Political will for active dialogue between state institutions and the non-governmental sector is needed, Disaster Management Minister Emel Etem said.

Etem opened today a session of the national council for co-operation on ethnic and demographic issues, Focus news agency reported. The session was used to determine the priorities of the council.

Financial resources allocated from the EU pre-accession funds and from the national budget for integration policies should be used efficiently, Etem said. In addition projects should be carried out in a way that attracts further investment, said she.

The council’s work programme for 2006 envisions six sessions each year, during which a project for better housing conditions for the Roma minority will be created. Additional tasks include the drafting of a national demographic development strategy and presentation of the council’s work before European Commission experts.