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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia sets aside considerable funds for Roma inclusion

Belgrade, 20 October 2010

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said today that Serbia accepts responsibility for the inclusion of the Roma and all its citizens and pointed to the need for greater European solidarity in this field.

Djelic, who is attending a session of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg dedicated to Roma inclusion told Tanjug news agency that Serbia will come up with concrete proposals and will have a series of bilateral meetings with representatives of France, Sweden and others.

Serbia will ask that a pan-European strategy for Roma inclusion be created, Djelic outlined and added that Serbia has set aside €40 million in the last few years for the inclusion of vulnerable groups, including the Roma. Currently we are negotiating with the Council of Europe Development Bank on the allocation of two loans totalling €40 million for employment and integration of the Roma minority and other jeopardised groups, he confirmed.

The Deputy Prime Minister announced that today the Serbian delegation will appeal to the Committee for pre-accession funds in December to accept Belgrade's initiative for projects worth €36 million. One of the projects worth €20 million is for employment, and another €16 million project will tackle the construction of social housing, he added. He affirmed that the Council of Europe will adopt the Strasbourg Declaration focused on the issue of Roma inclusion.