The Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog took part in a round-table discussion on the development of Roma culture today in Aix-en-Provence, France. The goal of the event, organised by the Hungarian Embassy in France, was for Hungary, which took the lead in laying down the European Roma Framework Strategy, to share its experiences with the participants.

Zoltán Balog visited Aix-en-Provence in Provence region, which won the title of European Cultural Capital this year, on the 4th of October, 2013. He took part in a conference entitled "The culture of the Roma – the Roma in culture", jointly organised by the University if Aix-Marseille, the City Hall and the Vasarely Foundation. During the whole day of events, which included film screenings, round-table discussions and concerts, the participants were afforded a glimpse into the culture of the Roma people in Hungary, gaining new knowledge of influence of Roma culture on Hungarian culture, while representatives of different fields – artists and politicians – shared their experiences on the topic.

Zoltán Balog, who was the Secretary of State for Social Inclusion from 2010 and is currently head of the Ministry responsible for this area, has already undertaken tremendous efforts to facilitate Roma inclusion and in the preparation of both the European Roma Framework Strategy and the Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy. In the afternoon, Mr. Balog held a public discussion about the development of the political conditions of Roma culture with sociologist, director and author Krisztina Bódis.

(Ministry of Human Resources)