Foreign Ministry: International Roma Day - an occasion to reflect on the persistance of rasist attitudes worldwide

The International Roma Day is an opportunity to reflect on the persistence, worldwide, of racist and discriminatory attitudes, stereotypes, hate speech and instigation of hostile acts or ethnically motivated violence, which disproportionately affects the Roma community, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) shows in a release issued on Friday, on the International Roma Day, Agerpres reports.

The MAE emphasizes that "Romania has taken important steps to condemn and eliminate all forms of discrimination against Roma, including by adopting comprehensive legislation in the field."

On this occasion, the Romanian Ministry reaffirms the value of ethnic diversity and cultural and linguistic pluralism for contemporary democratic societies and mentions that the recognition and promotion of the contribution of the Roma community to the definition of European identity are essential in achieving its comprehensive inclusion.

"The MAE will continue to endorse the efforts of other governmental authorities and the civil society in our country in supporting the social integration of the Romanian citizens of Roma ethnicity and for their access to equal opportunities and equitable participation in all areas of public life. Romanian diplomacy will continue to defend the fundamental rights of all Romanian citizens, regardless of their ethnicity or other socio-cultural characteristics, so as to ensure their equal, dignified and non-discriminatory treatment," the same source reads.

In the context of the war in Ukraine and the millions of people leaving the country in search of safety, the MAE recalls the obligation to provide due protection to all refugees, regardless of their ethnicity, according to the provisions of international humanitarian law.

The initiative to mark International Roma Day appeared in 1971, on the occasion of the first International Congress of Roma Everywhere, held in London. The countries in our region, including Romania, have dedicated April 8 to the Roma since 1990.