The Ministry of Youth and Sport announced that Minister of Youth and Sport Snezana Samardzic-Markovic is heading a delegation to France from 11 to 14 April at the invitation of French Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno.

The statement says that during the visit to France, our delegation will meet with top sports officials and also visit some sporting venues.

The aim of the visit is continuation of cooperation with the Ministry of Sports of France in the fight against violence at sporting events and doping in sports.

Also the delegation will meet with top officials of the Council of Europe to discuss the initiative of the Serbian Ministry of Youth and Sport to amend the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Violence in Sport, which Samardzic-Markovic presented at the meeting of the Committee Ministers of the Council held on 13 October 2010 in Strasbourg.

On the first day of the visit, Samardzic-Markovic met with Ambassador of Serbia to France Dusan Batakovic.

On the second day, the delegation will visit Strasbourg to meet with top officials of the Council of Europe – Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland and Director of the Directorate Council for Youth and Sports Ralf-René Weingärtner.

This visit will be of importance for future activities of Minister Snezana Samardzic-Markovic as a representative of the Council of Europe of the Founding Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The delegation of the Ministry of Youth and Sport also comprises Deputy Minister for Sport Dragan Atanasov and Assistant Minister for project management Zagorka Petrovic-Zlatanovic, the statement added.