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.

LATVIAN MEDIA REVIEW

LATVIAN MEDIA REVIEW

A new political party, the Social Democrat Union, was founded in Latvia last Sunday. The party lists nearly 1,000 members. The party founder, MP Egils Baldzens, who recently quit the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party together with a group of associates, was elected as the Social Democrat Union chairman with 545 votes for and only four votes against.

A new political party, the Social Democrat Union, was founded in Latvia last Sunday. The party lists nearly 1,000 members. The party founder, MP Egils Baldzens, who recently quit the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party together with a group of associates, was elected as the Social Democrat Union chairman with 545 votes for and only four votes against. Diena, Neatkariga, Chas, Vesti Segodnja, Telegraf, Panorama Latvii

Diena

interviews the first Ambassador of the OSCE Mission to Latvia Hugh Gerard Hamilton. The Ambassador believes that countries, including Latvia, can benefit from the presence of the Mission in it. The Ambassador shares with the information about the first days of the Mission in Latvia and the situation with national minorities in Latvia 8 years ago. He says that at those times a part of complaints coming from national minorities about their discrimination were grounded, but for another part of complainants the problems were more of psychological character. Gerard Hamilton admits that the Mission was criticized from both parties – the Russians and the Latvians. Gerard Hamilton voices that the problems Latvia was facing at the time when the OSCE Mission to Latvia was established are solved and now Latvia has to do everything to persuade people that it is truly interested in peoples problems and solving them. interviews the first Ambassador of the OSCE Mission to Latvia Hugh Gerard Hamilton. The Ambassador believes that countries, including Latvia, can benefit from the presence of the Mission in it. The Ambassador shares with the information about the first days of the Mission in Latvia and the situation with national minorities in Latvia 8 years ago. He says that at those times a part of complaints coming from national minorities about their discrimination were grounded, but for another part of complainants the problems were more of psychological character. Gerard Hamilton admits that the Mission was criticized from both parties – the Russians and the Latvians. Gerard Hamilton voices that the problems Latvia was facing at the time when the OSCE Mission to Latvia was established are solved and now Latvia has to do everything to persuade people that it is truly interested in people’s problems and solving them. Moscow believes the negative reaction by Latvia on remarks by OSCE official Gerard Stoudmann on granting state language status to Russian language in Latvia enlightens the very essence of the problem faced by Latvia's Russian speaker minority". The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement distributed on Saturday that while "insisting on existence of only one state language -- Latvian -- the Latvian authorities are unwilling to count with legal right of the massive in numbers Russian speaker minority to use its native tongue in line with Europe's standards". The Russian Foreign Ministry reminds that the international law grants the possibility to minorities to use their native tongue. "The fact that people are banned from internationally acknowledged right for, including "historic considerations", on which Latvian authorities insist, is clearly in contradiction with provisions under European convention of human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as international pact on civic and political rights," the statement reads.

Moscow believes the negative reaction by Latvia on remarks by OSCE official Gerard Stoudmann on granting state language status to Russian language in Latvia enlightens the very essence of the problem faced by Latvia's Russian speaker minority". The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement distributed on Saturday that while "insisting on existence of only one state language -- Latvian -- the Latvian authorities are unwilling to count with legal right of the massive in numbers Russian speaker minority to use its native tongue in line with Europe's standards". The Russian Foreign Ministry reminds that the international law grants the possibility to minorities to use their native tongue. "The fact that people are banned from internationally acknowledged right for, including "historic considerations", on which Latvian authorities insist, is clearly in contradiction with provisions under European convention of human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as international pact on civic and political rights," the statement reads. Chas, Vesti Segodnja, Panorama Latvii

FHRUL officially announced about of the foundation of its youth organization. Its administrative secretary Ivan Stalnoj says that the organization is ready for broad and serious actions.

Telegraf