A delegation of the National Assembly’s Committee on Relations with Serbs Living Outside Serbia, comprising deputies Milorad Buha, Sinisa Stamenkovic and Goran Stefanovic, visited the Republic of Macedonia on 27 and 28 May this year.

During their two-day visit, the delegation members visited the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia where they spoke to H.E. Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Macedonia Tomislav Djurin, Consul General Dragica Janjic and Ambassador Advisor Dusanka Divjak-Tomic. The members of the delegation went on to visit the Sobranje (Parliament) of the Republic of Macedonia where they met with the members of the Commission for Parliamentary Cooperation with Serbia. The delegation members also talked to the representatives of Serbian parties and associations, as well as the Director of the Agency for the Implementation of Minority Rights in the Republic of Macedonia. The deputies also visited Spona Serbian cultural information centre in Skopje where they talked to the management.

Ambassador Djurin briefed the delegation members on the current state of affairs and problems of the Serbian population in the Republic of Macedonia. According to the last popular census in the Republic of Macedonia, in 2002, 35,939 people listed their nationality as Serbian, while the estimates say that the number of Serbs is somewhere between 100 and 200,000. Serbs in the Republic of Macedonia have the status of ethnic minority, even though they are an autochthonous ethnic community. The amendments to the Constitution in 2001 recognised the Serb’s inalienable right to constitutionality along with Turks, Roma, Vlachs and Bosniaks, added Djurin.

The delegation was also briefed on the work of the three Serbian parties in Macedonia, the activities of nine cultural societies and associations, as well as the work of the three cultural information centres. The Serbian ethnic minority has one political representative – deputy at the Macedonian Sobranje – Ivan Stoiljkovic, president of the biggest Serbian party DPSM.

In their visit to the Sobranje, the Serbian delegation met with the members of the Republic of Macedonia Sobranje Commission for Parliamentary Cooperation with the Republic of Serbia which aims to develop all types of economic, cultural, scientific, sports and any other cooperation between the two parliaments. The Commission Chairman briefed the Serbian deputies on the parliamentary body’s activities and efforts toward improving cooperation between the two friendly nations. He expressed the Commission’s readiness to deepen cooperation and overcome the acute problems in the implementation of the regulations in the field of minority rights protection of the Serbian ethnic minority.

The Committee’s delegation informed the members of the RM Sobranje Commission of the numerous problems the Serbian ethnic minority comes across when trying to exercise its ethnic, religious, language, cultural and other personal rights and freedoms. At the same time, they requested that the active policy of assimilation, intolerance, discrimination and marginalisation of the Serbian national community cease.

H.E. Djurin organised a meeting between the Serbian delegation and representatives of political parties, associations and cultural information centres at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia so as to reach an agreement on their joint activities and common stand in the social life of the Republic of Macedonia.

Three Serbian political parties are active in the Republic of Macedonia: Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia – DPSM, Serbian Progressive Party – SNS and Democratic Union of Serbs in RM – DSSM. At the same time, nine Serbian societies and associations are registered and active in the Republic of Macedonia: Serbian National Council and United Serbian Community with headquarters in Skopje, Association of Serbs and Macedonians in Tetovo, Association of Serbs and Macedonians in Bitola, Serbian-Macedonian Society Srma from Bitola, Serbian-Macedonian society Kostana from Ohrid, Serbian Community in RM St.Sava from Kumanovo, Circle of Serbian Sisters from Kumanovo and Association of Serbs for Unity in RM with headquarters in Kumanovo. Three cultural information centres are active in the Republic of Macedonia, offering various forms of cultural, informative and educational activities: Cultural Educational and Information Centre Vuk Karadzic from Kuceviste, Serbian Cultural Centre and Cultural Information Centre of Serbs in RM – Spona from Skopje.

The representatives of political parties, associations and cultural information centres presented in short their basic guidelines and activities, pointing out the problems they face in everyday work. All present agreed that all the associations of the Serbian national community are very active, well-organised, enthusiastic and zealous in the realisation of their program activities. The representatives of these associations listed the difficulties in the realisation of the adopted plans, pointing out the problem of inadequate funds since the only form of financing of the associations’ activities are the members’ donations. They pointed out the unequal treatment of the Serbian ethnic community’s political parties, as well as the lack of political dialogue. They also believe that the Macedonian media space is not sufficiently covered by Serbian operators. The visit of the Committee’s delegation was welcomed with particular attention and the representatives present emphasised the need for direct cooperation with the motherland via various forms of activities. Having completed the meeting, the delegation members proposed list of activities, such as the formation of a Serbian National Council in the Republic of Macedonia. This national body should represent a roof organisation which would provide the framework of operation for all the parties and association. Those present agreed that active measures should be implemented to preserve the Serbian ethnic minority’s national identity and help it prepare for the 2011 popular census in RM.

The Committee’s delegation also met the Agency for the Implementation of the Rights of Minority Communities. The Agency is an independent body in charge of the realisation of minority rights proscribed by the RM Constitution and laws, it coordinates the work of state authorities in the realisation of these activities, secures the funds for the realisation of these rights and operates in line with a special law.

The Agency Director expressed readiness to commence the realisation of the set goals, but stressed that the work ahead requires experience and cooperation with the state authorities in the Republic of Serbia dealing with these and similar affairs from the field of minority and human rights and freedoms.

The delegation members promised full cooperation as regards connecting state bodies and direct communication in order to ensure more successful functioning in the future.

The delegation members also visited the Spona Serbian culture information centre in Macedonia where they met with the representatives of the institution. In the talk, it was jointly declared that an institution organised in such a manner with the solid support of the representatives of the RS Embassy in Macedonia and other associations has a good basis to achieve good cooperation and improve cultural and informative life of Serbs in the Republic of Macedonia.