Frankfurt appreciates Serbs – Vesti online

In the ceremonial hall of St. Paulus in Frankfurt last weekend, an award ceremony was held for the most successful citizens of foreign origin this year who live and work in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area. The awards ceremony was organized by the Parliament of Foreigners of the City of Frankfurt (KAV) under the auspices of the city. Two Serbs were among the 20 winners of the award, Andrijana Kešić, a doctor and head of the Emergency Department at the City Hospital in Hanau, and Slavko Todić, a businessman and hotelier from Babenhausen. Those present were greeted by Jonas Madoff, President of the Parliament of Foreigners of the City of Frankfurt, Dr. Eskandari Grinberg, Deputy Mayor of Frankfurt, Dr. Frank Divernih, Director of the Polytechnic Foundation, and Mike Jozef, Mayor of the metropolis on the Main, addressed everyone in the hall via video link.

Andrijana Kešić, winner of this year’s award from the city of Frankfurt for success in her work for “Vesti”, says that she is honored by the award.

– By profession, I am a specialist in neurology, and I currently work as the head of the Emergency Department at the City Hospital in Hanau. I have been in Germany for about 16 years and for me this recognition is a great honor, considering that it is not easy to come to a foreign country, learn the language and fit into the entire system. For me, this is also an even greater motivation to continue working the way I have been doing – said Kešić.

Vladimir Rajić, consul of the Republic of Serbia in Frankfurt and Dijana Avdić, vice-president of the Council of Foreigners of the city of Frankfurt and president of the Central Union of Hessian Serbs, attended the awards ceremony.

– Out of 20 awardees who come from 17 countries, the Serbian community had the honor of having two of our citizens among the awardees. I am proud of them because they are proof that even people of migrant origin can build great careers in Germany. Work and effort pay off in the end, and I’m glad that all the speakers emphasized that. This is another moment when our Serbian community proved for the umpteenth time that we have experts who are notable in their environment and worthy of attention – Dijana Avdić told us.

Pride and pleasure

Slavko Todić, our prominent businessman, could not attend the award ceremony for legitimate reasons, but told “Vesti” in a telephone conversation that he was proud.

– I am very pleased that the city of Frankfurt recognized my work. First of all, I was very active in helping my homeland, Serbia, which I am very proud of. I often helped students and participated in other forms of economic assistance to our country and to Germany, the country where I live. I am proud to be a Serb who received recognition from Frankfurt – stated Todić with undisguised satisfaction.

Example for young people

Eskandavi Greenberg, the deputy mayor of Frankfurt, states that the awards were given to fellow citizens who improve the city of Frankfurt with their presence and work.

– They strongly advocate for our overall community and thus strengthen our city and democracy. First of all, we need positive examples to guide our young fellow citizens in their progress. It was a great pleasure to present awards to our dear fellow citizens – said Dr. Eskandavi Greenber.