The event -and the picture itself- both summarised and concluded a decade of misfortunes in this remote quarter of Europe; however, it also openned a new chapter in history.
In Belgrade, Zoran Djinjic, the prime minister, kept reassuring foreign journalists that his boss, Vojislav Kostunica, had been well aware of the decision to extradite Mr. Milosevic. Earlier reports had suggested that Kostunica didn't find about the extradition until the very last moment.
'We did it for Europe... we don't want to become an isolated island', so quoted Mr. Djinjic the Italian papers.
When it comes to Slobodan Milosevic, public opinion in Serbia oscilates between extremes. Some still linger with the possibility that Mr. Djinjic had 'sold' the country, and they wonder whether there is a link between the dispatch of Mr. Milosevic and the celebration of a multinational donors conference held almost simultaneously with the extradition.
However, another equally large sector of the population seems to believe that this is the time to come to terms with the recent past (the airing of BBC documentaries on Serbian television, something unconceivable during the Milosevic years, is a sign of this).
Although these two extremes actually collide in today's Serbian society, they are too simple an approach to understand what's going on in the country. History, religion, politics, everything is so entangled in the nation's mentality.
Few people will discuss that Mr. Milosevic's detention is a breakthrough, and the beginning of a new era in the Balkans. But, what lies ahead for Serbia? Probably it's too soon to tell.
Loving Three Times. In the days of golden Yugoslavia, the country was a tourist mecca, though most destinations laid in neighbouring Croatia, with Dubrovnik as the crown's jewel.
Today, the new leadership of Yugoslavia is trying to reactivate the influx of foreign turists, and to this end a cadre of young officials experiments with various marketing techniques.
On the first week of June, a Saatchi & Saatchi team delivered preliminary results of a turist campaign entitled: 'Serbia: Love Three Times'.
The proposal was unveiled during an international conference on tourism, in which officials from Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and the World Tourism Organisation gathered to discuss strategies for Serbia.
Why Love Three Times? Belgradeans gently tried to explain me the relevance of the expression, but they warned that it might be difficult for a foreigner to understand, especially if he doesn't practise the Orthodox religion. 'For us, everything comes in three', said Ivana, 26.
But to the eyes of the foreign officials gathering at the Sava Center, the real question was not the simbolism of 'Three', but whether Serbia was prepared to lure Western visitors. 'This campaign does not correspond with the prevailing image of Serbia', remarked a Western official. 'You must overcome the discrepancy of what the image is now, and this campaign'.
Another official complained about the rough, 9 hr train ride he had to make from Budapest to Belgrade. He described the border examinations to prevent fouth & mouth disease as 'unpleasant'.
'As the train stopped in the border, passengers where confused and wondered what was going on', he elaborated. 'If only policemen were nice and warned passengers that they had to clean their shoes. Why make them feel like criminals? It'd be as easy as hanging banners inside the train to prevent and inform passengers'.
The Yugoslav government has a long way to go to promote tourism; but it is trying hard. Here and there facilities are improving, and cultural events flourish. But the main asset is Serbian hospitality, a tradition unmatched anywhere in the world.
