Diaspora and Serbs in the region under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking charge of the activities of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region. Article 13 of the Law on Ministries provides for the establishment of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, as an administrative body within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

The Republic of Serbia has got a new government. New Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and ministers took the oath of office in the Serbian Parliament on Sunday, April 27^th.

The oath is worded as follows: “I pledge my allegiance to the Republic of Serbia and I pledge on my honor that I will abide by the Constitution and laws, that I will perform my duties as a member of the government in a conscientious, responsible and committed manner and that I will be committed to preserving Kosovo and Metohija within the Republic of Serbia”.

The oath taking ceremony of the new government was attended by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, representatives of the diplomatic corps, Serbian Patriarch Irinej and other high-ranking clergy members.

At the session held on Saturday, April 26^th, members of the Republic Parliament adopted a new Law on Ministries and amendments to the Law on Government, which was the precondition for the selection of the new government. The new Law on Ministries prescribes a government with 16 ministries, which is two less ministries compared to the previous government, and the law was backed by 185 MPs, while 18 opposed it.

Under the new law, the government has the following ministries: Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Mining and Energy, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The government shall also be composed of the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Culture and Information. The new law abolishes five offices and two administrations – those for the digital agenda and gender equality.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking charge of the activities of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, while Article 13 of the Law on Ministries provides for the establishment of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, as an administrative body within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region shall perform public administration activities and professional activities related to monitoring the position of Serbian citizens living outside the Republic of Serbia; supporting the process of improving conditions for Serbian citizens living abroad to exercise their voting rights; supporting the preservation and development of the spiritual, national and cultural identity of Serbs outside the Republic of Serbia; improving ties between emigrants, Serbian citizens living abroad and their organizations with the Republic of Serbia; keeping emigrants, Serbian citizens living abroad informed about the policies of the Republic of Serbia; supporting the process of inclusion of emigrants, people of Serbian origin, people originating from Serbia and Serbian citizens living abroad into the political, economic and cultural life of the Republic of Serbia and their return to the Republic of Serbia; as well as other activities set forth by the law.

The transitional and final provisions in Article 37 state that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region shall take on the employees and appointees, as well as the rights, obligations, files, equipment, work resources and records required for performing the activities stipulated by this law from the (previous) Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region.

Three tasks of the government

Reform of economy through a set of reform laws, strengthening of the private sector and budget consolidation are the three main tasks of the Serbian government, said Prime Minister-designate Aleksandar Vučić.
In his speech before the Serbian Parliament he said that the government work program had been presented to a number of domestic and foreign experts, who assessed it to be the cornerstone of Serbia’s aspirations to become the most attractive economy in the region. This is a program for the recovery of the economy and the nation, said Vučić.