| DIASPORA |
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DIASPORA IN THE WORLD
It is estimated that the Serbian expatriate community
numbers around 3.5 million people at present. A considerable number of them also
have citizenship of countries of immigration. It is assumed that there
is more than 1.300 various associations abroad which bring together our
people on all five continents. Most of them are active in the EU member
countries, in North America and Australia. Thus, Serbia ranks among
countries with an exceptionally large Diaspora. A comprehensive registration
of members of the expatriate community has never been undertaken.
Following the democratic changes in the mother country, the Diaspora demonstrated the wish to participate actively and on an equal footing in the political, social and economic life of the homeland and to get involved in its reconstruction and development.
The Serbia's policy objectives with respect to the Diaspora are: preservation of their national and cultural identity; promotion of economic, scientific, cultural, information, sports and other ties between the Diaspora and the mother country; encouragement and direction of professional and financial potentials of the Diaspora with a view to economic development of the homeland, based on partnership between the Diaspora and the mother country.
In order to facilitate and make more efficient the implementation
of these goals, it is necessary to have appropriate institutional forms
of organization in the Diaspora. With this purpose in mind, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, after comprehensive discussions within the
Diaspora, proposed that a Council of the Diaspora be formed. On 6 December
2001 the Federal Government adopted Decision
on setting up the Council of the Diaspora as a consultative body of the
Federal Government for the first time in the history of relations between
the mother country and its Diaspora. The Council is comprised of representatives
of the Diaspora and of the mother country on a basis of parity. On 29
January 2002 the Federal Government adopted Decision on the appointment
of members of the Council of the Diaspora. Its first task will be
to propose the model for the election of democratic institutions of the
Diaspora to represent it in the mother country, and to work towards strengthening
bonds and cooperation with the mother country, thus reinforcing at the
same time its position in the receiving countries.
The Council of the Diaspora gathers and processes information from the Diaspora and the mother country and formulates proposals for the Government of Serbia and for other government bodies and institutions in the Republic of Serbia.
