This is explained by the fact that the municipality contains a large Russian-speaking minority (43%) which primarily votes Communist.

Moldova's Russian-speaking minority, about 15 percent of the population, has been most resistant to union.

There is a number of political parties and politicians in the Baltic states who claim to represent the Russian-speaking minority.

Thus it is not clear what practical effect the Moldavian law will have on the republic's Russian-speaking minority.

There are several politicians and political parties in Latvia who claim to represent the Russian-speaking minority.

I represent the Russian-speaking minority of Latvia, which makes up about 40% of the country's population.

As long ago as 1920, the Russian-speaking minority was given a strong position by Estonia's first constitution.

Further work needs to be done to guarantee the rights of Russian-speaking minorities in Estonia and Latvia.

But where Latvia has made more progress than Estonia is in the matter of the Russian-speaking minority.

Estonia has continued to make steady improvements in most fields but has made disappointing progress on its legal treatment of the Russian-speaking minority.