The Chairman of the Serbian Parliament’s Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Milimir Vujadinović, suggested that members of the Slovenian Parliament consider the possibility for Serbs in Slovenia, as an autochthonous people, to declare their nationality in the census and to be enabled to acquire the status of a national minority as the most numerous people in Slovenia after Slovenes. He spoke in Ljubljana with MPs Robert Polnar, Chair of the Committee on Finance, and Dušan Šišak, chair of the commission for Slovenes in the diaspora and world, and the meeting was also attended by representatives of Serbian associations, Vladimir Kokanović and Zlatomir Bodiroža. Zmago Jelinčić, the president of the Slovenian National Party, also joined the meeting by phone. Vujadinović told Srna that the conversation focused on the position of the Serbian community in Slovenia, which, according to estimates, numbers between 70,000 and 150,000 people. He added that the possibility of approving dual citizenship for Serbs was also discussed, as well as other issues important for the Serbian community.

A ceremony was held in the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Vienna on the occasion of 15 September, a day established in 2020 by the Government of Serbia and Government of the Republic of Srpska as the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag. The ceremony was opened by His Excellency Mr Nebojša Rodić, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Austria, who emphasized the importance of celebrating this holiday. He said that 15 September was of great importance for the Serbian people, given that the famous Salonika Front had been broken through on this day in 1918, turning out to be a decisive moment for the collapse of the Central Powers in the First World War, known in history as the Great War. He also noted the importance of the Serbian flag and said that it was a ‘pride, joy, remembrance of ancestors, strength for the present and at the same time incentive for the future.’ On this occasion, His Excellency Ambassador Rodić invited all those living in Austria to continue to celebrate this holiday.

On the occasion of marking the day of Serbian unity, freedom and national flag, the day when we celebrate the breakthrough of the Salonika front, we present the film Guardian of Honor and Pride dedicated to Đorđe Mihailović, the legendary guardian of the Serbian military cemetery Zeitenlik in Thessaloniki. Zeitenlik Serbian military cemetery is one of the holiest places for the Serbian people. Over 8,000 Serbian soldiers who died in the First World War fighting for freedom are buried there. For half a century already, their guardian Đorđe Mihailović has been watching over the thousands of mounds of Serbian warriors. Since 1960, every morning before sunrise, in a military uniform, the last guardian from the Mihailović line has been cleaning the cemetery, opening the iron gate, lighting candles and welcoming and sending off the descendants of the warriors who were stopped in eternal peace after the terrible Golgotha and the breakthrough of the Salonika front.

On the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag, the Alliance of Serbian Associations of Slovenia (SSDS) and the Alliance of Serbs of Slovenia (SSS) officially signed the Declaration on the Fundamental Principles of Cooperation. This document is the first step toward unity of the Serbian community in Slovenia and creates space for deepening cooperation between the two largest alliances of Serbs from Slovenia. Both Alliances have the same goals – to preserve fundamental features of Serbian identity – Serbian language, Cyrillic alphabet, culture, tradition and national symbols. The declaration notes that both alliances recognized the need to achieve unity of the Serbian national community in Slovenia, and emphasizes their common commitment to preserving the fundamental features of Serbian identity – Serbian language, Cyrillic alphabet, culture, tradition and national symbols. Through joint work and projects, SSDS and SSS are ready to contribute to the realization of these goals, which they recognize as a starting point, but at the same time as strategic priorities in protecting the rights and position of Serbs in Slovenia.

A market analysis aimed at connecting enterprises from Srpska, especially from the metal, wood and food industries, with companies from Austria, is a key activity of the RS Representation in Vienna. With the service designed in three phases, domestic export-oriented enterprises have a better chance of reaching the Austrian market and consolidating their positions there. ‘The first phase is a business register available to businessmen from Srpska to register, followed by an outreach program, which offers analysis of the Austrian market and faster communication with Austrian businessmen, and the third phase is a Showroom, i.e. a concept store,’ explained for Glas Srpske the head of the RS Representation in Austria, Mladen Filipović, noting that Austrians appreciated highly the quality of our products.

About 400,000 Serbs lay claim to property in the Federation of BiH, but there is a risk of their losing the property in the process of harmonization of cadastral and land registry data on immovable property, which is conducted in a non-transparent manner in the Federation. As part of a joint action of the Republic of Srpska and Serbia, a campaign is starting with the aim of informing the concerned Serbs in the Federation about the ways to protect their rights. It is worrying that Serbs originating from the Federation of BiH are being left without their property during data harmonization, without even being notified, because the public call is published only in the Official Gazette of the Federation and local daily newspapers, which are not available to Serbs living around the world.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, Radovan Višković, and the Governor of St Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, signed the document Roadmap 2021-2023. This document regulates cooperation between the Republic of Srpska and St Petersburg in the field of business, economy, science, culture, health, trade and sports. – We will work a lot at the level of institutions. We will cooperate in the field of health, education, economy and culture, and that is where the greatest progress has been achieved – Višković said for RTRS. He pointed out that it was necessary to connect sports and youth organizations from Srpska and St Petersburg.