OSCE Mission organizes meeting to encourage dialogue between police and Roma communities in Vojvodina

BELGRADE, 8 December 2006 - Encouraging a dialogue between police and Roma communities in Vojvodina was the aim of a meeting held in Novi Sad today.

The event, the first of its kind in Serbia, was organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the Interior Ministry, the Committee on Security of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the Council for the Integration of Roma in Vojvodina.

"This was a very important first step in building trust and confidence between Roma," said Hannelore Valier, the Head of the OSCE Mission's Democratization Department.

"Participants agreed to meet again at the beginning of 2007 to continue the dialogue we initiated today."

Representatives of Romani civil society and the Interior Ministry, as well as experts from Hungary, Romania and the United Kingdom discussed ways to improve communication between Romani communities and the police in Vojvodina.

Vladimir Bozovic, Assistant Interior Minister, who represented the police internal oversight department, stressed the importance of open communication between police and other state bodies and Roma, as well as other minority communities.

Under its mandate, the OSCE Mission assists the Serbian Government in implementing the OSCE Action Plan on improving the situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE region.