Today, the Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Branko Ružić, spoke with the Ambassador of Romania, H.E. Oana Popa, in Belgrade on the improvement of bilateral relations, especially through the work of the Intergovernmental Mixed Commission. “This month, the Government appointed State Secretary, Ivan Bošnjak, as the Co-Chairman of the Commission, and I believe that we will contribute significantly to resolving all open issues and seeking new models of cooperation,” said Minister Ružić. Collocutors emphasized that it is most important to discuss the status of minorities, and in this regard the Minister pointed out that there are about 30,000 Romanians in Serbia, and that the Ministry has excellent cooperation with the national council of this minority. In order to further promote the position of minorities, the Ministry is working to amend several laws that could contribute to better protection of the rights and freedoms of persons belonging to national minorities. Romania’s Ambassador stressed that Romania fully supports Serbia’s commitment to EU accession and that it will invest efforts to accelerate this process, especially during the Romanian EU Presidency. While expressing gratitude for Romania’s principled stance of non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence, Ružić said that Serbian citizens are extremely grateful for any support and understanding that comes from that country.