On the occasion, she had separate meetings with representatives of the National Assembly parliamentary groups, Chairman and members of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and members of the National Assembly’s delegation to PACE, and the members of the Culture and Information Committee.
The representatives of the National Assembly parliamentary groups and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe discussed the National Assembly’s legislative activities within the European integration process and the reform in Serbia.
The meeting was attended by the Head of the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group Zoran Babic, Head of the Socialist Party of Serbia Parliamentary Group Dr Dijana Vukomanovic, Head of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group Borislav Stefanovic, Head of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina Parliamentary Group Nenad Canak, Head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians Parliamentary Group Balint Pasztor, Head of the SDA Sandzak – Party of Democratic Action Parliamentary Group Sulejman Ugljanin and Deputy Head of the Boris Tadic – Social Democratic Party, Together for Serbia, Greens of Serbia Parliamentary Group Dr Janko Veselinovic and Deputy Head of the New Serbia Parliamentary Group Dubravka Filipovski. They said that the National Assembly has reached a consensus on Serbia’s European integration, adding that the implementation of European standards and values is very important for the improvement of the quality of life of Serbian citizens.
The officials also discussed the status of national minorities in Serbia, representation of national minorities in state institutions and the position of the media. Speaking to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Anne Brasseur the MPs also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation among the countries of the Western Balkans and Serbia’s determination to cultivate good-neighbourly relations.
PACE President Anne Brasseur also met with the Chairman and members of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality to discuss the status of national minorities, missing persons and migrations. Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic outlined the Committee’s scope of authority, stressing that though a lot has been achieved as regards legislative activity, the Parliament’s control capacities still need to be strengthened. He also emphasised the importance of the Committee’s cooperation with independent regulatory bodies on the improvement of human rights and implementation of laws and international treaties.
Meho Omerovic said that the Roma population has been the focus of the Committee’s efforts, as have the socially underprivileged categories, national minorities and the LGBT population with whom the Committee enjoys very close cooperation.
He said that, in the near future, the Committee will be submitting to the National Assembly a Declaration against Violence, Hate Speech and Hate Crime and that it would be reviewing the new Gender Equality Law, while Anne Brasseur commended the fact that the National Assembly had ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe spoke of the brain drain problem i.e. young people moving abroad after they had completed their education and the position of the Roma. She was pleased by the Committee’s excellent cooperation with LGBT organisations, stressing that the right to be different is a fundamental human right.
Addressing PACE President Anne Brasseur, the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Head of the National Assembly’s standing delegation to PACE Aleksandra Djurovic said she hoped Serbia would soon move on from the monitoring to the post-monitoring phase. She thanked the guest for PACE’s principled position as regards the status of Kosovo-Metohija and the international organisation’s support of Serbia’s efforts to maintain its territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, Djurovic reminded of Dick Marty’s report on trafficking in human organs in Kosovo-Metohija and how little has been achieved as regards human and minority rights there.
Committee deputy member and President of the Coalition of Refugee Associations Miodrag Linta asked for PACE’s support in the establishment of Serbia-Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina inter-state commissions which would help resolve the issues of refugees and internally displaced persons in the region.
Speaking of the European future, Djurovic said that Serbia is firmly committed to EU accession, and the PACE President commanded the efforts the country puts into improving regional cooperation, stressing the need to continue dialogue with the countries in the region.
Anne Brasseur believes that the National Assembly should work on its control function, listing as immediate priorities resolving the issues of refugees and internally displaced persons, strengthening media freedom and judiciary reform.
The meeting was attended by MPs Aleksandar Senic, Irena Aleksic, Dusica Stojkovic, Dr Janko Veselinovic, Natasa Vuckovic, Dr Dijana Vukomanovic, Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic, Dr Milorad Mijatovic, Vesna Markovic and Dragan Sormaz.
Culture and Information Committee members Dusica Stojkovic, Mirjana Andric, Srdjan Dragojevic, Sanja Nikolic, Nebojsa Tatomir and Milorad Cvetanovic briefed the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Anne Brasseur on the Committee’s duties and work, stressing the fact that in June 2014 the National Assembly had passed a set of reform media laws. The officials also discussed the current situation in the sphere of culture and information in Serbia. The PACE President emphasised the importance of the role of parliamentary committees on culture considering the significance of culture for a society.