Июн 09 2014

• Number of population in Latvia dropped below 2 millions
• Latvijas Avize prints an article about initiator of a movement of pro-European Russian residents in Latvia, journalist Igors Vatolins

According to the Central Statistical Bureau the number of population in Latvia dropped below 2 millions – presently there are 1,997,500 of residents living in the country. 22,561 persons emigrated from Latvia and 8,299 arrived to Latvia in 2013. The majority of Latvians or 73% emigrated to the Great Britain and Germany, 16% emigrated to the CIS countries. 58% of immigrants arrived to Latvia from the EU countries, 31% from CIS countries. The number of representatives of the biggest groups of ethnicities in Latvia also decreased – number of ethnic Latvians decreased by 8,400, Russians by 10,300, Ukrainians, Polish, and Belorussians by 1,100 – 1,600 correspondingly. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize prints an article about initiator of a movement of pro-European Russian residents in Latvia, journalist Igors Vatolins. The reason for Vatolins’ initiative is events in Ukraine which have affected Russian speaking residents in Latvia. The newspaper reports that Mr Vatolins for many years has worked for Russian language newspapers and was one of the most activist protestors against language reform in minority schools in 2003 and 2004.  In an interview with the newspaper, Mr Vatolins says that after events in Crimea large-scale non-citizenship, situation with minority schools, language status and confrontation about historical issues in Latvia is not anymore issue of perception of the world or human rights, but it is the matter of Latvian national security. Mr Vatolins says that he does not believe that Russian residents in Latvia one day might become Russia’s President’s Vladimir Putin’s weapon. The newspaper also notes that while Vatolin’s movement is not officially registered, on 9 May, activists of the Congress of Non-citizens already registered an association “Movement of European Russians” which has nothing in common with Vatolin’s movement.