Govt. ready to talk about minority rights, "not sovereignty"

BELGRADE Aleksandar Vucic says the government is ready to talk to everyone about minority rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the highest international standards. Speaking during his meeting on Tuesday with representatives of ethnic Albanians from southern Serbia, the first deputy PM also "stressed that there will be no talks about any changes to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country." Govt. ready to talk about minority rights, "not sovereignty" “The Serbian government will be involved in discussions to improve everyone's life,” said Vucic. Taking part in the meeting was also Zoran Stankovic, chairman of the Serbian government Coordination Body for the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. After the meeting in the government building, one of the participants, Riza Halimi, told Tanjug that the talks with Vucic dealt with all the major problems in the region, "especially the difficult economic situation and high unemployment rate." He said that they discussed every point in the platform for solving the problems, which was previously coordinated with Stankovic. Halimi said that the Albanian representatives "succinctly pointed to" the major daily life issues faced by the minority in southern Serbia. The Serbian government adopted the seven-point platform on June 4, based on the conclusions from the January and February meetings between the government and representatives of the Albanians from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, which were attended by representatives of the OSCE. The platform deals with the participation of the Albanians in state-owned institutions, economic recovery of the three municipalities, official use of the language spoken and written by the minority and of its national symbols, decentralization in judiciary, issues in the fields of education, culture and media, healthcare and social protection, and security and measures to inspire trust in the area. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Govt. ready to talk about minority rights, "not sovereignty"

“The Serbian government will be involved in discussions to improve everyone's life,” said Vučić.

Taking part in the meeting was also Zoran Stanković, chairman of the Serbian government Coordination Body for the municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa.

After the meeting in the government building, one of the participants, Riza Halimi, told Tanjug that the talks with Vučić dealt with all the major problems in the region, "especially the difficult economic situation and high unemployment rate."

He said that they discussed every point in the platform for solving the problems, which was previously coordinated with Stanković.

Halimi said that the Albanian representatives "succinctly pointed to" the major daily life issues faced by the minority in southern Serbia.

The Serbian government adopted the seven-point platform on June 4, based on the conclusions from the January and February meetings between the government and representatives of the Albanians from Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa, which were attended by representatives of the OSCE.

The platform deals with the participation of the Albanians in state-owned institutions, economic recovery of the three municipalities, official use of the language spoken and written by the minority and of its national symbols, decentralization in judiciary, issues in the fields of education, culture and media, healthcare and social protection, and security and measures to inspire trust in the area.