Information Centre of Finno-Ugric Peoples
phone/fax: +372 644 9270; e-mail: suri@suri.ee

Press release

1 November 2005

Press releases

Finnish journalist denied Russian visa (27.12.05)

Young Finno-Ugrians at the Congress of Turkic Youth (21.11.05)

International attention to problems of national minorities in the Russian Federation is not decreasing (01.11.05)

Chairman of Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples attacked in Mari Republic, Russia (28.08.05)

Lusatian Sorbs express their solidarity with Udmurts (26.08.05)

Ethnic minority in Russia: media is filled with misinformation (25.08.05)

Closing of the 10th International Congress of Finno-Ugric Studies in Yoshkar-Ola (21.08.05)

Hopeless Udmurts appeal to Europe for support (19.08.05)

Russian authorities threatening an ethnic minority organisation (17.08.05)

Scientists replaced with officials at a scientific congress in Russia (16.08.05)

Tenth International Congress of Finno-Ugric Studies in Russia (15.08.05)

Estonian delegation to the 10th International Congress of Finno-Ugric Studies smaller than expected (12.08.05)

Estonian and Saami Theatres Start Co-operating with the Kalevala in Estonia (10.08.05)

An ethnographic film banned in Russia now available on DVD (09.08.05)

Doctoral scholarship in Estonia for foreign Finno-Ugrians (06.08.05)

An open letter to the President of Finland Tarja Halonen (02.08.05)

Estonian students caught in the wheels of Russia's internal politics (02.08.05)

Expulsion of Estonian students from the Mari Republic of Russian Federation (22.07.05)

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation supporting the Mari people in Russia (07.07.05)

Ethnic minority convenes its congress in the underground (07.06.05)

Fascist group in Russia asserts being instructed by local administration (31.05.05)

Russian composer did not celebrate his anniversary in his home town (19.05.05)

European Parliament steps forth in defence of a national minority in Russia (12.05.05)

Federal Union of European Nationalities examined the situation of a Russia's minority (07.05.05)

Members of the European Parliament pass an action plan to improve the situation of Finno-Ugric minorities in Russia (27.04.05)

Finno-Ugric Minority of Russia Grateful to the European Parliament for Support (26.04.05)

Estonian Member of European Parliament on discussion with Russian parliamentarians on Russia’s minorities (22.04.05)

European Parliament Examining the Mari Situation in Russia (11.03.05)

Mari Nation Under Threat in Russia (22.02.05)

Opposition leaders still persecuted in Mari El: Vladimir Kozlov assaulted (04.02.05)

Read more

www.mari.ee
(information and news about Mari people in Mari, Russian, Estonian, English)

 Press releases by the Estonian Institute for Human Rights:

ESTONIAN INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CALLING TO SUPPORT MARI PEOPLE

JEWISH COMMUNITY SUPPORTING THE OPPRESSED MARI MINORITY IN RUSSIA

Unrepresented Nations' and Peoples' Organisation

International attention to problems of national minorities in the Russian Federation is not decreasing

The foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament, meeting with Rolf Ekeus, High Commissioner for National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), raised the issue of Russia's national minorities last Wednesday, 26th October, speaking about problems in Mari El, Chechnya, Koryakia and Buryatia.

Chairman of the committee Enn Eesmaa said Estonia is particularly interested in the welfare of Finno-Ugric people, adding that members of parliament were actively dealing with the issue in different parliamentary assemblies, a spokesman for the parliament reported.

Ekeus said that he had given little attention to issues of national minorities in Russia. He said that the problems had more often to do with politics and security than with ethnicity.

Estonia follows developments of situation with Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia. For example, Estonian representatives participate in the international seminar “The enlargement of the Consultative Committees’ activities within the international cooperation”, in Syktyvkar, Komi Republic, Russian Federation, 10th – 13th of November 2005.

Estonian member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Katrin Saks, who prepares the Report on the situation of Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia, is invited to the seminar.

The seminar is organized to develop the international cooperation of the Finno-Ugric national organizations with the international structures, especially European ones. Evidently, it concerns also the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, one of the main international organizations in Europe.

This approach shows that leaders of Finno-Ugric movements realize that international attention is crucial in solution of problems caused by inter-ethnic tensions.