The Roma minority is a part of this nation and the citizens of Roma ethnicity should benefit from the same rights as all the other inhabitants of the country, reads the message of the Executive, conveyed on Tuesday by State Counselor Dana Varga at the Conference called "The judicial and socio-economic emancipation of Roma at 100 years since the Greater Union," at the Parliament Palace.
"I don't agree with the existing prejudices, sometimes even in the public space regarding the Roma ethnics, because they have proven that they can be successful in a world which has often been hostile. Romania's Government will be involved in ensuring the Roma ethnics' right to keep and develop their ethnic identity. We are aware of the challenges that many Roma ethnics are confronted with in their daily lives, this is why all the strategies require from each of us an effort to enforce them," the message reads.
In his turn, Presidential Advisor Sergiu Nistor revealed that, at 162 years since the emancipation of Roma, discrimination, segregation and marginalisation "have not been eradicated."
He added that the Roma ethnics' emancipation can represent "an invaluable" human, social and economic resource for the community development.
In this context, deputy Daniel Vasile mentioned that, according to the Directorate of Computerised Record of Person, 550,000 Romanian citizens don't have any ID or a valid ID, an aspect that forces both the political class and representatives of the Roma minority to a legislative initiative in this regard.
In the message conveyed on this occasion, deputy and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) parliamentary group Varujan Vosganian stressed that the Roma issue is, firstly, a matter of "the Romanians" and this is why it is necessary to eliminate prejudices, "certain isolationist mentalities."
Deputy of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Adriana Saftoiu stated that a change must be made both of Romanians' and Roma ethnics' mentality.
On this occasion, chair of the Democratic Federation of Roma (FeDeR) Nicoleta Bitu has read the declaration of Romania's Roma associations at 162 years since the liberation from slavery.
Bitu also mentioned that she will address a letter to Romania's President and to the head of the Executive regarding the setting up of a working group that will take into account the observance of rights of the Romanian citizens of Roma ethnicity, as national minority and the setting up some public spaces dedicated to them, such as the Museum of Roma Identity.
The Conference called "The judicial and socio-economic emancipation of Roma at 100 years since the Greater Union" was organised by the Committee on human rights, cults and national minorities' problems of the Deputies' Chambers together with the "Pro-Europe" Roma Party, the Democratic Dederation of Romania's Roma, the National Agency for Roma and the National Centre of Roma Culture - Romano.
AGERPRES .