Brussels, 20/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - While in Budapest, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek visited the European Roma Rights Centre on Friday 17 September. After his visit, he said: “It is paramount to visit a Centre like this. Coming here, I wanted to show my solidarity with the Roma people. Taking into consideration the latest developments, I want to share with you my thoughts. The EU was founded on the principles of human rights. If we preach human rights around the world, we also need to respect them particularly in our own backyard. That is why we have to protect the Roma minority against any kind of discrimination. No one should be expelled on the basis of their ethnic origins. It is not acceptable to stigmatise people because of their ethnicity. Roma people are Europeans and therefore their rights have to be respected like those of any other EU citizen”. (G.B./transl.rt)