OEA PRESS RELEASE:
First Diaspora Council Meeting Convened
BELGRADE (27 February 2001) - The Government of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia by its establishing of a Diaspora Council has indicated its
commitment to working with Serbian communities throughout the world. The
idea is to build a bridge between Serbs in the Fatherland and those
abroad on a number of different levels including business and
development, culture and public relations.
The Diaspora Council consists of 22 members: 11 from the Diaspora and 11
from Yugoslavia, who occupy part-time and non-paid seats, enjoying an
honorary advisory title. This Council is an advisory body of the
Federal Government of Yugoslavia.
From the USA, Jasmina Vujic, Vice President of the Serbian Unity
Congress (SUC), and distinguished professor at the University of
California at Berkley, is an expert nuclear engineer who has organized
numerous academic venues of cooperation with Yugoslavia. Ljubisa
Milicich, a prominent attorney from Chicago, Illinois is well known for
his activities in the Diaspora, and is currently President of the
Serbian Bar Association (SBA), and Vice President of the Serb National
Federation (SNF). The Canadian representative, Nikolas Milan Rajkovic,
Vice President of the Serbian National Shield Society of Canada (SNO),
and a founder of the Centre for Peace in the Balkans, is in his final
semester of legal studies at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University in
Toronto, is highly regarded for promoting Serbian causes in Canada.
At its first meeting, the Diaspora Council elected as its President, Dr.
Cedomir Nestorovic of France and as its Vice Presidents, Dr. Jasmina
Vujic of the Serbian Unity Congress and His Grace Bishop Lavrentije of
the Diocese of Sabac-Valjevo.
The Diaspora Council has been divided into four working Commissions: (1)
Humanitarian Assistance, (2) Business and Economy, (3) Technology
Transfer, Cultural, and Public Relations; and (4) Political and Legal
Affairs.
His Grace Bishop Lavrentije heads the Humanitarian Commission. It should
be noted that for the first time in many years, the Serbian Orthodox
Church and the State have embarked on a joint institution.
The Business Commission will attempt to work with or set up Chambers of
Serbian Commerce in diaspora countries. The owner of Vesti, Mr. Dusko
Vidakovic, is President of this Commission.
The Public Relations and Culture Commission will be responsible for
revitalizing the image of Yugoslavia and Serbs in the world. This
Commission will advise the Federal Government on the reputation
management of the Serbian name as well as the economic and cultural
promotion of Yugoslavia. The President of this Commission is Mr. Ljubisa
Milicic, the second representative of the US on the Council from the
Serbian National Federation.
The Political and Legal Commission will deal with a variety of important
issues, the first being citizenship and the right to vote. This
Commission will advise the Government on liberalizing the criteria for
Diaspora Serbs seeking Yugoslav citizenship. In connection with this,
this Commission will study models for granting the Diaspora the right to
vote in Yugoslav and Serbian elections with the liberalization of
mandatory military service for Diaspora citizens also to be
investigated. A separate matter the Commission will explore is the
"Diaspora Fund", a fund largely created by European Diaspora Serbs under
the Milosevic regime. That fund currently amounts to approximately
US$2.5 million. The Diaspora Council has assigned a legal team of
experts in the Justice Ministry to look into the custody and
distribution of the fund. Furthermore, this Commission will explore the
creation of a Diaspora Bank, which will promote Diaspora investment in
Yugoslavia.
The Federal Government of Yugoslavia is asking all Diaspora communities
to undertake, as a prerequisite to further participation the task of
establishing a Serbian Congress or Parliament. The objective of this
would be for the each community to convene a yearly forum where there
could be delivered resolutions from respective communities and at which
time representatives would be elected to a General Serbian Diaspora
Parliament in Belgrade. This concept was discussed and will be examined
further, as no permanent structure has yet been agreed upon. The
emphasis of the Federal Government on this matter is that to see this
operate through democratic process and legitimacy and has therefore
given the Diaspora Council 12 to 14 months to decide on a preferred
method of representation.
The next meeting of the Diaspora Council will be planned for either
March or April of 2002.
[Sources: N. M. Rajkovic/OEA]
Serbian News Network - SNN
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