site.btaBulgarian Ambassador to Serbia: Access to Information in One's Mother Tongue Is a Fundamental Democratic Right

A roundtable, titled "Public Information in the Bulgarian Language", was held on Wednesday in Dimitrovgrad, Eastern Serbia. The event was organized by the OSCE Mission in Serbia, the Bulgarian-Serbian bilingual media outlet FAR, and the Bulgarian Embassy in Belgrade.

“Access to information in one's mother tongue is a fundamental democratic right. It reflects the level of development of the entire society, as well as its respect for the achievements and values of modern, united Europe,” said Petko Doykov, Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia, who officially opened the roundtable.

He emphasized that public information in Bulgarian is vital for the Bulgarian minority in Serbia, as it helps overcome the community's isolation from current developments in the country while also showing respect for their heritage, language, and traditions.

“Supporting information in the mother tongue is a matter of minority rights protection, but also of mutual respect and good neighborly relations between our two countries,” Ambassador Doykov added. He stressed that dialogue, partnership, and goodwill are key to ensuring that every media outlet can operate freely and report in the language of the community it serves.

Dominique Thierry, Head of the Media Department of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, also addressed the participants, speaking about the importance of stability and independence as core principles in the financing of minority-language media.

“It is important for us that journalists working in minority languages are protected - both financially and physically,” Thierry stated. He added: “Every individual, including members of national minorities, has the equal right to access free, accurate, and timely information from diverse sources.”

The roundtable was also attended by Dimitar Tsanev, Head of the Consular Office of the Republic of Bulgaria in Nis, representatives of the Serbian Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, and journalists from minority media outlets.