Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

The Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia organized a study trip to Latvia for representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Republic Secretariat for Legislation with the aim of exchanging experiences regarding the establishment and maintenance of population registries.

Since the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government is currently preparing a draft Law on the Population Register that would cover key data on citizens of Serbia in one place, it is very important to review the practices of other countries that have developed such registers. Therefore the delegation of Serbia met the representatives of the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia, i.e. the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs that has competence over the Population Register.

The Head of the European Affairs and International Cooperation Division Zane Rudzīte briefly presented the work of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, while Deputy Head of the Office Uldis Apsītis held a presentation on the Latvian population registry, with the note that a Register of Natural Persons is currently being developed that will overcome some of the deficiencies of the Population Register and provide for centralized registration of foreigners in Latvia.