President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic officially opened the fair in Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair and said that today is a great day and that the three countries have shown not only that they can be part of the world, but also that they can compete together and be better.
Today is a big and special day for us and it seems to me that there is no person at this fair who is not smiling. We did this and did it together, Vucic pointed out and called on the countries from the Western Balkans to become part of the "Open Balkans" initiative.
Vucic stated that 230 exhibitors from the countries of the "Open Balkans" initiative - Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, as well as more than 100 exhibitors from the world - South and North America and Central Europe, are participating in the fair.
The wines will be judged by 25 international judges, five of whom have the Master of Wine title, which gives the fair a special importance and ranks it among the most prestigious in the world.
"Wine Vision of the Open Balkans" will gather the best wine producers in the region at the Belgrade Fair and promote the Balkans as an increasingly sought-after wine and tourist destination.
It is a concrete step in the achievement of the goal of the "Open Balkans" initiative - a common market that includes the free flow of people, goods, capital and services.
The First International Wine Fair will enable winegrowers, wine producers, representatives of wineries, oenologists, sommeliers, as well as distributors and wine merchants from the region and beyond, to gather, network, share experiences, present themselves to the general public and expand their business.
The fair will also have its own competition part, in which wines will be judged by the most prestigious experts and sommeliers from around the world, as well as by the most prestigious magazine in that field - Decanter.
The organisers of the fair are the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Belgrade Fair and the Union of Vine growers and Winemakers of Serbia, and it is held under the auspices of the countries of the "Open Balkans" initiative.