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.

• Latvijas Avize: idea to allow to study in Russian language in state funded higher education establishments is still alive

Latvijas Avize reports that the idea to allow to usage of Russian language in study process in state funded higher education establishments is still alive. According to the newspaper, the Ministry of Education and Science elaborated draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education Establishments widening usage of only the EU official languages in the study process. But in the process of approval of the draft amendments, the Ministry of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development in its opinion mentioned that usage of Russian language in the study process in universities and colleges would raise their competitiveness. However, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Edmunds Sprudzs and the State Secretary of the Ministry Einars Cilinskis in an interview to the newspaper denied the fact that they support such idea and said they were not aware that it is included in the Ministry’s opinion about the draft law.