Belgrade to host European Masonic conference

Serbia will for the first time in 82 years host a European freemasons conference. Around 250 freemasons from 20 European countries will gather on Friday and Saturday in Belgrade when the United Grand Lodge of Europe will hold a conference, daily Blic writes. Belgrade to host European Masonic conference National Grand Lodge of Serbia Grand Master Dragoslav Pavlovic says that people “who are in significant positions, both political and economic, in their countries will be among them, but their names do not mean anything to our people”. When asked whether some of those people had already been to Serbia as politicians and businessmen, Pavlovic said that most of them had never been to Serbia before. “Some of them have but I think that most of them have not,” said the grand master who owns a company in the southern Serbian city of Nis. According to him, the fact that grand masters of Bulgarian, Romanian and Spanish Grand Lodges are coming to the conference is very important and that fraternities will be formed with them. “This means that we will sign fraternity charters with them that will allow us to have closer cooperation in, for example, some humanitarian actions,” he explained. Between 30 and 50 people will take part in the first day of the conference, while 200 more guests will attend the evening celebration on the second day. Pavlovic told Blic that the first such meeting was held in Serbia while Djordje Vajfert had been the grand master of the Grand Serbian Lodge. This year’s conference is being held in Serbia to mark the 100th anniversary since the National Grand Lodge of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Masonic High Council of Serbia were founded. “This is a great honor, especially if you take into account that our lodge, together with two French lodges, founded the European Lodge. These conferences used to be held in Paris but we decided several years ago to change the location of the meeting every year,” Pavlovic explained. This is an election year for the National Grand Lodge of Serbia. Pavlovic was elected grand master on June 13, 2009 at the National Grand Lodge of Serbia annual assembly. The grand master’s mandate lasts three years and Pavlovic will hand over the position to his successor at this year’s assembly on June 16. “We only have one candidate for the new grand master. I cannot tell you his name but in any case, that’s not me. Even though the same person can be elected grand master twice, I did not run again,” the grand master noted.

Belgrade to host European Masonic conference

National Grand Lodge of Serbia Grand Master Dragoslav Pavlović says that people “who are in significant positions, both political and economic, in their countries will be among them, but their names do not mean anything to our people”.

When asked whether some of those people had already been to Serbia as politicians and businessmen, Pavlović said that most of them had never been to Serbia before.

“Some of them have but I think that most of them have not,” said the grand master who owns a company in the southern Serbian city of Niš.

According to him, the fact that grand masters of Bulgarian, Romanian and Spanish Grand Lodges are coming to the conference is very important and that fraternities will be formed with them.

“This means that we will sign fraternity charters with them that will allow us to have closer cooperation in, for example, some humanitarian actions,” he explained.

Between 30 and 50 people will take part in the first day of the conference, while 200 more guests will attend the evening celebration on the second day.

Pavlović told Blic that the first such meeting was held in Serbia while Đorđe Vajfert had been the grand master of the Grand Serbian Lodge.

This year’s conference is being held in Serbia to mark the 100th anniversary since the National Grand Lodge of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Masonic High Council of Serbia were founded.

“This is a great honor, especially if you take into account that our lodge, together with two French lodges, founded the European Lodge. These conferences used to be held in Paris but we decided several years ago to change the location of the meeting every year,” Pavlović explained.

This is an election year for the National Grand Lodge of Serbia. Pavlović was elected grand master on June 13, 2009 at the National Grand Lodge of Serbia annual assembly.

The grand master’s mandate lasts three years and Pavlović will hand over the position to his successor at this year’s assembly on June 16.

“We only have one candidate for the new grand master. I cannot tell you his name but in any case, that’s not me. Even though the same person can be elected grand master twice, I did not run again,” the grand master noted.