At the beginning of the meeting, the Head of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Romania, Miletic Mihajlovic stressed that Serbia and Romania share long-standing cooperation and the two people enjoy friendly relations. He said that the 16-member Parliamentary Friendship Group is open for cooperation with the Romanian Parliament’s Friendship Group with Serbia aimed at furthering the two countries’ parliamentary and overall relations.
Minister Delegate for Romanians Abroad Cristian David deemed that the two friendship groups set the groundwork for the development of bilateral relations between Serbia and Romania. He stressed that, in view of the considerable number of Romanians living outside of Romania, in its neighbouring and European countries, the Government set up a Ministry charged with protecting their rights and freedoms, as well as maintaining their national identity. He also stressed that the bilateral cooperation between the two neighbouring countries is good and that Romania supports Serbia’s progress to the European Union.
Miletic Mihajlovic said that the Serbian Constitution and laws guarantee the protection of national minorities in Serbia in line with the norms and standards contained in internationally binding instruments for the protection of human and minority rights. He reminded that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a Resolution in 2008 confirming as unacceptable, in the case of the Romanian and Vlach minorities, any and all attempts to impose an identity to an individual or a group.
Mihajlovic stressed that it is neither in Serbia’s nor in Romania’s authority to discuss personal freedoms as regards one’s national minority affiliation. This was confirmed by the Interstate Mixed Commission of Serbia and Romania which deemed any interference, direct or indirect, which might affect one’s right and freedom of choice as regards national minority affiliation unacceptable.
In addition, the Serbian and Romanian side signed a Protocol in Brussels under which all institutions, including the National Assembly, pledge that they would support all the rights of the Romanian national minority, no matter what part of Serbia, they live in. Serbia is obliged to and will ensure that the members of national minorities achieve and enjoy all the rights belonging to them, including the Romanian and Vlach minority, in equal measure, concluded Miletic Mihajlovic.
The meeting was also attended by the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Romania Teodora Vlahovic, Milan Lapcevic, Dr Milorad Mijatovic, Srdjan Mikovic, Jelena Travar Miljevic and Aleksandar Cotric.