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.

• Comments on the warning about racism in Latvia issued by USA Department of State
• An interview with the leader of the party Latvian Way Ivars Godmanis about social integration in Latvia

Newspapers publish comments on the warning about racism in Latvia issued by the USA Department of State.

Newspapers publish comments on the warning about racism in Latvia issued by the USA Department of State. Diena and Telegraf write that most probably the warning was issued because an embassy staff member and her family members had an incident in the Riga Old Town on 1 July. The USA Embassy does not confirm the assumption, however, notes that the incident on 1 July was a serious racially motivated attack. While the police express their incomprehension regarding the 2-week delay of reporting on the incident. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Latvia Artis Pabriks has stated that racial crimes should be punished in the strict accordance with law; however, he believes that the statement of the USA Department of State that Latvia is a racial country is exaggerated. The Foreign Affairs Minister has called the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration and the Minister of Interior to take all necessary measures to guarantee security of people. While the Integration Minister Ainars Latkovskis reports that already after the first racially motivated attacks in Riga he has asked USA Department of State and the USA Ambassador to Latvia to provide training for police officers on methods how to handle racially motivated crimes ‘if somebody is robbed, police know what to do, while these crimes are new in Latvia. According to the Integration Minister, USA officials have not responded to the request yet. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the leader of the party Latvias Way Ivars Godmanis about social integration in Latvia. Ivars Godmanis believes that the effective social integration programme is too theoretical and cannot be implemented. According to the party leader, theoretical statements about social integration should be replaced by the policy based on the following principle: a mutual ‘non-aggression pact between Latvians and Russians should be concluded instead of artificial attempts to ‘melt Russians into Latvian society. According to Ivars Godmanis, the new generation of Russians should be obliged to study Latvian on consistent basis.