The Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue hosted a reception at the Palace of Serbia on 22 February, bringing together representatives of all national minority councils. The event was attended by newly elected presidents of the national minority councils and members of their executive boards.
The Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Tomislav Žigmanov, welcomed the council representatives warmly. He emphasized that these councils serve as legitimate representative bodies of national minorities, with self-governing rights regarding minority matters, including culture, education, media, and the official use of language and script. The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives and proposals from the national minority councils and highlighted the importance of their active involvement in exercising minority rights.
“After ten years, the budget allocated for the functioning of national minority councils has been increased by approximately 17% in the Republic of Serbia. However, this is not the final result – we will continue working to improve the resources available to the councils,” stated Minister Tomislav Žigmanov.
The Ministry plans to conduct a comprehensive analysis to identify and more effectively address the needs and challenges faced by national minorities, ensuring better coordination between state institutions and the national councils.
State Secretary Prof. Dr. Rejhan Kurtović highlighted that the ministry is aware of the specific challenges facing national minorities and reaffirmed its commitment to provide support and develop partnership relations. He emphasized the importance of joint action and coordinated efforts to address the issues and needs of society and national minorities. Kurtović stressed that identifying and analyzing open issues together is essential for implementing appropriate and effective measures.