Today, the Roundtable of National Minorities concentrated on the sources and principles of financing the cultural activities of the national minorities, delineated by Margus Allikmaa, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Mati Luik, Director of the MEIS, project manager Eda Seelmann from the UN/Nordic Countries Development Programme, as well as Sergei Chernov from the Tallinn City Government, and Kai Võlli, Counsellor of the General Education Department of the Ministry of Education.

In the year 2000, the support to the cultural activities of the national minorities consists of 7-8 million kroon from the state, the local governments and different funds. The Roundtable found that the principles for the distribution of these resources should be reconsidered and co-ordinated, for which another meeting will be convened.

Tanel Mätlik, Counsellor to the Minister of Population, presented the amended version of the state programme ''Integration in the Estonian Society 2000-2007''. The presentation was followed by a thorough discussion. The Roundtable has already presented several proposals to the programme ''Integration in the Estonian Society 2000-2007'', which have been taken into consideration both in specifying the term ''integration'' and in working out specific sub-programmes. It was admitted that the conceptual part of the programme presents a new vision of the Estonian society, and therefore the programme should also be discussed in the Riigikogu.

Also the interim results of the legislation working group of the Roundtable concerning the amendments of the legislative regulation of the national minority issues were presented on the meeting. A clear conviction has been reached that the Cultural Autonomy of National Minorities Act needs thorough reconsideration. The problem shall be discussed at the Roundtable meeting at the end of March.

''In the near future, we will approach the President of the Republic with the proposal to make changes the membership of the Roundtable,'' Hagi Shein, the President's representative at the Roundtable said. ''New tasks call for a new team -- constructive co-operation with the representatives of political parties, experts of ethnic issues, and national culture organisations,'' Mr. Shein said.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, February 11, 2000

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