President Petar Stoyanov and a delegation of the International Roma Union (IRU) led by its president, Emil Scuka, met on Monday, and reached a co-operation agreement.
“I am sure that the minorities’ problems spring out from the democratisation of our post-communist countries,” the head of state said.
It is expected that the co-operation accord will be prepared for signing by this September and more details will be released then.
“What definitely does not exist in Bulgaria is institutional discrimination against Roma,” Stoyanov said at the opening of the meeting with the union delegation. He admitted, however, that the Roma people were among those who suffered the most difficulties from the ongoing reforms.
“There exists a certain minorities’ integration council within the Ministry Council involved in dealings with the Roma people,” said the president.
“The IRU came to this meeting with a specific offer. Its essence lies in the future co-operation between the state, the president, the government and the IRU. The accord will enable Bulgaria to apply for funding of projects that can improve the situation of Roma in Bulgaria,” said the union’s chief secretary in Bulgaria, Hristo Kjuchukov. “And today the president decided on signing such an agreement between the IRU and Bulgaria,” he added.
Bulgaria will not be able to become a part of the European Union if it does not reconsider and solve its problems with the Roma people. The purpose of this move is not a token gesture, explained Stoyanov, but a way of taking real measures to deal with the high rate of unemployment and the lack of education among these people.
“The Roma Union is not intended to solve Bulgaria’s economic problems. It is not going to find out a way for the payment of the Romas’ debts to the government, such as electricity bills, telephone bills and heating bills,” said Stanislav Stankevich, vice-president of IRU Poland.
A meeting is planned in Budapest, where an international conference will debate the Declaration of the IRU (distributed throughout the fifth Congress of the union in Prague last July). The declaration claims the Roma people are a nation even though they do not claim any territory, land, or their own state.
“We would like to get respect for our cultural values,” reads the declaration. “We, the Romas would be like to be respected like people with their own specific culture, traditions and way of life.”
“I am sure that the minorities’ problems spring out from the democratisation of our post-communist countries,” the head of state said.
It is expected that the co-operation accord will be prepared for signing by this September and more details will be released then.
“What definitely does not exist in Bulgaria is institutional discrimination against Roma,” Stoyanov said at the opening of the meeting with the union delegation. He admitted, however, that the Roma people were among those who suffered the most difficulties from the ongoing reforms.
“There exists a certain minorities’ integration council within the Ministry Council involved in dealings with the Roma people,” said the president.
“The IRU came to this meeting with a specific offer. Its essence lies in the future co-operation between the state, the president, the government and the IRU. The accord will enable Bulgaria to apply for funding of projects that can improve the situation of Roma in Bulgaria,” said the union’s chief secretary in Bulgaria, Hristo Kjuchukov. “And today the president decided on signing such an agreement between the IRU and Bulgaria,” he added.
Bulgaria will not be able to become a part of the European Union if it does not reconsider and solve its problems with the Roma people. The purpose of this move is not a token gesture, explained Stoyanov, but a way of taking real measures to deal with the high rate of unemployment and the lack of education among these people.
“The Roma Union is not intended to solve Bulgaria’s economic problems. It is not going to find out a way for the payment of the Romas’ debts to the government, such as electricity bills, telephone bills and heating bills,” said Stanislav Stankevich, vice-president of IRU Poland.
A meeting is planned in Budapest, where an international conference will debate the Declaration of the IRU (distributed throughout the fifth Congress of the union in Prague last July). The declaration claims the Roma people are a nation even though they do not claim any territory, land, or their own state.
“We would like to get respect for our cultural values,” reads the declaration. “We, the Romas would be like to be respected like people with their own specific culture, traditions and way of life.”
