China to be guest of honor of 59th Intl Belgrade Book Fair

Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Zhang Wanxue received on Sunday the Open Book of the 58th International Belgrade Book Fair, traditionally given to the representative of the guest of honor country at next year's fair, local media reported.

Receiving the Open Book from the hands of Andrzej Jasionowski, the ambassador of Poland - this year's guest of honor country, Zhang expressed the hope that China will help the 59th book fair be at least as successful as this one.

"Cultural exchange and cooperation represent solid platform and excellent channel for mutual understanding, while publishing and literature are the most reliable carrier of this process," said Zhang, stressing that it will be the unique opportunity to better present Chinese history, culture and its development, to the people of Serbia.

President of Managing Board of Belgrade Book Fair Zeljko Ozegovic said that this year's fair was better than the previous one, with 12 more publishers than last year, and expressing joy that China will be next year's guest of honor, he asked Serbian publishers to make more effort in translating and publishing Chinese authors' works.

Belgrade Book Fair is one of the largest events of this kind in Southeast Europe and this year, from Oct. 20 to 27, it has hosted 490 exhibitors from Serbia, Poland, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Iran, Montenegro, Japan, Belarus, China, Croatia, Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, Austria, Spain, Germany and India.