Serbian Minister of Religion and Diaspora Srdjan Sreckovic stated Sunday that it is important for Serbs to freely express their nationality and religious affiliation in the coming censuses in regional countries.

Recalling that Hungary, Romania and Albania are preparing their next censuses taking place in October, Sreckovic said that these censuses are of great importance for Serbs living in these countries.

“Today there is a tendency to realize specific minority rights in relation to the size of a national community, and therefore it is very important for Serbs in the regional countries to freely express their nationality and religious affiliation in the coming censuses,” Sreckovic told Tanjug.

This is their democratic right, he said, adding that the countries in question have democratic tradition and that they are members of the EU or about to join it.