Belgrade - Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic met with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Knut Vollebaek in Belgrade.

Minister Bogdanovic and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek exchanged views on a number of issues concerning normal co-existence in Kosovo and Metohija.

Bogdanovic pointed out his high appreciation for activities undertaken by Mr. Vollebaek in the field of human rights protection and trust building between the different ethnic communities in Kosovo and Metohija.

The Minister also conveyed that the Serbian side believes that it is imperative that the activities of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities be in line with the Resolution 1244 and the status-neutral framework. The Minister recalled the difficulties encountered by all non-Albanian communities in Kosovo.

The Minister emphasized that preservation of identity of the ethnically discriminated communities is in a vulnerable state of being in Kosovo and Metohija today, specifically through the persistent limitation of freedom of movement, denial of access to public institutions, disabling free use of language, hindering the process of the usurped property restitution and of the IDP return.

Vollebaek expressed interest in the issues of protection of cultural monuments and heritage, education, demographic situation and recognition of diplomas issued by Pristina. He underlined that he would continue to work on issues of importance to the exercise of basic human rights of all communities in Kosovo and Metohija.