Serbs as a new national minority in post-Yugoslav states

Recent political changes in states founded on the territory of the former Yugoslavia have resulted in profound changes in relation to minorities. The factual status of Serbian minorities in the neighboring countries has been influenced by various circumstances - demographic, political, legal, historical, etc. Outside Serbia, in former Yugoslav republics there are nearly half a million persons belonging to Serbian nationality who have the status of national minority. Although their social and legal status is defined according to European standards of minority protection, closer analysis points to a rather unfavorable status of Serbian minorities. A reason for such a situation may also be found in the poorly designed and insufficiently organized policy of the homeland country. Bilateral treaties are a way to protect more efficiently compatriots in other countries, as well as an efficient mechanism for better integration of minorities in all fields of social life in the territorial country. Minorities¢ rights stipulated in most bilateral treaties are the right to ethnic identity, linguistic rights, right to education, media rights, etc