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.

• Human rights experts discuss definitions of national minority proposed by Latvian politicians
• Diena reports on the session of the Advisory Board on Minority Education Issues under the Ministry of Education and Science
• Peoples Harmony Party: the state lingers the issuance of citizens passports to persons who have passed naturalisation exams
• Head of the Saeima Committee on the Implementation of the Citizenship Law Anta Rugate talks about the necessity to amend the Citizenship Law
• Head of the Naturalisation Board suggests amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Latvia suggests Russia to sign the border agreement before 9 May 2005
• Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins: Russian-language newspapers incite national hatred
• Saeima does not support the proposal to mark 7 January – Christmas Day celebrated by Orthodox believers and Old Believers - a national holiday
• Group of parents of minority students issues a call addressed to teachers working at Russian schools

Diena continues discussions about definitions of the term national minority. The newspaper asks a number of human right experts to comment on definitions offered by Latvian politicians. The lecturer of the Riga Graduate School of Law Martins Mits believes that Latvia will violate the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights if the Convention is applied only regarding those members of minorities who were Latvian citizens until 17 June 1940 or their descendants. He explains that in this case Latvia would violate the norm of the ICCPR, which stipulates that persons belonging to minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of the group, to enjoy their own culture, to practise their own religion or to use their own language. The director of Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brands-Kehris notes the flaws of the restricted definition: if Latvia does not adopt reservations concerning the usage of minority languages in communication with municipalities, the restricted minority definition would bring inconveniences for both minorities and officials. In practice it will be very complicated to determine who is a member of minority and who is not. The head of the Human Rights Institute of the University of Latvia Arturs Kucs is convinced that the definition should not include the citizenship criteria because there are several minorities, for instance Ukrainians, whose members are mostly non-citizens (only 15% of Ukrainians have Latvian citizenship). The citizenship criterion is of less importance concerning Russians, because approximately 50% of them are Latvian citizens. Ilze Brands-Kehris suggests that the definition of the term national minority should include four criteria set by international law: 1) objective - a group whose members have ethnic, religious or linguistic features different from those of the rest of the population 2) subjective – a person himself/herself associates with a group that differs from the rest of the population 3) numerical – a minority may not be a numerical majority, 4) long-lasting relations with the state.

Members of the Advisory Board on Minority Education Issues under the Ministry of Education and Science agreed on the next three steps to be taken to ensure the quality of education at minority schools: develop a paper providing step-by-step explanations regarding the implementation of bilingual education; publish teaching aids for teachers; and conduct a study on changes in minority education. The Minister of Education and Science Ina Druviete has promised to reopen discussions on the necessity to develop the Law on Minority Education.

Members of the Advisory Board on Minority Education Issues under the Ministry of Education and Science agreed on the next three steps to be taken to ensure the quality of education at minority schools: develop a paper providing step-by-step explanations regarding the implementation of bilingual education; publish teaching aids for teachers; and conduct a study on changes in minority education. The Minister of Education and Science Ina Druviete has promised to reopen discussions on the necessity to develop the Law on Minority Education. Diena

‘A number of persons have complained that the state lingers the issuance of citizens’ passports, despite that these persons have successfully passed naturalisation examinations,’ has stated the head of the People’s Harmony Party parliamentary group Andrejs Klementjevs. According to Andrejs Klementjevs, the Naturalisation Board does not accept applications from persons who want to receive citizenship in extraordinary order. He states that authorities impede naturalisation intentionally, because they want to control the number of ‘wrong’ voters in the forthcoming municipal elections. The party plans to ask explanations on this issue from the Ministry of Justice, the Naturalisation Board and the Secretariat of the Special Tasks Minister for Society Integration.

