Integration monitor
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.
March 25, 1998
Press Review
On Monday meeting with the Saeima Education Commission, EU experts acknowledged that several articles of the state language law restricted the freedom of speech, and Latvian state would lose a court case if anybody sued the state in European Human Rights Court. The representative of the Human Rights Directorate Frank Stekele pointed out that European Human Rights Convention was legally binding for Latvia and they were recommendations not to be neglected. The article under discussion is the one stating mandatory use of the Latvian language in private businesses. The Chairman of the Commission Dz.Abikis agreed that conformity of several norms of the draft law could be discussed but stressed that the draft could be essentially improved during the third reading. He acknowledged that public integration, based on the Latvian language, proceeded successfully in total, and it proved correctness of current language policy, taking into consideration the results of 50 years of occupation and Russification.On Monday meeting with the Saeima Education Commission, EU experts acknowledged that several articles of the state language law restricted the freedom of speech, and Latvian state would lose a court case if anybody sued the state in European Human Rights Court. The representative of the Human Rights Directorate Frank Stekele pointed out that European Human Rights Convention was legally binding for Latvia and they were recommendations not to be neglected. The article under discussion is the one stating mandatory use of the Latvian language in private businesses. The Chairman of the Commission Dz.Abikis agreed that conformity of several norms of the draft law could be discussed but stressed that the draft could be essentially improved during the third reading. He acknowledged that public integration, based on the Latvian language, proceeded successfully in total, and it proved correctness of current language policy, taking into consideration the results of 50 years of occupation and Russification. Diena, Neatkariga, Chas, SM
The Cabinet of Ministers on its Tuesday meeting prolonged the validity term for former USSR passports for entering Latvia by adopting amendments to the regulations of January 21 on non-citizen passports of Latvia.
The Cabinet of Ministers stated that former USSR passports with Latvian Resident Registers stamp would not be valid for entry to Latvia from July 1, 1998 (previous deadline was March 31), but former USSR travel passports issued in Latvia should be considered invalid for going to CIS countries form October 31, 1998 ( previous deadline was March 31). The government also stated that henceforth former USSR internal passports with the Resident Registers stamp would be considered invalid but the cases when a person was moving to a CIS country for permanent residence.
Diena, Neatkariga, Jauna Avize, B&B, SMThe official representative of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs G.Tarasov has characterized the speech made by his Latvian counterpart V.Birkavs at UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva as announcements isolated from the real life. Tarasov said that, while describing achievements of Latvia in the aspect of human rights, Birkavs had avoided the central issue - situation with 700 000 of the state residents having no rights and citizenship. Birkavs had not mentioned also such acute issues as the ban on professions for non-citizens, differences in political and socially economic rights, ousting of the Russia language, etc. Latvia was still completely ignoring the proposals made by OSCE and other international organizations on the need to improve the human situation in the country.
The Press Secretary of Latvian MFA A.Pildegovics told
Diena that Latvian MFA did not intend to make any comments on that, but they were just surprised by the low level of information of the particular official on how Latvia was carrying out recommendations of OSCE High Commissioner that were not binding for Latvia. From 18 recommendation 11 have been fulfilled, 3 - fulfilled partially, realization of the rest was not possible due to political reasons. Diena, B&BChas
writes about the new governmental program for joining EU. Due to the results of the research performed by European Commission stating that the main problem for Latvia to join EU would be 700000 people with no citizenship, the Bureau for European Integration included the problem of non-citizens for the first time. This program envisages several steps for integration of non-citizens into Latvian society. This problem could be solved by speeding up the Naturalization process and creating more favorable conditions for learning the Latvian language.The official representative of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs G.Tarasov considers that during the meeting of Russian, German and French leaders in Moscow on March 26 they could also discuss the situation with Russian-speakers in Latvia and Estonia. He stressed that Russia would propose this topic for discussion. The Press Secretary of Latvian MFA A.Pildegovics said that Latvian party had no information on that. He also informed that Latvian MFA was ready for bilateral discussion about the topic with any of those countries. Jauna Avize
The State President G.Ulmanis meeting with Latvian Trade and Industry Chamber members at an official dinner announced that frankness in contacts with Russia may be politically dangerous because that neighbouring country could play on false political instruments, turning political problems into economical ones. Economical sanctions would be the least proper move Russia could make against Latvia. The only thing to do at that moment was to wait for an announcement on economical policy of the government of Russia.
Neatkariga