State Secretary for Digital Agenda at the Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society Jasna Matic announced  that the conference of EuroDIG (European Dialogue on Internet Governance) will be held in Belgrade on 30-31 May.

Matic said at a press conference dedicated to EuroDIG conference that this event will deal with topics related to Internet development and planning policy, such as the protection of security, privacy and identity, role and responsibility in the use of new media, social networks, blogs, new economic models and business trends, as well as the use of the Internet in education and public services.

This conference will also deal with access to the Internet, which is more and more considered to be a basic human right, she said.

Matic said that during many workshops, participants in the conference will prepare a report on the European contribution to these topics for the Forum on Internet Governance which will be held in late September in Nairobi.

She added that Belgrade is the first city outside Western Europe which has the honour to welcome participants in this conference which is held the fourth year in a row, with previous hosts being Madrid, Geneva and Strasbourg.

Head of the Council of Europe Office in Serbia Antje Rothemund stressed that from the very beginning the Council has endorsed every dialogue on internet management, adding that the EuroDIG conference is the right place to present European values in this remit and promote electronic rights, the rule of law and democracy.

She noted that during the conference special importance will be allocated to topics regarding the protection of children on the internet and prevention of cyber crime.

Telenor Serbia CEO Kjell-Morten Johnsen pointed to the importance of ITC technologies and their impact on other spheres of social life, especially the creation of new jobs.

EuroDIG was established in response to the growing need of European countries to contemplate and shape a European perspective of internet development at regular meetings.

Over 400 representatives of governments, regulatory authorities and the civil sector will attend the conference at the Sava Centre, including representatives from other European states and institutions, the Council of Europe and the EU.