‘A number of persons have complained that the state lingers the issuance of citizens passports, despite that these persons have successfully passed naturalisation examinations, has stated the head of the Peoples Harmony Party parliamentary group Andrejs Klementjevs. According to Andrejs Klementjevs, the Naturalisation Board does not accept applications from persons who want to receive citizenship in extraordinary order. He states that authorities impede naturalisation intentionally, because they want to control the number of ‘wrong voters in the forthcoming municipal elections. The party plans to ask explanations on this issue from the Ministry of Justice, the Naturalisation Board and the Secretariat of the Special Tasks Minister for Society Integration.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Head of Saeima Committee on the Implementation of the Citizenship Law Anta Rugate about a need to amend the Citizenship Law. The MP states that taking into account the present situation, in particular attempts of persons who are disloyal to naturalise, Saeima should amend this law. However, Anta Rugate notes a better solution would be replacement of the responsible officials because in fact the effective law is rather general and thus provides a room for interpretation of its norms.

The Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane states that the Naturalisation Board in collaboration with the State Security Police submitted proposals aimed at strengthening the norm of the Citizenship Law, which stipulates restrictions for the acquisition of Latvian citizenship. Eizenija Aldermane believes that prohibitions should also cover fight with international terrorism. The prohibitions should also be stipulated regarding persons who suspected in the involvement of actions aimed against the state. Eizenija Aldermane also believes that the loyalty pledge signed by a naturalisation applicant should be revised. Meanwhile, the activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis announced that he was not only person who was denied Latvian citizenship. According to him, another 25 activists of the Headquarters were excluded from the list of naturalisation applicants. The Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane doubts his statement, and argues that there are no more than 25 – 30 activists in Headquarters and the majority of them already are citizens of Latvia. 

The Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane states that the Naturalisation Board in collaboration with the State Security Police submitted proposals aimed at strengthening the norm of the Citizenship Law, which stipulates restrictions for the acquisition of Latvian citizenship. Eizenija Aldermane believes that prohibitions should also cover fight with international terrorism. The prohibitions should also be stipulated regarding persons who suspected in the involvement of actions aimed against the state. Eizenija Aldermane also believes that the loyalty pledge signed by a naturalisation applicant should be revised. Meanwhile, the activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis announced that he was not only person who was denied Latvian citizenship. According to him, another 25 activists of the Headquarters were excluded from the list of naturalisation applicants. The Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane doubts his statement, and argues that there are no more than 25 – 30 activists in Headquarters and the majority of them already are citizens of Latvia. Latvijas Avize

During the meeting of the Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Artis Pabriks and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov Latvia has proposed Russia to sign the boarder agreement before 9 May 2005 when Russia has planned to organise big international celebrations of the anniversary of the victory in World War II.

During the meeting of the Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Artis Pabriks and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov Latvia has proposed Russia to sign the boarder agreement before 9 May 2005 when Russia has planned to organise big international celebrations of the anniversary of the victory in World War II. Diena, Vesti segodnya, Chas

The Head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins has send a letter to the Prosecutor General Janis Maizitis. Aleksandrs Kirsteins is concerned about publications in the Russian-language newspapers

The Head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins has send a letter to the Prosecutor General Janis Maizitis. Aleksandrs Kirsteins is concerned about publications in the Russian-language newspapers Chas and Vesti Segodnya and believes that these publications incite national hatred. While Vesti Segodnya reports that Aleksandrs Kirsteins has not named any particular article, which incites national hatred. Vesti Segodnya

After second voting, Saeima did not support amendments to the Law on Celebrations and Commemoration Days, submitted by both the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia and the Latvian First Party. The amendments stipulated that 7 January, when Orthodox believers and Old Believers celebrate Christmas, should be a national holiday.

After second voting, Saeima did not support amendments to the Law on Celebrations and Commemoration Days, submitted by both the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia and the Latvian First Party. The amendments stipulated that 7 January, when Orthodox believers and Old Believers celebrate Christmas, should be a national holiday. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Chas prints an appeal of a group of parents of minority students addressed to teachers of Russian schools. Parents call teachers to participate in the fight against the education reform. Authors of the letter believe that bilingual education will degrade both the Russian and the Latvian cultures.