The minister without portfolio in charge of relations with the diaspora, Đorđe Milićević, said that there was no more mistrust of the diaspora towards Serbia which, according to him, had existed 11 years ago, adding that Serbs, wherever they lived, were ready to talk today.

Milićević said that goals of the ministry had been defined, including preservation of the identity, cultural and historical heritage of Serbia in the diaspora, and preservation of the language.

He pointed out that the state had created a legal framework for foreign investments, recalling that last year’s foreign investments totaled 4.4 billion euros, and added that it was extremely important that Serbia’s reputation in the diaspora and abroad was stronger.

Regarding income from the diaspora, Milićević notes that the largest income is collected on remittances, but it is not possible to specify the amount of money with certainty.

‘I think that Serbia has so much potential to increase that income’, Milićević said.

According to him, that is why he emphasized the importance of economic connection, which would mean new investments in Serbia.

‘There is a lot of our businessmen living outside of Serbia and ready to invest. It is important to connect them with our businessmen and to identify common points of investment’, said Milićević.

Milićević announced work on two large state projects related to the diaspora, which he would talk about in more detail after discussing with President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

He noted that a large gathering was planned in June, unlike any in past decades, to be followed by another event of a national nature.

‘We will also do camps on different topics. The goal is to unite our children with their peers from the diaspora’, said Milićević.

Source: Nezavisne novine-Tanjug

Photo: Đorđe Milićević