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.

• Discussion about usage of the word ‘Latvian as a political and an ethnic term
• European Commission External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten informs Russia about the financial support to society integration programs in Latvia and Estonia
• Meeting of the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis and representatives of the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat
• Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Chizhov calls the Council of Europe to urge Latvia to start a serious dialogue with the representatives of national minorities
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia prepares a statement about observation of minority rights in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize features statements of Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre about ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Interview with the leader of the party Equality Tatjana Zdanoka
• Latvijas Avize criticizes state officials for being inert in the area of preventing permissiveness during the protest actions against the education reform

Discussion about usage of the word ‘Latvian’ as a political and an ethnic term has developed in mass media after the interview of the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga to the Russian newspaper

Discussion about usage of the word ‘Latvian as a political and an ethnic term has developed in mass media after the interview of the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga to the Russian newspaper Argumenti i Fakti (Arguments and Facts). During the interview the president has stated that ‘they [i.e. Russians] must accept that this is an independent state and have to become Latvians – of Russian origin, but Latvians. If they want to be Russians, they can go to Russia. Peoples Harmony Partys chairman Janis Jurkans has sent an open letter to the president, claiming that presidents statements create a national scandal which injures half a million residents of the country who are not of Latvian origin. Experts, questioned by Diena journalist, believe that this is purely a linguistic problem, because in the Latvian language term ‘Latvian means both ethnic affiliation and political belonging, while in Russian there is a clear difference between terms ‘latish (Latvian in ethnic sense) and ‘latvijec (Latvian in political sense). According to the presidents press secretary Aiva Rozenberga, the president meant ‘Latvians as persons, who speak Latvian, are citizens of Latvia and feel belonging to the state. Vesti Segodnya features various opinions of the well known in Latvia minority representatives about the statement of the president. Diena, Vesti Segodnya

European Commission External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten has sent a letter to the Russia Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, providing information about the financial support of the EC to society integration programs in Latvia and Estonia, allocated since 1996. According to the commissioner, during the last eight years there was approximately 13,5 millions euro allocated for society integration programs in Latvia, and the EC is planning to continue support of these programs also in the next period from 2004 – 2006.

European Commission External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten has sent a letter to the Russia Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, providing information about the financial support of the EC to society integration programs in Latvia and Estonia, allocated since 1996. According to the commissioner, during the last eight years there was approximately 13,5 millions euro allocated for society integration programs in Latvia, and the EC is planning to continue support of these programs also in the next period from 2004 – 2006. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize writes about the meeting of the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis and representatives of the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat in order to discuss society integration issues.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Chizhov has spread a statement, calling the Council of Europe in collaboration with the OSCE, Council of the Baltic Sea States and UN Human Rights Committee to urge Latvia to start a serious dialogue with the representatives of national minorities about issues concerning their basic rights, and to participate in solving any existing problems.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Chizhov has spread a statement, calling the Council of Europe in collaboration with the OSCE, Council of the Baltic Sea States and UN Human Rights Committee to urge Latvia to start a serious dialogue with the representatives of national minorities about issues concerning their basic rights, and to participate in solving any existing problems. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia is preparing a statement about observation of minority rights in Latvia. According to the Foreign Affairs Minister Rihards Piks, this statement will help Latvian diplomats to explain the situation in the area of minority rights to the international society, in order to respond to the regular aspirations of Russia to draw attention to this issue.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia is preparing a statement about observation of minority rights in Latvia. According to the Foreign Affairs Minister Rihards Piks, this statement will help Latvian diplomats to explain the situation in the area of minority rights to the international society, in order to respond to the regular aspirations of Russia to draw attention to this issue. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize clarifies considerations which made the Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre to abstain from voting on the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, while other members of her faction voted against it. Ingrida Udre regards a vote against ratification as equivalent to abstaining. According to the Saeima speaker, the convention will be ratified anyway because the Saeima Subcommittee on Social Integration is discussing a question about ratification of the convention with several reservations.

Chas features an interview with the leader of the party Equality Tatjana Zdanoka about the extention of the EU directives to the non-citizens of Latvia and about requirements of the EU to Latvia in the area of minority rights.

Latvijas Avize features a commentary by the editor-in-chief Voldemars Krustins, who blames state officials on their inertness as they, according to the author, do almost nothing in order to prevent permissiveness during the protest actions against the education reform.