National relations
130 nations inhabit the Republic of Komi.
The Ministry of National Policies of the Republic of Komi is vested with powers and functions to regulate interethnic relations. Its major goal lies in uniting the efforts of all of the executive authorities, various political, popular and national cultural movements to preserve and develop the cultures, languages and traditions of all the peoples that live in the Republic.
The national cultural popular movements are the partners of the Komi executive authorities to implement the state national policy for the people. Over 80 various organizations of that sort have been established, including 3 interregional ones. The executive bodies are assisted much in solving the problems of indigenous people by such NGOs as Interregional Popular Movement "Komi Voytyr", Popular Movement "The Indigenous Women of the Republic of Komi" and Izhma Komi Interregional Popular Movement "Izvatas".
Supported mass media projects aimed to develop and perform the Komi language helped to increase the share of programmes broadcasted in Komi in 2005-2008 almost by 20%.
Active work to cover the cultural and spiritual demands of the peoples that live in the Republic, preserve and develop their cultures, traditions, habits and languages is done by 22 national cultural centres, including 6 centres of the Komi culture.
A range of measures targeted to support the traditional economic activities, preserve the works and crafts of small indigenous peoples, establish and develop trading posts, and organize transfers of children of reindeer herders to the tundra and back home during their summer holidays is implemented. Within the framework of the Federal Target Programme "Social and economic development of the indigenous peoples of the North up to 2008" a primary school for 110 pupils was built at v.Diyur, Izhemsk District in 2008.
The state national policy pursued in the Republic of Komi is aimed at preserving ethno-political stability, shaping interethnic or inter-confessional tolerance to be built on the principles of efficient interactions between the authorities, local self-government and NGOs for better national development and regulation of international relations.
International cooperation
The priority lines of foreign relations of the Republic of Komi are Barents cooperation for better integration of the northern regions in economic, political, cultural, educational, ecological and other spheres.
Finno-Ugric cooperation where the Komi takes a leading role is a real tool and crucial factor for the Russian ethno-cultural development. Specific emphasis is laid on cooperation between the Republic of Komi and Finland. Its major lines include development of agriculture and reindeer herding, timber sector, entrepreneurship and tourism, including staff training issues. Among the major joint projects are such as the Oulu-Arkhangelsk-Syktyvkar and Perm railway construction project and the water supply system renovation project for Syktyvkar.
The Republic of Komi has the established relations with the European countries. Since 1994 the region has been taking part in implementing various Northern Forum projects.
The Komi relates to subjects with a high degree of export orientation for far-abroad countries, chiefly, the European states that take up 76% of the entire external turnover, with only 24% of the volume being the share of the CIS states.
The Komi's major foreign trade partners include Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Latvia, Ukraine and Poland.
Apart from foreign economic cooperation, the Republic of Komi works closely with Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and the USA in social development, ecology, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The Republic has experience in developing the TACIS socially-oriented projects.
