Serbia respects rights of its citizens

BELGRADE - Head of the OSCE Mission in Serbia Ambassador Peter Burkhard welcomed on Monday the elections for national minority councils as an additional sign of respect and support of Serbia for the rights of its citizens.

Active participation of representatives of 20 national minorities in the elections (held on Sunday), including the southern and south-west Serbia, is quite encouraging, Burkhard said.

According to an OSCE release, national minority councils should focus on issues related to culture, use of mother tongue, education and the media and they have an important role in the promotion of their specific ethnic and cultural identity.

The degree of integration of national minorities into social and socio-economic processes is one of the indicators of democratisation and diversity of the society, he noted.

Burkhard also said that Serbia has once more showed its commitment to the OSCE values.

At the same time, he also voiced regret over the irregularities recorded at some polling stations which prevented a certain number of voters from realising their voting rights.

The OSCE mission will continue supporting the work of national minority councils in keeping with the laws of the Republic of Serbia, Burkhard said.

Photo Tanjug Video, camera operator Zoran Djurovic (archive)