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.

• Article by the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Latvia Andrew Rasbash about discrimination in Latvia
• Statement of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre representative Efraim Zuroff regarding printing and distribution of envelopes with the image of the Nazi criminal Herberts Cukurs
• Russian Supervision Chamber issues a statement about the unsolved financial claims of Russia against the Baltic States
• Latvijas Avize continues discussion about the eligibility of the member of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis to naturalisation
• Diena reports on the study Assuring Access in Key Strategic Regions. Toward a Long-Term Strategy
• Interview with the Russian-speaking teacher of the Rinuzi Secondary School Tatjana Kandrusina

Neatkariga Rita Avize features an article by the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Latvia Andrew Rasbash about the EU campaign For Diversity. Against Discrimination which recently took place in Latvia. Andrew Rasbash states that a part of Latvian society believes that discrimination in Latvia is not an intrinsic problem, while others see discrimination only as discrimination on national grounds. At the same time the Head of the Delegation of the EC states that discrimination problems in the area of employment are topical issues in Latvia as well.

The representative of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Efraim Zuroff has issued a statement, calling state officials not only to investigate appearance of envelopes with the images of Herberts Cukurs accused in the participation of the Holocaust, but also to stop distribution of these envelops.

The representative of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Efraim Zuroff has issued a statement, calling state officials not only to investigate appearance of envelopes with the images of Herberts Cukurs accused in the participation of the Holocaust, but also to stop distribution of these envelops. Vesti Segodnya

The Russian Supervision Chamber has issued a statement that the Baltic States owes Russia USD 3,000,000,000. The debt has formed after the collapse of the USSR. The Prime Minister of Latvia Indulis Emsis believes that the Russia’s announcement comes as a response to the initiative of several members of Saeima who called to evaluate consequences of the Latvia’s occupation and calculate financial damages brought by Soviet occupation.

The Russian Supervision Chamber has issued a statement that the Baltic States owes Russia USD3,000,000,000. The debt has formed after the collapse of the USSR. The Prime Minister of Latvia Indulis Emsis believes that the Russias announcement comes as a response to the initiative of several members of Saeima who called to evaluate consequences of the Latvias occupation and calculate financial damages brought by Soviet occupation. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize continues discussions about the eligibility of the member of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis to naturalisation. The newspaper features views of some MPs. Majority of MPs believe that state security institutions should evaluate the eligibility of Jurijs Petropavlovskis to naturalisation very thoroughly and, if his activities have been illegitimate, he should not have the right to naturalise. The Head of Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee Janis Strazdins (Union of Farmers and Greens) believes that amendments to the Citizenship Law should be adopted which would deny the right to naturalise to persons, who ‘bring harm to our society and spoils social integration process.

Diena reports on the study Assuring Access in Key Strategic Regions. Toward a Long-Term Strategy, prepared by the RAND Corporation for United States Army. The study admits a range of future developments among countries in Europe, including a possibility of a military conflict between Russia and the Baltic States. The study speculates that Russia may increase her support for extreme Russian-speakers in Latvia and Estonia. By increasing violent activities local state security institutions would get involved into conflicts, which would serve as an argument for Russia to plan invasion into the Baltic States claiming that she defends rights of Russian-speakers. ‘This crackdown, in turn, provides Russia with an opportunity to present itself as a protector of human rights and by doing so attempt to drive a wedge between the Baltic States and their NATO allies. Although these speculations are only on the paper, observers stress that the study encourages the Baltic States not to rely on their NATO membership as a 100% security guarantee. Instead, Latvia and Estonia should make a bigger effort to integrate Russian-speakers.

Chas features an interview with the Russian-speaking teacher of the Rinuzi Secondary School Tatjana Kandrusina about the implementation of the education reform in minority schools. The teacher points to the necessity of a differentiated education reform in Russian-language schools, stressing that the emphasis should be placed on the quality of Latvian language as the language of instruction rather than on increasing the number of Latvian language lessons or transition to studies mainly in the Latvian.