Kovacica, being a multilingual and multi-ethnic community is indeed Europe in miniature and despite the fact that each nationality has its own language, traditions and customs, people there remain united, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport during the central event of the Mother Language Day celebration in Kovacica.
The EU highly values preservation of cultural heritage of minorities, Davenport said and added that culture could become the driving force of local economy.
“Not only did the Slovaks in Kovacica preserve their culture, language and identity, but they also created a local, European, and even global phenomenon through the development of naïve art,” Davenport said.
Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Ivan Tasovac said the language, in its essence, is an instrument, tool, of communication, but also much more than that.
“Language is the framework through which we perceive the world around us, a space made of symbols and a place of collective memory. Language is the strongest instrument for preservation and development of cultural heritage,” Tasovac said.
In times of economic and technological globalisation, he added, raising awareness on mother tongue is particularly important because by doing so, we respect the right of all linguistic communities, even smaller ones, which amount to as many as 6,000, and foster linguistic particularities as some of the most solid foundations of culture.
Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic said that all ethnic minorities could count on Serbian Government by receiving its strong message of unity.
“We all share the same problems, both economic and social, and we have to make joint effort to improve our society and hence improve ourselves. In this respect, Mother Language Day is a good opportunity to send a strong message of unity on behalf of the Government,” said Joksimovic.
Even before it became an EU candidate country, Serbia had had a very good legislation and legal framework regarding the treatment of national minorities so, when it comes to this area, its standards are higher than European, Joksimovic said.
