At the sitting held on 19 November 2021, the Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region was presented the work of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region in 2021 and plans for 2022, by the acting director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Arnaud Gouillon.

Gouillon said that this year had seen completion of an important task – digitalization of the Directorate’s public calls for grants to civil society organizations, thus improving operation significantly, saving both time and money. Gouillon pointed out that 64% of the Directorate’s budget went to subsidize projects and events of civil society organizations, which confirmed the importance of digitalizing the public calls.

The Director of the Directorate informed the Committee members in more detail about the projects, activities, events and campaigns of 2021. He said the Directorate had approved 202 projects to civil society organizations, which was a half of those approved last year, with the intention of reducing the number, while increasing the quality and amount of money allocated for the projects.

Gouillon noted opening of supplementary schools of the Serbian language in the diaspora this year, and opening of new classes in some of the existing schools, which increased the number of Serbian children in the diaspora learning Serbian by 20%.

Committee Chairman Milimir Vujadinović commended the work of the Directorate for the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region during this year, stressing that the Directorate had cooperated actively with competent institutions and civil society organizations implementing projects in the diaspora and the region. He noted that the Committee was striving to contribute to the work of the Directorate, within its competencies.

The meeting also discussed the Republic of Serbia Draft Law on 2022 Budget, Section 17, Chapter 17.2 – the part relating to the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, submitted by the Government.

The acting assistant director of the Directorate, Nikolina Milatović Popović, presented the proposed budget for the Directorate saying that RSD 164 million 275 thousand was planned for allocation through two programme activities: for protecting the rights and interests of members of the diaspora and Serbs in the region, and for preserving the national and cultural identity of the diaspora and Serbs in the region.

The Committee members decided to motion to the competent Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending to accept the Republic of Serbia Draft Law on 2022 Budget, Section 17, Chapter 17.2 – the part relating to the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Milimir Vujadinović, and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Sanja Lakić, Slobodan Alavanja, Miodrag Linta, Milan Ilić, Goran Milić, Aleksandar Čotrić, Miloš Terzić, Radovan Tvrdišić, Mladen Bošković, Justina Pupin Košćal, Hadži Milorad Stošić and Prof. Dr Ljubiša Stojmirović.

Source: National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia

Photo: Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region