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.

• Newspapers continue to print comments on the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assemblys recommendations to Latvia
• Latest statistics regarding the naturalisation process in Latvia
• Indulis Emsis talks about the stance of Latvia towards a co-operation between the EU and Russia
• Congresss of the Russian community organisational committee calls LASHOR to review usefulness of the discussion on the education reforms problems within the combined working group with the Ministry of Education and Science
• Head of the New Era parliamentary group Krisjanis Karins on societal integration issues
• Statements of ethnic Russians about their life in Latvia

Newspapers continue to print comments on the resolution, adopted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, which includes recommendations for Latvia in the area of minorities’ rights observation. The OSCE recommends Latvia to ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and to grant non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections. Russian language newspapers feature comments of one of the representatives of Latvia to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, MP Andrejs Klementjevs (People’s Harmony Party), who fully supports the recommendations of the OSCE.

Newspapers continue to print comments on the resolution, adopted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, which includes recommendations for Latvia in the area of minorities rights observation. The OSCE recommends Latvia to ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and to grant non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections. Russian language newspapers feature comments of one of the representatives of Latvia to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, MP Andrejs Klementjevs (Peoples Harmony Party), who fully supports the recommendations of the OSCE. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Newspapers feature articles about the naturalisation process in Latvia.

Newspapers feature articles about the naturalisation process in Latvia. Diena, referring to the information of the Naturalisation Board, reports that in this year the naturalisation rate has not diminished even during the summer months. 9501 persons have been naturalised during the first six months of this year. Diena, Latvijas Avize

“Latvia as the member state of the European Union and the neighbour state of Russia is interested in a close co-operation between the EU and Russia,” stated the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis in Berlin, during discussion organized by the European Commission. According to Indulis Emsis, Latvia supports regular, wide-range dialogues between the EU and Russia on the issues concerning the observation of human rights in all EU member states and Russia.

Latvia as the member state of the European Union and the neighbour state of Russia is interested in a close co-operation between the EU and Russia, stated the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis in Berlin, during discussion organized by the European Commission. According to Indulis Emsis, Latvia supports regular, wide-range dialogues between the EU and Russia on the issues concerning the observation of human rights in all EU member states and Russia. Latvijas Avize

The Executive Committee of the Russian Community Congress distributed a statement, which comments on the recently established working group, where both representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools (LASHOR) are presented. In the statement the Executive Committee welcomes any initiative aimed at improving the quality of education in the Russian language. The authors of the statement, however, believe that an intention of the working group to improve the minorities’ educational programmes in the existing framework of the language ratio, stipulated by the Education Law, is not supported by Russian speakers. The authors of the statement also do not believe in the usefulness of the discussion on the education reform’s problems month and a half before the implementation of the reform. The Committee also calls the LASHOR to express a clear opinion towards protest actions, organised by the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language schools.

The Executive Committee of the Russian Community Congress distributed a statement, which comments on the recently established working group, where both representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools (LASHOR) are presented. In the statement the Executive Committee welcomes any initiative aimed at improving the quality of education in the Russian language. The authors of the statement, however, believe that an intention of the working group to improve the minorities educational programmes in the existing framework of the language ratio, stipulated by the Education Law, is not supported by Russian speakers. The authors of the statement also do not believe in the usefulness of the discussion on the education reforms problems month and a half before the implementation of the reform. The Committee also calls the LASHOR to express a clear opinion towards protest actions, organised by the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language schools. Chas

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Head of the New Eras Saeima faction Krisjanis Karins on social integration issues and the future of the present government. Krisjanis Karins believes that the implementation of the education reform is the necessary basis for the formation of a one-community state in Latvia. He reproaches the present government for ‘playing with the education reform and explains it with the necessity of the government to have the support of the Peoples Harmony Party. According to Krisjanis Karins, the state must explain more actively ‘the consequences of the occupation and colonisation to non-Latvians living in Latvia, as ‘protests against the education reform are not the struggle against the Latvian language, but rather the struggle about the principles. Krisjanis Karins believes that people, who are protesting against the implementation of the reform, still do not perceive Latvia as an independent state. The MP believes that the performance of the Special Tasks Minister for Society Integration also has not been active enough.

Diena supplement Sestdiena prints views of a number of ethnic Russians about their life in Latvia, attitude towards Russia and social integration in Latvia.