Doc. 10533
28 April 2005

Respect for the rights of the Timok Romanians (Eastern Serbia)

Written Declaration No 364

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

Deeply concerned over the cultural situation of the so-called “Vlach” Romanians dwelling in 154 ethnic Romanian localities 48 localities of mixed ethnic make-up between the Danube, Timok and Morava Rivers who since 1833 have been unable to enjoy ethnic rights in schools and churches;

            Regretting that Serbia applies double standards in artificially separating the Romanians of Vojvodina from the Romanians of Eastern Serbia;

            Noting the escalation of xenophobic outbreaks against the Romanians of Eastern Serbia, encouraged by the civil and religious authorities, such as the acts of persecution towards the parish of Malainitza and its priest Bojan Alexandrovic, the Serb ultranationalist emblems or the rash of slogans like “Death to Romanians” and “Quit Serbia!” marked on the building of the NGO “Ariadnae Filum” and other buildings in Bor;

            The undersigned, members of the Assembly, issue an urgent appeal to the Serbian Government to lose no time in taking practical steps to end persecution of the ethnic Romanians in Eastern Serbia and to uphold the rights of the Romanian minorities in accordance with Serbian national legislation and the Council of Europe instruments;

            They call upon the rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly for Serbia and Montenegro, MM. Budin and Čekuolis, to keep a close watch on developments in the situation of the ethnic Romanians in Eastern Serbia and to ensure that it is reflected in their future reports.

Signed: ¹

• CUBREACOV, Vlad, Moldova, EPP/CD
• ALIBEYLI, Gulamhuseyn, Azerbaijan, EDG
• BOKERIA, Giorgi, Georgia, LDR
• BUCEVIČIUS, Saulius, Lithuania, LDR
• CLIVETI, Minodora, Romania, SOC
• COSARCIUC, Valeriu, Moldova, LDR
• COSARCIUC, Valeriu, Moldova, LDR
• CZINEGE, Imre, Hungary, SOC
• EÖRSI, Mátyás, Hungary, LDR
• HERKEL, Andres, Estonia, EPP/CD
• ILAŞCU, Ilie, Romania, NR
• KOCHARYAN, Shavarsh, Armenia, LDR
• KURDADZÉ, Irine, Georgia, LDR
• MOLLAZADE, Azim, Azerbaïdjan, LDR
• NAKASHIDZÉ, Nino, Georgia, LDR
• PATEREU, Riorita, Moldova, EPP/CD
• PĂUNESCU, Adrian, Romania, SOC
• PREDA, Cezar Florin, Romania, SOC
• SEVERIN, Adrian, Romania, SOC
• SEVERINSEN, Hanne, Denmark, LDR
• SHAKHTAKHTINSKAYA, Naira, Azerbaijan, EDG
• TEVDORADZE, Elene, Georgia, LDR
• TOSHEV, Latchezar, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

__________________________

Total = 23

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      LDR: Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group