The event was organised by the School of Political Sciences in cooperation with the Centre for International Studies from Zagreb and the Croatian Council for National Minorities. It was financially supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Croatian Council for National Minorities.
The symposium took place in the year when the countries of Southeast Europe are expected to intensify their cooperation in raising the level of minority rights protection, the head of the Council for National Minorities, Aleksandar Tolnauer, said in a statement on Sunday.
Bilateral agreements on the protection of national minorities will play an import role in regional cooperation in this field.
The meeting analysed the position and protection of national minorities in each country, and concluded that cross-border cooperation among national minorities, provided for under bilateral agreements, was important for the survival of national minorities in countries where they lived.
In conclusion, the participants recommended that legislative, executive and judicial authorities make additional efforts in order to integrate national minorities into society.
Governments were urged to respect international standards in national minorities protection and state institutions were called upon to join the existing regional initiatives in order to improve minority rights.
The media were called upon to report on minority issues fully and in an objective and unbiassed fashion in order to help the minorities integrate into society.
Begovo Razdolje is located about 50 kilometres east of the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka.