Selaković met with Bishop Andrej of Austria-Switzerland

16. Jul 2021.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nikola Selaković, met today, during his official visit to Austria, with His Eminence, Bishop of Austria-Switzerland, Andrej Ćilerdžić.

Minister Selaković informed Bishop Andrej about the talks he had with the representatives of the Serbian diaspora in Vienna and stated that the state and the church should consistently cooperate, working on preserving the cultural and national identity of our people in the diaspora.

Selaković thanked Bishop Andrej for caring for the memory of Serbs who died in captivity on Austrian soil during the First and Second World Wars, and asked for a blessing for Serbia to place plaques in the memorials across Austria with the names of tens of thousands of our fallen compatriots.

The interlocutors agreed on the need for joint work on preserving the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet and finding the most efficient ways so that Serbian children in Austria do not lose their cultural identity and connection with their motherland.

Bishop Andrej pointed out that the Serbian people in Vienna honor Serbia with their work, way of life and devotion to the church, because, as he said, Serbian churches in Austria are full of believers.