The main museum in Serbia has been reopened 15 years after it was closed for renovation following neglect during an era of wars and economic crisis in the 1990s.

Hundreds of people flocked to the National Museum in central Belgrade as it opened its doors following a ceremony attended by the Balkan country's prime minister.

The museum holds a collection of key archaeological findings from the area, important works by key Serbian artists and works by Pablo Picasso and Edgar Degas.

The long closure had drawn public criticism of the government's policies towards culture.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said she is "endlessly happy and proud" that her government finally has finished the job.

She added: "We finally return the National Museum to all our citizens."

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.