Bujanovac – Lamberto Zanier, the OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities, who recently visited Bujanovac for the purpose of attending the meeting on the Subotica Faculty of Economics’ Department in Bujanovac, said in Bujanovac that that he was "afraid" that politicians "do not do enough for young people", adding that that "is not only a problem here, in South Serbia, but also in the entire region."

“I recently stayed in Kosovo and Metohija and in Macedonia and realized that the situation there was the same or very similar, Mr. Zanier said.

He noted that "young people from different communities simply do not know the language of the other community, which has a negative impact on their life together. In fact, they often communicate in English rather than in their own languages, "said Mr. Zanier and warned that the stability of the entire region," if we look at the bigger picture,” was put at risk" just because of the lack of integration.”

He said that segregation in education was "a very difficult and dangerous problem that is not going in the right direction."

“We must return to the old days when communication, interaction and understanding between members of different communities were normal, "Mr. Zanier said.

When asked about the impact of statements made by politicians, he noted that, "not only here in the region, but also throughout Europe, we are, at the moment, going in a dangerous direction, where nationalism and the discourse of such rhetoric are spread."

“My message to politicians, citizens and the population would be the same, and that is that they should less look back at what happened in the past, and more forward, into the future, "Mr. Zanier said.  

He believes that the potential for a new conflict lies where there are national minorities, along with the problems of the new borders.

“And once again, the message to politicians and to the people who live here is to look to the future, to re-engage and to find ways of living together," reiterated Mr. Zanier.

Source: “FoNet” news agency and Coordination Body