Ministry of Nationalities of North Ossetia - an overview

According to the monitoring results of the Ministry of Regional
Development, last year the Ministry of Nationalities of North Ossetia
was one of Russia's top five. Minister Taymuraz Kasayev describes the
ministry's current activities.

- Part of the Ministry of Nationalities work is the creation of expert
groups for preventing extremism. They can be found throughout the
republic and this initiative has positive results. A document was
approved as part of interregional cooperation - a program of joint
efforts of the state structures of North Ossetia and Ingushetia,
signed by their heads, Taymuraz Mamsurov and Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. The
program is being realized successfully and it is 'an extra brick in
the stability of our shared house'.

- What are the problems in the national policy of North Ossetia?

- First of all, it is the problem of displaced people. This problem
cannot be concealed because it remains an indicator of social life in
North Ossetia. The second issue is keeping up the record of Cossack
societies. There are orders from Russia's president, the head of North
Ossetia, a host of approved documents, but the massive program is
still unclear. The third direction is issuing grants. The fourth -
suburban districts. The unstable social-economic situation leads to
tension and creates social and even political problems.

- How is the problem of displaced people being solved?

- Without federal agencies, regardless of the efforts of the North
Ossetian government, solving the problem is impossible. Last year only
126 people received accommodation, and 4,500 families are still
waiting. Our ministry is doing its best - we are trying to boost the
issuing of housing certificates on federal programs, and attract
non-governmental and international organizations.

- How topical is the extremism issue in North Ossetia?

- There were alarming signals 3-4 years ago. There were warnings last
year. But governmental commissions, expert groups reacted rapidly, and
all attempts were forestalled. There are over 80 religious
organizations, but we manage to find common ground, and the problem of
extremism is not very topical, unlike external aggravation. The
extremist climate is not common for our North Ossetian society, But
that does not mean that preventive measures are needless. We cooperate
actively with law-enforcing agencies, religious confessions, and
social structures. I consider federal-level laws too liberal

- In your opinion, what should the activities of over 30
national-cultural societies in the republic consist of?

- First of all, they should integrate into a single North Ossetian
society, and never disunite and isolate. The work of national-cultural
centers is also insufficient. They only see their work as celebrating
Days of Culture. Financial support depends directly on the society's
activeness.

Tamara Buntury, Vladikavkaz. Exclusively for VK