Ambassador to Brazil Veljko Lazic and Consul Jelena Blazevic met on September 22 with the members of the Serbian diaspora living in Campinas, a university town in the state of Sao Paulo, with a population of about 1.5 million.

The structure of the diaspora is made up of highly educated citizens, mostly university professors and engineers whose work is recognized and highly regarded throughout Brazil and abroad. Although accomplished, both in their private life and professionally, some 30 diaspora members have pointed to a number of problems faced by them over the years spent in Brazil, such as the complicated procedure of diploma equalization and of obtaining documents from Serbia, as well as the absence of a club or other diaspora meeting place.

It was pointed out that there was an earlier practice of exchanging students from Serbia and Brazil in Campinas, which was now almost abandoned, and that this form of cooperation should be restored. Our compatriots also conveyed the desire for the Serbian Orthodox Church to re-appoint its representative in this town.