Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Ex-Speaker of the Saeima Janis Straume: it is very important to restore the trust of Russian speaking residents towards the state
• Ministry of Economics proposed to toughen legal norms regulating issuance of residence permits to foreign investors

Ex-Speaker of the Saeima and ex-member of the nationalists’ party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Janis Straume considers that it is very important to restore the trust of Russian speaking residents towards the state. Mr Straume believes that Russian speakers do not trust ethnic Latvian politicians because these politicians do not take into consideration the interests of Russian speaking voters after the elections. Mr Straume also believes that the governing coalition with the Concord Centre would be more stabile than the coalition with the nationalists’ union.

Ex-Speaker of the Saeima and ex-member of the nationalists party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Janis Straume considers that it is very important to restore the trust of Russian speaking residents towards the state. Mr Straume believes that Russian speakers do not trust ethnic Latvian politicians because these politicians do not take into consideration the interests of Russian speaking voters after the elections. Mr Straume also believes that the governing coalition with the Concord Centre would be more stabile than the coalition with the nationalists union. Chas

Telegraf reports that the Ministry of Economics proposed to toughen legal norms regulating issuance of residence permits to foreign investors. The Ministry proposed to exclude a norm which allows granting residence permits to investors who bought real estate in Riga and resort town Jurmala thus granting permits only for owners of real estate in regions. The Ministry also proposed to raise five-fold the minimum amount of investments into Latvian economy: from LVL 100,000 to 500,000 (EUR 140990 to EUR 704950). Realtors companies criticize such proposals arguing that those will diminish number of potential investors by 90%.