Külügyi Szemle - A Teleki László Intézet Külpolitikai Tanulmányok Központja folyóirata - 2003 (2. évfolyam)
2003 / 3. szám - EURÓPA - Sáfi Csaba: A Few Words on the Federal Law on State policy of the Russian Federation with regard to Fellow Countrymen Abroad
Csaba Sáfi • Since Russia is not a nation-state, that is, it is the mother country not only of those belonging to the Russian ethnicity but also other peoples and nations within its boundaries and do not have their own mother country, the article makes a separate mention of fellow countrymen who are not of Russian nationality - of the conservation of the national languages of the RE (This group includes e.g. the Volga Tatars, the Chuvash, the Bashkirs, the Komi, the Ingus, or even the Chechens. Yet, the Ukrainians, with their population of about 4 million, do not belong to this group since they do have their mother country, namely, Ukraine.) Accordingly, the RF promotes the participation of fellow countrymen who belong to the nationalities of Russia in education in their mother tongue - including the teaching of the history of Russia and the Russian cultural heritage -, and their access to information in these languages. In order that this could be achieved, measures are taken concerning teacher training and textbook supply, help is provided for the foundation of local, officially recognised schools and the establishment of foreign sister institutions of Russian educational institutions. • The law makes it possible for fellow countrymen to make use of Russian scientific and cultural institutes abroad for cultural, scientific, and information purposes. • The stressed treatment of middle and higher education is indicated by the fact that the state organs promote that former Soviet citizens (see this at the negative points of the law as well) may participate in middle and higher education under the same conditions as Russian citizens, including the earning of the academic degree. Moreover, should quotas be set with respect to the participation of foreign citizens in state-financed education, the interests of fellow countrymen will be taken into consideration on a compulsory basis. • The role and strengthening of the Russian tongue in the post-Soviet region is dealt with in the section of the chapter on the development of a unified educational region where the RF will be a representative of these interests of the fellow countrymen. Furthermore, the RF seeks to sign international treaties with the CIS member states and the Baltic republics on the reciprocal recognition of diplomas. 4. In the field of information flow (Article 18) The RF assists the fellow countrymen in • gaining access to and forwarding information in their mother tongue (Russian and other national tongues) in the country in which they live; • creating mass communications (information) media. In addition, the law also promotes the development of information relations between the countries in which fellow countrymen live and the RF. Besides, the state 42 Külügyi Szemle
