RUSSIA On 12-15 May the High Commissioner paid a visit to Moscow and held a series of meetings with senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federation Council and State Duma, and with a number of Russian specialists on ethnic and minority issues. The main objective of the visit was to gain a better understanding of Russia’s views and policies regarding states which have Russian minorities. At the Foreign Ministry the High Commissioner had talks with First Deputy Foreign Minster Igor Ivanov, and also with Deputy Foreign Minister Nikolaj Afanasievskiy, which focused on current Russian concerns on these issues. The high Commissioner also met with the Minster of Nationalities, Mr Vyacheslav Mikhailov. LATVIA The High Commissioner took part in a seminar on 16 may in Riga aimed at promoting governmentminority dialogue. The seminar, addressed by both Latvian President Guntis Ulmanis and the High Commissioner, was organised under the auspices of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies with the support of the Hague-based Foundation on Inter-Ethnic Relations as well as the Soros Foundation in Latvia. Participants included senior government officials, representatives from NGOs specialising in minority affairs, and other prominent researchers. HUNGARY Accompanied by a team of experts, the HIGH commissioner visited Budapest on 20-22 May with the aim of studying further the situation of the Slovak minority in Hungary. This was the 6th visit by the team of experts to Hungary. He had talks with Prime Minister Gyula Horn, Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs, and with State Secretary Csaba Tabajdi. Other meetings included discussions with the Minority Ombudsman, with officials at the Office for National and Ethnic Minorities, representatives of various Slovak organisations, and regional and national representatives, as well as with local Slovak headmasters and teachers. Topics of discussion focused on the rights of minorities, the system of their participation in the national parliament, education issues and provisions for minority languages. SLOVAKIA On 22-24 May the High Commissioner with his experts travelled on to Slovakia to study the situation of the Hungarian minority living in Slovakia. In Bratislava the High Commissioner met with President Michal Kovac, Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, and Foreign Minister Juraj Schenk. Together with the team of experts the High Commissioner met with Deputy Prime Minster Mrs K. Tothova, Deputy Prime Minister J. Kalman, Minister of Education Mrs E. Slavkovska, Minister of Culture I. Hudec, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs J. Sestak and State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior P. Kacic. Meetings also took place with representatives of various political parties, including Hungarian parties, and representatives of cultural organisations. The High Commissioner and experts also travelled to Komarn, Kolarovo and Samorin. Discussion focused on education, the government’s cultural policy towards minorities , administrative and territorial reform and the implementation of the state language Act. 40 OSCE ODIHR Bulletin Vol. 4 No. 3