Today the national minorities’ round table of the President of the Republic held its ordinary meeting in the Sakala Centre in Tallinn. The agenda of the meeting included the discussion of the bases of national integration policies approved by the Government of the Republic on 11 February 1998 and the project of future activities for these policies.

The round table heard the information presented by Rafik Grigorjan, Counsellor of the Minister of Population Andra Veidemann, which concerned the expert commission that developed the bases and the activity plan for these policies. Grigorjan pointed out that the expression of national policies is still in the initial stage, it needs long-term support and later a special national structure. According to Grigorjan this can not be simply a short campaign, but should be regarded as a co-ordinated long-term activity between all the ministries and offices of the state.

In the course of the discussion that followed, many members of the round table emphasised that the new national integration policies and the activity plan developed for their implementation indicates that the state of Estonia has started to take seriously the solution of the problems related to national minorities and people without citizenship in the Estonian society.

Even though integration is usually seen as a more effective inclusion of aliens in the Estonian society through the Estonian language and culture, it was emphasised in the meeting that the integration of society must be a two-way process, where Estonians will also help the aliens to integrate. The ““state of Estonia with a multicultural society”” should be the model to be followed.

Since the particulars of a relevant resolution could not be discussed due to lack of time, it was resolved not adopt it and to continue working on it.

The OSCE Chief Commissioner of National Minorities Max van der Stoel was invited to attend the meeting of the round table, but at the request of the Government of Latvia, van der Stoel already left from Tallinn to Riga in the evening of Thursday to discuss the governmental crisis in Latvia. It was agreed with the representative of van der Stoel that the Chief Commissioner would participate in the meeting of the round table in July.

The next meeting of the round table will take place on 15 May in Jõhvi.
The National Minorities’’ Round Table of the President of the Republic Discussed Integration Policies
Today the national minorities’ round table of the President of the Republic held its ordinary meeting in the Sakala Centre in Tallinn. The agenda of the meeting included the discussion of the bases of national integration policies approved by the Government of the Republic on 11 February 1998 and the project of future activities for these policies.

The round table heard the information presented by Rafik Grigorjan, Counsellor of the Minister of Population Andra Veidemann, which concerned the expert commission that developed the bases and the activity plan for these policies. Grigorjan pointed out that the expression of national policies is still in the initial stage, it needs long-term support and later a special national structure. According to Grigorjan this can not be simply a short campaign, but should be regarded as a co-ordinated long-term activity between all the ministries and offices of the state.

In the course of the discussion that followed, many members of the round table emphasised that the new national integration policies and the activity plan developed for their implementation indicates that the state of Estonia has started to take seriously the solution of the problems related to national minorities and people without citizenship in the Estonian society.

Even though integration is usually seen as a more effective inclusion of aliens in the Estonian society through the Estonian language and culture, it was emphasised in the meeting that the integration of society must be a two-way process, where Estonians will also help the aliens to integrate. The “state of Estonia with a multicultural society” should be the model to be followed.

Since the particulars of a relevant resolution could not be discussed due to lack of time, it was resolved not adopt it and to continue working on it.

The OSCE Chief Commissioner of National Minorities Max van der Stoel was invited to attend the meeting of the round table, but at the request of the Government of Latvia, van der Stoel already left from Tallinn to Riga in the evening of Thursday to discuss the governmental crisis in Latvia. It was agreed with the representative of van der Stoel that the Chief Commissioner would participate in the meeting of the round table in July.

The next meeting of the round table will take place on 15 May in Jõhvi.


Press Service of the President's Office
Kadriorg, 17 April 1998

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