The position of elderly citizens does not dependent only on the state, but also on the entire society, and the protection of their rights must be placed in the focus, which, in particular, requires the improvement of the economic and social rights of the elderly in Serbia, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, emphasized at the conference “Initiative for Social Inclusion of the Elderly” organized by the Red Cross of Serbia.

Besides the demographic picture, the social circumstances and even the traditional role of the family are also changing, life expectancy and working life are becoming longer, which is a challenge for providing and creating services for elderly fellow citizens, especially with the aim of their social inclusion in all areas of social life.

The elderly are a valuable resource and their contribution to the development of the society as a whole is priceless, she pointed out.

Dragan Radovanović, President of the Red Cross of Serbia, Hicolas Bizel, Head of the Operations Section – EU Delegation to Belgrade, Sabine Kroissenbrunner, Deputy Head of Mission of the Austrian Embassy in Belgrade, Erika Winkler, Representative of the Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health and consumer protection of the Republic of Austria, also spoke at the conference.