Annalena Baerbock, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, meets the Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose.
On 9 September, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, and the Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, met at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin for a first exchange on the situation of Sinti and Roma in Europe, in particular on the situation of Roma in Ukraine and who have fled Ukraine.
It was agreed to continue and intensify the exchange in the future. The Central Council expects the Federal Government to continue to monitor the human rights situation in Ukraine and to recognise the achievements of the members of the minority in defending their country. The Federal Government must also ensure that the Roma and their situation are taken into account in all support measures and reconstruction plans in Ukraine.
Following the conversation, the Minister wrote on her official Instagram channel: “The culture of the Sinti*ze and Rom*nja is an integral part of our European identity. Today, I exchanged views with Romani Rose about their often difficult situation – here in Germany, in Europe and in Ukraine. Romani Rose is the Chairman of the Central Council of Sinti and Roma in Germany and has spent his entire life campaigning for their equal rights and participation in society. What many people don’t know is that Roma have been living in Ukraine for over 600 years. But the truth is that they also experience discrimination and exclusion there – as they do here and in many European countries. Today, thousands of them are fighting for the freedom of their homeland on the Ukrainian front. Antigypsyism knows no national borders. It is not a phenomenon of groups on the margins of society, but reaches deep into the centre of our societies. We can only win the fight for our cohesion together if we stand up against every form of group-focused enmity in politics as well as in everyday life.”
Related topics and contributions:
