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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Budget fund for financing information in minorities languages 12 times higher

Belgrade, 14 February 2018

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic chaired today the session of the National Minorities Council, where it was decided that information in the languages of national minorities remains a priority area for funding for 2018.

The budget fund for national minorities has been increased 12 times over in comparison with the previous year and now it stands at RSD 21.8 million.

The funds so far have been very small and I am proud that we activated this fund after 15 years and then significantly increased it, Brnabic said, adding that the Serbian government will continue to invest efforts and funds to improve the position and rights of national minorities who, as she pointed out, are an important resource and pride of Serbia.

The Prime Minister added that she expects many more projects and programmes that will affirm the values of national minorities.

The Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on National Councils was presented at the session, which will, among other things, improve the transparency of the financing of national councils.

The Prime Minister recalled that during this year, elections for national councils of national minorities will be held.

Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Branko Ruzic pointed out that during the drafting of the Law on National Councils of National Minorities, public consultations on the draft text of this law were conducted as a completely new practice, with the already existing cooperation with national councils of national minorities.

The second session of the Council for National Minorities in the mandate of Prime Minister Brnabic featured presidents and representatives of 21 national councils, Acting Director of the Office for Human and Minority Rights Suzana Paunovic, state secretaries of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and the Ministry of Culture and Information, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the Administration for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities.

The role of the Council for National Minorities is to monitor and evaluate the level of realisation of the rights of national minorities and the state of inter-ethnic relations in the Republic of Serbia.