Serbian journalists: Estonia was a surprise

From April 13-19, a group of journalists from Vojvodina, Serbia visited Estonia at the invitation of the Open Estonia Foundation. The aim of the study visit was to learn about Estonia’s experience in European integration, media privatization and digitalization, and the situation of ethnic minorities.

During their stay the Serbian journalists met Estonian colleagues as well as the representatives of government institutions and civil society organizations. They also discussed the relations between Estonia and Serbia and made cooperation plans for the future. The guests said they had found Estonia to be a surprisingly modern European country.

The group of journalists, including ethnic Serbians, Hungarians, Croatians and Slovaks, was particularly interested in Estonian minority policies. They appreciated the existence of TV and radio shows in several minority languages.

The visit was organized as a part of a cooperation project between the Open Estonia Foundation and the Centre for Politics and Euro-Atlantic Cooperation (Novi Sad, Serbia). Later this spring TV and radio shows and articles and interviews will be published in Serbia with the aim to inform the Serbian publicity about the post-EU-accession developments in Estonia. In May, 10 Estonian journalists will pay a return visit to Serbia.

The project is funded by the Open Estonia Foundation's "East-East: partnership beyond borders" program. The program supports cross-border collaboration initiatives which facilitate the exchange of ideas, experience and know-how for the development of societies.