The Chairman of the Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Aleksandar Cotric, briefed the guests on the Committee’s scope and activities, announcing a more intensive cooperation between the Committee and the Progressive Club which would, among other things, be aimed at amending and modifying the legislation regulating the position of Serbs in the region and the diaspora.
The members of the Progressive Club presented to the Committee a Report on the political rights of the Serbian people in the region for 2011 and 2012. The Report gives an overview of the situation in the sphere of fulfillment of political rights of Serbs in the region, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro, said Antic on the occasion, stressing that the issue of political rights of the Serbian community in the region should be recognised as one of Serbia’s foreign policy goals.
The Committee members noted that Serbia needs a state policy aimed at maintaining the national and cultural identity of Serbs in the region and the diaspora and improving their political and other rights. They emphasised the need for a speedy formation of an Office for the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region and an institute to deal with the issues of the diaspora and Serbs in the region.
Committee Chairman Aleksandar Cotric pointed out the importance of continuous cooperation between the Committee and the Progressive Club as regards the establishment of the abovementioned institutions. The downward trend in the number of Serbs in the countries of the region, accompanied by a decrease in their rights and funds allocated for their needs in the budget of the Republic of Serbia is worrisome, said Cotric. He also added that the Committee would ask the Progressive Club for its opinion as regards the funds allocated for the diaspora in the budget of the Republic of Serbia and suggested to soon organise a presentation at the National Assembly on the Report on the political rights of the Serbian people in the region, so that the members of other relevant National Assembly Committees might learn more about the topic.
In addition to Committee Chairman Aleksandar Cotric, the meeting was attended by Committee members Janko Veselinovic, Milorad Stosic, Miodrag Linta, Jelena Travar Miljevic and Aleksandra Djurovic.