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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia to back Anatoly Karpov’s candidacy for FIDA president

Belgrade, 18 August 2010

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic thanked the chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov today for his friendly attitude to the Serbian people and state in the last few decades.

Ivica Dacic and Anatoly Karpov

At the meeting with Karpov, Dacic said that the decision of the Serbian Chess Association to support his candidacy for the president of the World Chess Federation (FIDA) is correct because of everything Karpov represents in the world of chess.

For Serbia it is of great importance that Anatoly Karpov decided to appoint Serbia’s distinguished chess player Alisa Maric as vice president of his future team, the First Deputy Prime Minister stated.

In this way, Alisa Maric would become Serbia’s top sports official in the world’s sport associations, Dacic explained and wished them a lot of luck in the elections.

He underlined that the Serbian government does not interfere with the work of sport organisations, but it does support them, and expressed his conviction that the choice of Karpov and Maric would greatly contribute to the development of and new achievements in Serbian chess.

Karpov highlighted that if he becomes FIDA president, he will change the relationship towards chess.

Competitions in the Balkans have always been of a high standard and we will endorse the development of chess for children and schools and take it back to a professional level, he explained. Maric thanked Dacic for the reception, support and wishes for success at the upcoming elections. She also thanked Karpov for inviting her to become part of his team. She outlined that she sees her candidacy as recognition for everything Serbia has done for the development of chess, adding that she hopes to win at the elections which will bring changes at a regional and world level.