Washington, D.C.: Dacic at the National Prayer Breakfast

Today in Washington, D.C., Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic is attending the National Prayer Breakfast, which is held every first Thursday in February, and the participants of the event are traditionally addressed by the U.S. President.

This important event gathers about 3,500 guests, including members of the U.S. Congress, politicians, military leaders and guests from around a hundred of countries.

Today's 71^st National Prayer Breakfast, which started at 7:30 local time, is also attended by Ambassador Marko Djuric.

The U.S. President addressed the attendees from the Congress, like last year, from a simultaneous event attended only by members of the Congress and U.S. citizens.

Biden emphasized that he was honored to continue the tradition started by the 34^th U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and sent a message of unity and mutual respect, regardless of religious and all other differences.

This is a forum that was established out of the desire to forget political differences for a moment and have good communication, unencumbered by formalities, so that leaders from different areas of political, social and economic life can meet and exchange information, intentions and platforms for action.

The guest of honor at the National Prayer Breakfast is the U.S. President, and every year there is also a surprise guest whose identity is not revealed before the event begins.

The prayer breakfast was established in 1953 when President Eisenhower, at the initiative of Methodist minister Abraham Vereide, invited Senator Frank Carlson to pray for America with both government and opposition representatives.

The original idea that politicians from the United States, from the government and the opposition, gather in one place and pray together for peace and the success of America, grew into the organization of an international prayer breakfast, to which, in addition to those domestic, world leaders and politicians are also invited to together send messages of peace and solidarity in the world.

The gathering includes events on the sidelines, as well as seminars, and the National Prayer Breakfast has thus grown into a forum of political, social and business leaders on an informal basis.

Co-chairs are always representatives of both the Democrats and Republicans.

Part of the program is reserved for bilateral meetings of the participants with Congress representatives, senators, businesspersons and other important U.S. officials.

Source/Photo: Tanjug