Economic Development, Education Needed in South Serbia

BIRN conference on South Serbia has gathered some 100 participants I Photo by Pedja Obradovic

Riza Halimi, the only ethnic Albanian MP in the Serbian Parliament, said that the economy and education are the most crucial areas in need of improvement in South Serbia, during a speech at a conference on the integration of minority communities in South Serbia into the country's wider society and institutions.

South Serbia is home to the country's largest ethnic Albanian population and is among the least developed regions in Serbia. Extremely high unemployment rates and an average wage lower than the state average of about 350 euros are two of the many challenges facing the area.

Halimi said that economic situation has worsened since 2001 and that the recognition of diplomas is one of several unresolved issues.

“There is no perspective for a future here, which is why the majority of asylum seekers are from here,” he said. "They are not political asylum seekers but those who failed to find a solution to their problems in their hometown and are now looking for it in EU member states," he added.

Thousands of Serbian citizens from south Serbia have attempted to seek asylum in EU states since Serbia was granted visa-free travel to the EU in December 2009.

Halimi was speaking at a conference in Belgrade that gathered more than 100 Serbian and foreign participants to address the pressing issues facing South Serbia.

Under the name ’Integration: Combining Ethnic and Democratic Principles’, BIRN Serbia organised on Wednesday an international forum that aims to serve as a platform for the domestic and foreign public to gain insight into current developments in the region, and for those involved in development initiatives in the area.

The forum, organised under the auspices of the British Embassy in Belgrade and the Balkan Fund for Democracy, was opened in Belgrade's Sava Centre by BIRN regional director Gordana Igric.

Serbian ministers Obradovic and Dacic with BIRN regional director Gordana Igric

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic also addressed the movement north over the past year as people escaped a difficult economic situation in south Serbia and sought asylum in the EU.

“They are seeking asylum, forgetting that it is a political category,” he said. Dacic went on to say that more than 95 per cent of those people have been rejected as they do not suffer political persecution.

In an effort to counter this, Dacic said, the government is investing greater efforts to integrate minorities into state institutions and improve their prospects for the future.

Milan Markovic, Serbia's minister of human and minority rights, public administration and local-self government, explained that the government is working hard to release books in the Albanian language.

“The national minority council has recently been established and this is the body which is supposed to take over the issue and try to resolve it,” Markovic said.

He went on to say that affirmative action takes place in employment in public institutions. Language is a barrier, he noted, but both Serbs and ethnic Albanians discriminate against each other in government bodies.

Education Minister Zarko Obradovic stressed his ministry’s willingness to improve the educational system in south Serbia and ensure that the communities in the region can access their rights.

“In order to reach this goal, we need to have professional educators as well as money, just wishing is not enough,” he said.

Members of the diplomatic corps and international organisations in Serbia also took part in Wednesday's conference. They commended goals which have been reached while encouraging the Serbian government to continue its efforts.

Bill Longhurst, chargé d’affaires in the British Embassy in Belgrade, noted several positive improvements which had been made. These include establishing a multi-ethnic government in Bujanovac, one of the municipalities in south Serbia, promising steps in the field of education and healthcare, and the formation of the national minority council.

Thomas Moore, acting head of the OSCE mission to Serbia, told forum participants that the climate has changed regarding the integration of ethnic Albanians in South Serbia.

He said that the Coordinating Body for South Serbia, which organises cooperation between local and state bodies, is working on several important issues, including a multi-ethnic university in Bujanovac, a maternity ward in Presevo and resolving issues surrounding the use of Albanian language.

“The OSCE remains committed to providing whatever support Serbia needs on its progress towards the EU,” he said.