European Day of Languages, established in 2001 at the initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, was celebrated at the French Institute, the Kalemegdan Fortress and across Europe.

Director of the CoE Office in Belgrade Tim Cartwright said at the opening of the event in Kalemegdan that languages were the key to understanding different cultures and a passport for their mutual respect.

“All our societies are increasingly multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and global. Serbia is no exception,” Cartwright said. “To only speak and understand the language of only one community is to see the world in monochrome, to be closed to social, business and cultural opportunities, and to echo only the past, not build a future.”

He reminded that the European Day of Languages was celebrated in both Serbia and Europe, “the fact that we live on a continent where about 200 native languages and about 60 officially-recognised regional an minority languages are spoken daily, where there are 24 official languages of the EU, and where many more are spoken amongst us all by people we have welcomed from other parts of the world.”

Mateja Norcic Stamcar from the EU Delegation told the pupils and citizens gathered in Kalemegdan that apart from the official language, another 14 languages are spoken in Serbia.

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“There are 21 minority communities, 15 langaugaes and many more dialects,” she said and pointed out that she saw Serbia as a perfect example of Europe in miniature.

“Many people in Europe fear that the EU would suppress their language, traditions and customs when, in fact, it is completely the opposite: the EU seeks to help all communities not only to preserve their customs and languages, but to give them more value, promote them and present them to others,” Norcic Stamarc said.

Director of the French Institute in Belgrade Jean-Baptiste Cuzin said that European cultural centres in Serbia were on the same mission to help the young learn new langauges and engage in cultural exchange.

“We hope that the celebration of the European Day of Languages and this particular event would inspire you to learn new languages,” Cuzin said.