Representatives of Romanians in Timoc Valley: we still speak about fear of admitting we belong to this people

The representatives of the Romanians in Timoc Valley, Serbia, warned on Monday afternoon, at the Summer University held in Izvoru Muresului (the County of Harghita, central Romania), that the situation of this community is dramatic, as there are no schools, no media in Romanian, children do not speak Romanian anymore, Romanian priests are persecuted and aid from the Romanian state is almost nonexistent.

The president of the Romanian Nation Party in Timoc Valley, Predrag Balasevic said that the Romanians there are still living a tragedy and are asking the Romanian state's support to be helped institutionally, not necessarily financially.

'We say these things every time we come to Romania, but nothing has been solved yet,' said Predrag Balasevici.

He pointed out that Romania should lobby at European level and demand the observance of the rights of the Romanians in Timoc, in the perspective of Serbia's EU accession.

'Now it is the occasion for Romania to intervene in negotiations Serbia is holding with the EU. Two chapters on minority rights and human rights have been opened this year. Serbia has already received a yellow card, the European Commission is not happy because the progress expected by the EU has not been recorded and here Romania can negotiate with Serbia our status and the position of Romanians in Eastern Serbia. This time should not be lost by us and Romania, if Romania truly wants to help us,' said Predag Balasevici.

'The problem of the Romanians in Timoc is the same as every year: we have no schools, the Romanian Orthodox Church is not allowed to build, Belgrade is the last phase of assimilating Romanians in Timoc, and Romania has supported us in the past 15 years only by words,' said the president...