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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

National strategy for promotion of Roma presented

Belgrade, 15 April 2009

Minister of Human and Minority Rights Svetozar Ciplic today stated that the national strategy for the promotion of the Roma will help resolve their housing problems, as well as provide social and health protection to members of the Roma community.

At a press conference held to present the national strategy, Ciplic pointed out that this strategy envisages solutions to the problems surrounding Roma employment, education and personal documents.

The Minister noted that the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights will suggest that a working group should be formed in order to help solve the problem of illegal Roma settlements in Belgrade.

Minister Ciplic explained that some of the settlements will be legalised, while others will be removed and Roma citizens will be provided with housing in other locations.

Ciplic stressed that the government is able to help local authorities tackle this problem, adding that the illegal settlements in Belgrade are also inhabited by people who have come from poor municipalities in Southern Serbia.

Assistant Minister for Human and Minority Rights Petar Antic pointed to the fact that around 11% of the Roma living in Belgrade do not have a single document verifying their identity.

According to the 2002 census 108,000 Roma live in Serbia, said Antic, noting that according to the Ministry and NGO’s rough estimates Serbia is inhabited by around 450,000 Roma.