While speaking at the meeting Vladimir Putin declared that Russia is fully aware of its role in preserving the culture and languages of the Finno-Ugric peoples, just like that of other nationalities within Russia.
The President emphasised that the process of awarding a given language federal status must be based solely on the interests of ordinary citizens.
At the meeting participants discussed creating media outlets for minorities, using minority languages in the media, developing bilingualism, and supporting authors that write in minority languages. Mr Putin said that the various kinds of support for Finno-Ugric peoples discussed during events in Saransk will be used to guide the government's actions.