Russian Federation Extensive advice was given to Russia under the Legislative Reform Programme on draft laws on vocational and higher education. Current projects are developed within a comprehensive action programme drawn up in early 2000 with the Ministry of Education. This work is coordinated with other Council of Europe and World Bank projects. The Council contributes to reconstruction through efforts to build up civic education in the war-shattered province. A first seminar for teachers from Chechnya was held in St Petersburg in November 2000.
History teaching A multi-year project continues with teacher training seminars.
Education for democratic citizenship Ukraine Ukraine is the pilot country in 2000 for the project on educational policy for minorities. The pilot aims to develop recommendations to the government and legislation and policy, based on a comparison with European standards, such as the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities , the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages , and the Recommendations of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities . The pilot project carried out in Ukraine in 2000 has aroused great interest in other countries in the region. It is hoped to extend the project from 2001, subject to funding. Quality assurance in education in the South Caucasus Drawing on the successful experience of regional cooperation in the Baltic states on quality assurance in higher education, the three countries of the South Caucasus agreed in early 2000 to work together in quality assurance in all sectors of education, with technical support from the Council of Europe.