The position of people belonging to national minorities in Serbia is better in many segments compared to some countries that are EU members and other more developed countries, said State Secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Ivan Bosnjak.
Reacting on the interview with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşkanu, who said that Bucharest “regarding sensitive issues for his country, which includes “rights of persons belonging to the Romanian minority throughout Serbia, expects visible progress,” Bosnjak says he is glad that Romania, as one of the neighbours of Serbia, a member of the EU, recognized the results achieved in the promotion of minority rights.
“The interest of our neighbours for the steps we have taken on the European path and achieving standards in this area will surely lead to better knowledge of the situation in Serbia, and thus provide significant support in EU integration,” he said.
Bosnjak states that in the work of the Intergovernmental mixed commission it is possible to consider all issues of interest to the people belonging to Romanian national minority on this side of the border, but also to the Serbian national minority in Romania. According to him, Serbia has a good and positive tradition in the territory of Vojvodina, which is one of the best organized multi-ethnic environments in Europe.
He states that our fellow citizens, members of minorities, have room for political action through the work of national councils of national minorities, and that there is a whole range of minority institutions, from the extreme south to north, from Presevo to Kanjiza. He also assessed that 21 national councils that exercise cultural autonomy, as well as 26-27 different ethnic communities living in Serbia, can be completely satisfied.
“Perhaps not completely satisfied in every life segment and in every part of the territory,” Bosnjak adds, but states that these rights are affordable in the same way, and that the Ministry intends to pay special attention to more employment of persons belonging to minorities.