OSCE High Commissioner’s visit to the ECMI

On 2 and 3 May 2011, the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Ambassador Knut Vollebæk visited the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) in Flensburg, Germany. On the agenda for the visit was the ongoing and future co-operation between the High Commissioner and the ECMI. The ECMI is currently implementing projects for the High Commissioner in Kosovo and Georgia.

On the first day of his visit, the High Commissioner held intensive meetings with the research and project staff of the ECMI. Issues of interest to the High Commissioner’s work were discussed, and the staff of the ECMI presented their current research and field projects.

The High Commissioner also met with representatives of the local authorities in Schleswig-Holstein and Southern Denmark as well as with the First Mayor of Flensburg, Simon Faber.

On the second day, the High Commissioner had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the four minorities in the Danish-German border region as well as with the local academic colleagues of the ECMI who work on  various issues in the border region. Finally, the High Commissioner was introduced to one of the successful media projects in the border region, the cross-border project, Unter Nachbarn/Blandt Naboer (among neighbours).