Ten years of the Echocardiographic Society of Serbia: local achievements with European flavour.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, in the former Yugoslavia, there were no organized educational and scientific activities in the field of echocardiography. Existing Working group of Echocardiography of the national cardiology society has been inactive for years. The new echo organization was born in April 2001, on the wings of enthusiasm of few cardiologists, who felt that the time for change has come. The first name, Yugoslav Echocardiographic Society (YUECHO), was changed in December 2006 into current name, Echocardiographic Society of Serbia (ECHOS) (Figure 1). The goal was to set up local standards of echocardiographic examination, to run educational programmes, to support research related to echocardiography and to establish international collaboration and join international echo organizations and scientific projects.