At the beginning of the sitting, Committee Chairman Dr Janko Veselinovic asked the participants to pay respects to the victims of the floods by a minute’s silence. The Committee Chairman reminded that the natural disaster had claimed people’s lives and caused substantial material damage. Everyone who lost their homes needs urgent assistance, stressed Veselinovic thanking the many Serbian associations abroad which have already sent aid to the flood victims.

The Committee sitting was attended by Foreign Ministry Secretary General Veljko Odalovic and Head of the Foreign Ministry Crisis Headquarters Ambassador Zoran Djurisic. Veljko Odalovic informed the Committee members that the Ministry of Foreign affairs is giving clear instructions to the diplomatic representative offices and missions of the Republic of Serbia abroad on how to donate funds as well as other types of assistance for the endangered population in Serbia. Odalovic added that an unimpeded flow of relief goods for the endangered population has been arranged with the Customs Directorate, and the transport of necessary goods via regular flights have been arranged with the national company Air Serbia.

Head of the Foreign Ministry Crisis Headquarters Zoran Djurisic added that the Ministry of Health had submitted a list of necessary medications for the endangered population and that 24-hour duty roster had been set up in all the diplomatic and consular representative offices of the Republic of Serbia.
The Committee sitting was also attended by representatives of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Aleksandar Vlajkovic and Rastko Jankovic.

The Committee members pointed out that enabling foreign donations in several foreign currencies would boost the efficiency of the donation drive, and suggested making a video on the flood-stricken areas to be broadcast abroad.

After the discussion the Committee members adopted the following conclusions:

1. The Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region thanks all the individuals and organisations in the diaspora and the region who have sent assistance for the flood-endangered population in Serbia;
2. The Committee urges the people and organisations in the diaspora and the region who intend to send assistance to do so in line with the instructions issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Finance has set up a special account for financial donations which would take into consideration the donors’ requests that the funds be earmarked for specific purposes;
3. The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the other ministries, communicate all necessary information relating to the manner of transferring funds and other relief from the diaspora via the media and other modern means of communication;
4. Financial aid is a foreign assistance priority since the recovery process will be long, and if goods are donated this should be done through the closest diplomatic or consular representative offices following the recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as regards the relief goods needed;
5. The Committee asks the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to keep the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region regularly informed on all activities undertaken on this matter;
6. The Committee notes the need to maintain contact with the diaspora in the course of the relief efforts, to spend the funds as earmarked and that the donors should be made cognizant of where the funds are directed;
7. The Committee appeals to the Government of the Republic of Serbia to enable the abolition of customs duties and other administrative obstructions to humanitarian aid from the diaspora;
8. The Committee appoints Committee Chairman Dr Janko Veselinovic, Committee Deputy Chairman Miodrag Linta and Committee member Aleksandar Cotric liaison officers for the diaspora and Serbs in the region as well as the Foreign Ministry Crisis Headquarters as regards relief for the population in the flooded areas.

The sitting was chaired by Dr Janko Veselinovic, Committee Chairman.