The council will safeguard the cultural values of Serbs in Slovenia and cooperate with political structures in satisfying the community's needs, according to the articles of association.

It will also be tasked with bringing existing Serbian organisations together and guide the work of Serbian cultural associations in the country.

The president of the council, Branislav Rajić, said at the founding ceremony Saturday that Serbs wanted to become more active members of Slovenian society.

The ceremony also featured Speaker of Parliament Milan Brglez, who said it was good the Serbian community had set up a single platform that would serve as a clear communication channel.

"I'm proud that instead of divisions, we are looking for commonalities," Brglez told the ceremony that also featured Slovenian and Serbian parliamentarians.

Ivan Kostić, the chair of the Serbian parliament's diaspora committee, said the council would be a foundation on which to build batter relations between the two countries.

The council was established just over a month after the Serbian community founded a political party, the Social Party of Serbs of Slovenia.

The party was set up at a protest against what Serbian associations said was a discriminatory attitude of Slovenian authorities when it came to the disbursement of EU funds.