Serbia, Alberto di Luca.

Nenad Prokic said that the Parliamentary Friendship Group comprising 22 members is one of the largest at the National Assembly and that this was the first meeting with the Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta aimed at learning more about their activities and deciding on future cooperation. On the behalf of National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, Prokic presented Ambassador di Luca with a National Assembly plaque.

Ambassador di Luca, the third ambassador appointed to Serbia since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2003, informed the parliamentary group members about the history and activities of the Sovereign Order of Malta, the basic tenets of the Order and diplomatic activities, as well as the manner of financing. During the video presentation of the thousand-year history of the Order of Malta, di Luca highlighted the Order’s humanitarian activities such as medical assistance, disaster relief, armed conflict relief, establishment of hospitals, ambulance services, medical centres and assistance to the disabled, elderly, children and refugees. Ambassador di Luca pointed out that, even though this is a catholic order of knighthood, its purpose is to help all those endangered no matter what their religion. It also aimed to inform as many people around the world as possible about its activities, thus shattering the prejudice about the secrecy and mysticism of the Order of Malta.

In the meeting, the Ambassador said that the Order of Malta was ready to assist Serbia in all spheres where it can be useful and that the humanitarian organisation would assist Serbia in future and send humanitarian assistance if needed. The emphasised the important role parliamentarians everywhere i.e. the significance of the institution of the parliament in which he himself took part as deputy of the Italian Parliament. The presence of the humanitarian organisation at the National Assembly would facilitate communication with the state institutions in Serbia, said di Luca.