First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic received today representatives of elderly people and organizations dealing with the improvement of the situation of the elderly population in the Republic of Serbia. The meeting was attended by Danica Smic, volunteer at the Red Cross of Serbia, Milka Ignjatovic, volunteer of the Red Cross of Kragujevac, Jovanka Dimitrijevic, volunteer of the “Bread of Live” NGO, Ljubomir Miladinovic, Natasa Todorovic and Dr. Milutin Vracevic of the Red Cross of Serbia.

The meeting was arranged as part of the campaign dedicated to marking 15th June, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), and is a follow-up to the dialogue with representatives of the elderly population, which started in mid-2014.

Serbian Red Cross representatives pointed to the activities carried out by the Red Cross when it comes to providing assistance to the elderly and the protection of their rights. They expressed their gratitude for the participation of MFA representatives in both last year’s and the ongoing session of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) at the United Nations. Representatives of the elderly pointed out the efforts they had invested as active volunteers of the Red Cross, with the aim of improving the quality of life of elderly people, and the challenges they were faced with on a daily basis.

Minister Dacic expressed his understanding for the problems facing this significant segment of the Serbian population, and voiced his readiness to help in their overcoming, in cooperation with other institutions. He promised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue its engagement when it comes to advancement and protection of the rights of the elderly, at the international level.