The Catalogue of names and surnames in the language and script of the Albanian national minority was presented in Bujanovac today, with transcription into the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet.
The Catalogue was developed in cooperation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, with the support of the Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa, as well as the Albanian National Minority Council. Through this project we are also implementing the recommendation from the Special Report of the Protector of Citizens on the official use of the Albanian language and script.
“As a result of joint work, a Catalogue was prepared, containing data on the most common personal names and surnames in the Albanian language and script, which is extremely significant for members of this national community”, stated State Secretary Ivan Bošnjak.
Data on the most common personal names was collected from the registry books kept by the City Administrations of the cities of Niš, Leskovac and Vranje, as well as the municipal administrations of Bujanovac, Medveđa and Preševo, and it was transcripted into Serbian and Cyrillic.
“By creating this catalogue, we are making it easier to exercise the right to the official use of the Albanian language and script, namely the use of personal names of members of the Albanian national minority and entry in the registry books”, explained Bošnjak.
The catalogue shall be an important instrument in the work of registrars and it shall also serve as an auxiliary mechanism for health institutions that report the birth of a child within the “Baby, Welcome to the World” project.
In this manner, we are enabling the entry of personal names of members of the Albanian national minority into registry books in the correct transcription into Serbian and Cyrillic, which will decrease any difficulties that members of this national minority may have in exercising other rights arising from the incorrect transcription of names and surnames in various documents.
“This whole project is of exceptional importance in order to improve the realization of the rights of national minorities in the Republic of Serbia, both in the field of registry books and other rights”, concluded Bošnjak.