President Zoran Milanovic met with representatives of the Croatian Association of the World Roma Organisation on Wednesday.

They acquainted the president with their efforts aimed at preventing discrimination, racism and poverty by bringing together Roma and other ethnic minorities in various sports and recreational activities, the President’s Office said in a press release.

They announced their visit to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope on 21 November and a charity football match between the teams of the Croatian Roma and the Vatican.

The Roma representatives said they considered Pope Francis’s decision to grant them an audience as a great recognition of their struggle against discrimination and racism in the world.

The meeting also focused on the status of Roma in Croatia. The Roma representatives thanked President Milanovic for his support to events promoting the rights of the Roma community.