Sharjah: Serbs in the UAE and fans of the Eastern European country now have a reason to celebrate.
Last week, the Sharjah Book Authority and the National Library of Serbia inked a deal which will see the two bodies cooperate in cultural and literary areas.
The deal aims to boost the promotion of both Serbian and UAE culture at exhibitions, book fairs, festivals, presentations, conferences, seminars and other promotional activities.
Sharjah Book Authority officials say that the new relationship will be reflected at the Belgrade International Book Fair in October, and the Sharjah International Book Fair in November.
“At Sharjah Book Authority, our constant endeavour is to forge strong cultural relationships with the world,” said Ahmad Al Ameri, chairman of the authority.
“We are delighted to have established a strong partnership with Serbia — a nation that is steeped in history, and has an impressive literary heritage,” he added.
The director of Serbia’s National Library, Laslo Blaskovic, said that the deal would mean that Serbia would take part in Sharjah’s book fairs “in a big way”.
Established in 1832, the National Library of Serbia is one of the most prestigious libraries in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe. It was one of the first few libraries in the world to introduce digital innovations.
In 2003, the library launched a digital project to scan all publications, manuscripts, catalogues, documents and maps in Serbia. The digitised materials can be accessed from around the world in English and Serbian.
