Council president Aleksandar Tolnauer said that the government had increased funds for this year's minority cultural programmes by 18 per cent to about 35 million kuna in total.
"It's a significant increase compared to last year, when the funds were also increased in relation to the year before, namely by 21 per cent," Tolnauer told reporters after the council meeting.
Tolnauer said that the government had recognised the contribution of non-governmental organisations and minority associations to the preservation of the cultural identity of the national minorities and their integration into Croatian society, particularly in the context of the country's efforts to join the European Union.
He said that the funds would be increased according to the actual needs and programmes of national minorities, particularly for the Serb and Bosniak minorities.
Tolnauer said that irregularities had been observed in the work of 17 out of 73 associations and that they should be removed in the course of the first quarter of the year.
Council member Zdenka Cuhnil said it was necessary to analyse if and to what extent progress had been made regarding minority rights relating to education, bilingualism, information and the use of minority symbols, which was supported by other council members.