14:06 24/05/2006

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it would insist on the need to defend the rights of ethnic Russian minorities in Latvia and Estonia at a summit with the EU starting Thursday.

The position of the two Baltic states' ethnic Russian minorities - many of whom are classed as "non-citizens" - has been a bone of contention for some years in relations with Moscow, and has contributed to a deterioration of relations.

"Russia will draw the EU's attention to the necessity to ... ensure the rights of ethnic Russian minorities in Latvia and Estonia," ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said.

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<div style="border:1px solid #d3d3d3; padding:17px 0 0px 17px; background:#ffffff; width:510px;"><div style="width:100%; overflow:hidden;"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060524/48553760.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><img src="http://en.rian.ru/i/eng/logo_sml.gif" alt="RIA Novosti" title="RIA Novosti" style="float:left; margin-right:10px;" border="0" /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060524/48553760.html" style="color:#000000;text-decoration:none;display: block; margin: 0 10px 0 0 ;"><strong style="font:19px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif; line-height:16px; font-weight:bold;">Russia to urge EU to defend Russians' rights in Baltic states</strong></a><p style="font:13px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif; padding:5px 10px 0px 0;"><span style="color:#5590bf;">14:06</span> <span style="color:#5590bf; padding-right:7px;">24/05/2006</span> <span style="font-size:12px;">Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it would insist on the need to defend the rights of ethnic Russian minorities in Latvia and Estonia at a summit with the EU starting Thursday.<a target="_blank" style="color:#335f86; padding-left:10px; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060524/48553760.html" title="Russia to urge EU to defend Russians' rights in Baltic states">>></a></span></p><div style="padding:6px 0 15px 30px; font:10px Verdana,sans-serif;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#114472; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru" title="RIA Novosti">Other news of the day</a></div></div></div>

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Russia to urge EU to defend Russians' rights in Baltic states

14:06 24/05/2006 Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it would insist on the need to defend the rights of ethnic Russian minorities in Latvia and Estonia at a summit with the EU starting Thursday.>>

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