Medvedev to discuss ethnic relations

MOSCOW (Itar-Tass) - President Dmitry Medvedev will
chair a session of the consultative State Council in the predominantly
Muslim republic of Bashkiria on Friday to discuss ethnic relations
following mass ethnic clashes in Moscow and other cities late last year.
The session was proposed by Bashkiria's leader Rustam Khamitov who
invited the State Council to the multi-ethnic republic.
"We shall be pleased to share our experience and explain how we
cooperate with leaders of ethnic movements," he said.
It is expected the State Council might propose to borrow Soviet
experience and call all the citizens of the country Russians (like
Soviets), but if anyone wants he may say "I am a Russian of Bashkir or
Kalmyr origin".
Medvedev said in December "the idea of the Russian nation is
productive and we shall not be ashamed of it.