CoE Belgrade Office met with the representatives of the 2010 Belgrade Pride Parade Organising Board to discuss the ongoing preparations for this significant event, to be held on Sunday, Oct 10 in the centre of the Serbian capital.

Ambassador and Head of the Belgrade Office Constantin Yerocostopoulos, Deputy Head Nadia Cuk and Press Officer Monika Lajhner met with the key organisers of the 2010 Belgrade Pride Lazar Pavlovic and Mirjana Bogdanovic to offer full and strong support to Serbia’s LGBT community, their rights and the Parade itself.

Pavlovic and Boganovic informed the Belgrade Office about their current activities and strategy for holding of the event, but also about the responses by the public, state officials and the media, challenges they face daily, such is violence against LGBT persons, the support they have been receiving, as well as the aims of the first Belgrade Pride.

Ambassador Yerocostopoulos said the CoE as an organisation, as well as its Belgrade Office. has been supporting the LGBT rights throughout Europe and in Serbia, emphasising that the Organisation just adopted a Resolution against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender.

His Deputy Nadia Cuk added that the CoE also issued a set of recommendation to all its member states on how to improve the position and treatment of LGBT persons and fully include and accept them as equals within their societies.

CoE Belgrade Office will continue to support, aid and closely cooperate with Serbia’s LGBT community and will have its representative at the first Belgrade Pride.