Serbians demand better protection of environment

Thousands of people rallied in the Serbian capital Belgrade on Saturday to demand better protection of the environment.

Serbia has seen record levels of air pollution and a number of other ecological problems following decades of neglect.

The protest outside the parliament building was dubbed an "ecological uprising" against what organisers say is widespread environmental devastation.

Serbia, which aspires to join the European Union, has faced mounting problems that include poor garbage management, air and river pollution, and a lack of systematic regulation of waste water in cities, including Belgrade.

Protesters carried banners reading "Cut corruption and crime, not forests!" and "Plant a tree!," referring to shrinking green areas in cities, particularly in the capital, where huge concrete residential areas have sprung up in recent years.

Hours before the start of the rally, the Serbian ministry of environment said in a statement that Serbia's many problems were not new and noted that the government had launched various projects aimed at finding long-term solutions.

Serbia and other countries in the Balkans must substantially improve their environmental situation if they want to move forward in their bid to join the European Union, analysts say.