Novi Sad, 2nd July - Today, President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly Bálint Juhász received Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue Tomislav Žigmanov, with whom he discussed the continuation of cooperation between the two institutions, as well as the position and exercise of the rights of minority national communities in the AP Vojvodina and the Republic of Serbia.
President Juhász pointed out that the achieved constitutional and legal framework, which pertained to the exercise of the rights of national communities in our country, was representative and could serve as an example, and it also provided a good normative framework for the preservation of cultural identity, official use of languages and scripts, affirmation of education and information in the mother tongue.
“National councils of national communities play a vital role in the improvement of minority rights, and I find this is a right time to jointly review and summarise the achieved results and effects, six years after the adoption of the amendments to the Law on National Councils of National Minorities”, said Mr. Juhász and expressed his satisfaction with the 17 percent increase in the budget framework for the national councils’ operations, Minister Žigmanov spoke about.
The President of the APV Assembly stated that for the purpose of harmonisation with the negotiation chapter 23 in the process of European integration of the Republic of Serbia, we should also focus on the revision of the Action Plan for Exercising of the Rights of National Minorities, in order to specify the strategic determinations for the improvement of the institutional and legislative framework in the area of fundamental human and minority rights and freedoms.
President Juhász and Minister Žigmanov also talked about the importance of acknowledgement of specificities of each and every national community, as well as about the significance of identifying and resolving their economic, social and other peculiarities and needs.
“It is often said that Vojvodina is Europe in miniature, and our common task is to further cherish and improve the achieved level of harmonious coexistence and promotion of diversity”, said President Juhász.
At the meeting in the APV Assembly, the mutual intention and willingness to continue the good cooperation between the provincial institutions and the competent ministry was expressed.