Jeremić on status of refugees and IDPs

Refugees and displaced persons must not be hostages of our political differences and must not be discriminated, said Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. While opening an international conference in Belgrade dedicated to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region, the minister stressed that Serbia was among top five countries in the world when it came to refugee issues. Jeremic on status of refugees and IDPs Jeremic quoted UNHCR's official data that there were 86,000 registered refugees in Serbia. “We are ready to do everything so the human and civil rights of all refugees and displaced persons are respected to the letter,“ Jeremic said, and added that it especially concerned the right to return and solving of issues related to pensions and property. The foreign minister said that he was convinced that EU, UNHCR and OSCE would especially help with this problem. “The last decade of the 20th century was a period that few will remember as good. I believe that we have different views regarding this issue,“ he stated and pointed out that "everything should be discussed openly and fairly". Jeremic added that what brought all the countries of the region together were joint values such as democracy and the rule of law, and appealed to all the participants of the conference to put their words into action regarding. The Serbian minister stressed that the conference in Belgrade today "is the right opportunity to do so". Foreign ministers from regional countries are also attending the gathering. Bosnia-Herzegovina Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj and his Montenegrin counterpart Milan Rocen stated that the refugee problem in the Western Balkan region is not entirely solved, adding that the problem can be resolved only by cooperation and participation of all regional states. The two foreign ministers are attending the "Lasting solutions for refugees and displaced persons - cooperation between regional states" conference. Alkalaj said that a decade and a half after the end of the war conflict in Bosnia, it is a human, moral and political obligation to offer opportunity to refugees to decide whether they want a final and sustainable return to the places where they used to live or integration into the society in which they are now. He said that from 1992 to 1995, 2.2 million people left their homes and about a million of them migrated to countries across the world. Alkalaj said that since the end of the war conflict in Bosnia, the majority of requests for the return of property in the country have been met, adding that out of 450,000 houses, 320,000 have been reconstructed. However, he said that there are still 500,000 refugees outside Bosnia, but that 80 percent of them have been integrated into the countries where they found refuge. The majority of the people are located in Serbia and Croatia. Rocen said that five years after the adoption of the Sarajevo Declaration, the expectations of the declaration and the agreement have not been met yet, adding that there are 16,711 refugees and internally displace persons in Montenegro at the moment and while 5,000 of them are from Bosnia and Croatia, while others are from Kosovo. Jeremic addresses the conference in Belgrade today (Beta)

Jeremić on status of refugees and IDPs

Jeremić quoted UNHCR's official data that there were 86,000 registered refugees in Serbia.

“We are ready to do everything so the human and civil rights of all refugees and displaced persons are respected to the letter,“ Jeremić said, and added that it especially concerned the right to return and solving of issues related to pensions and property.

The foreign minister said that he was convinced that EU, UNHCR and OSCE would especially help with this problem.

“The last decade of the 20th century was a period that few will remember as good. I believe that we have different views regarding this issue,“ he stated and pointed out that "everything should be discussed openly and fairly".

Jeremić added that what brought all the countries of the region together were joint values such as democracy and the rule of law, and appealed to all the participants of the conference to put their words into action regarding.

The Serbian minister stressed that the conference in Belgrade today "is the right opportunity to do so".

Foreign ministers from regional countries are also attending the gathering.

Bosnia-Herzegovina Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj and his Montenegrin counterpart Milan Roćen stated that the refugee problem in the Western Balkan region is not entirely solved, adding that the problem can be resolved only by cooperation and participation of all regional states.

The two foreign ministers are attending the "Lasting solutions for refugees and displaced persons - cooperation between regional states" conference.

Alkalaj said that a decade and a half after the end of the war conflict in Bosnia, it is a human, moral and political obligation to offer opportunity to refugees to decide whether they want a final and sustainable return to the places where they used to live or integration into the society in which they are now.

He said that from 1992 to 1995, 2.2 million people left their homes and about a million of them migrated to countries across the world.

Alkalaj said that since the end of the war conflict in Bosnia, the majority of requests for the return of property in the country have been met, adding that out of 450,000 houses, 320,000 have been reconstructed.

However, he said that there are still 500,000 refugees outside Bosnia, but that 80 percent of them have been integrated into the countries where they found refuge. The majority of the people are located in Serbia and Croatia.

Roćen said that five years after the adoption of the Sarajevo Declaration, the expectations of the declaration and the agreement have not been met yet, adding that there are 16,711 refugees and internally displace persons in Montenegro at the moment and while 5,000 of them are from Bosnia and Croatia, while others are from Kosovo.