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President Ilves: small nations that exist outside of democracy need our biggest support and solidarity

05.09.2012

The President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who arrived at the 6th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, today paid a visit to the Finno-Ugric languages research centre, Collegium Fenno-Ugricum in Badacsonytomaj, which was introduced to him by the Head of the Centre, linguist János Pusztay.

"States and larger nations are responsible for sustaining the indigenous or small nations that exist among us," told President Ilves. "This is what makes us richer and better as well as more open and understanding."

"We must pay special attention to maintaining the language and culture of small ethnic groups – the foundation for each and every nation and its identity," he added.

"Small nations that exist outside the European Union and democracy need our biggest support and solidarity," emphasised President Ilves.

The Estonian Head of State met yesterday and today with the President of Hungary, János Áder, Speaker of Hungarian Parliament, László Kövér, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, János Martonyi. The fact that the Estonian language is taught in four Hungarian universities was set as one of the examples of Finno-Ugric co-operation. The Speaker, László Kövér, stressed the need to support the publication of a contemporary Estonian-Hungarian dictionary.

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